A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. -Oscar Wilde

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Where did you go? Where have you been?

Where did January go? At least I'm down to one more month of waiting to hear if I'm a finalist for the fellowship I really want. Also, totally missed mentioning two years since officially adopting FatCat. DamnCat still looks at me as if asking when I'm going to return the interloper.

Paul Krugman and Arianna Huffington on the round table on This Week: could there be two less effective "defenders" of the proposed health care reform? With all due respect to Mr. Economic Nobel Prize, Krugman's a great writer but terrible speaker/ debater. Arianna Huffington.. oy.

I am a redhead again. I missed it. Very few blondes (whether natural or "blonde") look their best with that color. I include myself in that category-- it was pretty on its own, but made me look washed out). And I'm just not a brunette in either personality or color (no offense to the brunettes out there). Which leaves black and red. Black might actually work... but it's a commitment (and probably the one color that would actually shock my mother). Red is fun, it makes my eyes stand out even more, and random strangers ask me if it's my natural color when I'm not burgundy (obvi, no) and if I'm Irish (not a drop). And while it might be pushing the envelope a bit with job interviews in which I'm supposed to be extremely serious and reliable... well, I hope that the extra confidence makes up for whatever seriousness I lose.

Speaking of which, I found a fabulous Calvin Klein suit with an inseam that might actually work for me... but it's a little pricey. Of course. Because the one freaking suit at Macy's that wouldn't look completely ridiculous on me is also about the most expensive. Just try to find 36" inseams in women's sizes-- talls are hard enough to come by, but almost all clothing manufactures assume that tall people are just stretched out normal people with proportionately narrower hips and all. And shorties can kiss my ass on that matter. At least they can hem things. I can't add fabric to make the legs and arms longer.

My jewelry making skills are improving. I will have to take pictures. But showering, laundry, library, and such should take priority at the moment.

6 comments:

Hp0 said...

heh. KittenSophie gives me that same look every day. She's esp thrilled when I have to take one of the boys to the vet. "But they're not coming back, right? Right?!?!"

MaryNeedsSleep said...

I hate that professional students are expected to dress as professionals even though we don't have the budget for it.

And those of us who are taller or shorter than average definitely have it worse. Both short and tall people are restricted to the few pricey brands that have well-proportioned petite and tall sizes. You tall folks have it rougher, I admit, but simply hemming is rarely an option for professional clothes, as it does nothing for the proportions of shoulders, hips, waist, and knees -- wearing most hemmed "regular" clothes only makes me look like a slob or a little kid.

Good luck shopping! Have you tried Ann Taylor? Gabes often has 2nds and seasonal markdowns, and I've bought a ton of used Ann Taylor on eBay.

Constant Gardener said...

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm venting after spending some time at the mall yesterday and finding "tall" pants with 32" inseams and no room to take them down.

Someday, I'd love to see a clothing company that makes clothing that addresses height as not merely a function of length. Like a shoe company that doesn't merely lengthen a shoe for larger feet but also understands that people with larger feet tend to have longer toes.

Unknown said...

Hooray for two years with that adorable FatCat!

Hairwise, isn't it odd that the color that most reflects your personality isn't the one you're born with? With that said, I'm not sure when I became a brunette after years as a redhead. Though apparently you and I are from that same portion of Ireland that's located in Ukraine. If you have a better response for it, let me know, because I'm way sick of it after all these years.

And I'm with the commenter above...being short and buying pants presents its' own set of problems. If you're over about a size six, petites are useless. With that said, you might want to give Banana Republic a shot as well - my boss is about your height (appx 6' or 6'1) and she was able to buy her suits there. Admittedly, their pants are pricey, but if you're investing in one good suit, or watch for their clearances, you can make out quite nicely.

Jek-kah said...

I'm going back to red myself. Bought the dye on Friday. Just need to find the energy to do it.

Constant Gardener said...

HAHA! Now I'm in your head!

L, you're totally spot on. And the whole women's clothing design thing needs to be revamped with *affordable* better-made clothes that are even worth tailoring to fit.