Work Clothes
My husband wears a suit and tie in court every day. My kids carefully select what they wear to convey who they are when they go to work–which for them is school. We wear clothes that set the right image and enable us to do our job best.
So, I work in pajamas.
On days I write, I get the kids off to school, shower and put on a clean pair of pajamas. The reason is two-fold: 1) I am comfortable 2) It keeps me at the keyboard and prevents me from shopping or leaving the house.
Except for last Friday. Yep. My work uniform choice backfired.
One of my 12 year-old twins had an after school party at a pool near my house. This isn’t a neighborhood club, mind you; it’s a high-dollar exclusive private country club to which my family belonged when I was a child, so complete ignorance isn’t an excuse on my part. I knew the setting.
I’ve had kids at this school for 9 years, and I thought I had the party routine down. Not.
The kids were taken to the country club after school by parent volunteers–great; more time to write. I pound out the words until 4:30, which is when I leave so I can be one of the first in line to pick up my kid. I assume the teachers and chaperones would have the kids ready to go and would be placing them in cars like they had at other functions. Wrong.
I arrive and there is no line. I watch from the safety of my car while parents (dressed to the nines) park their cars and stride into the country club.
Heart sinks. A twinge of nausea. Crap, I’m wearing pajamas.
Remaining calm, I decide to keep my eye out for someone that I know so I can flag her over to beg her to retrieve my progeny. No luck. You’d think out of over 100 kids, I’d recognize someone’s parent.
By the time I concede defeat and accept the fact I am going to have to go public in my pajamas, every parent has arrived and is hanging out at the pool. I should have gone in right when I got there, grabbed the kid and beat it out. Now, I had to join a social melee of epic proportions.
So, I’m not fully fluffed and in makeup. Nope. I’m au natural sporting a ponytail, black pajama pants and a blue T shirt–my work clothes.
In all fairness, they are lounge pants, not true pajama pants, so there are not little sheep or sleepy teddy bears on them, but still.
Hoping for the best, I launch mission “Get In Quick and Get the Hell Out.” The mission fails.
It takes almost 30 minutes to find my son and get him out of the club. I am seen by and chat with almost everyone there. I must have heard, “You look so cute,” two dozen times. ”You look so cute” translates to “WTF” in social speak.
My family thought it was hilarious. I do too, now that I’m comfortably cute in my own home again.
What do you wear to work? Any “you look so cute” moments of your own?
May 30, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Oh, Mary! This could SO be me. You’re right,wearing PJs keeps me home and at work. On days I drive my son to school, I get dressed only because I figure the day I don’t will be the day my car breaks down in traffic. And MY PJ bottoms are the ones with polka dots or puppies or cute little coffee cups! I imagine you were the topic of conversation that afternoon! Great tale!
May 30, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I loved this post! I got a good laugh out of it, sorry. That’s at your expense. But you’re comfy, so I’m sure you don’t mind!
I’ll bet you really did look cute, and had everybody jealous that you were comfortable and they weren’t. Ahhh, the life of a writer!
May 30, 2009 at 11:20 pm
OMG! I have SO been there!
Like please don’t make me get out of the car… I cut up a t-shirt and am wearing the arm as my headband… it’s awesome, right?
May 31, 2009 at 12:02 am
My work clothes consistent of typical “work” attire most days – dress pants and a cute top or sweater set of some sort. Since my original entry into my professional life was in the world of fashion, I am fairly conscious of what I wear to work.
That is not to say I haven’t had “those” moments. Since I live and work in the same town…and I work in education…there is literally not one day that I do not run into SOMEONE when I am out and about. So, those quick, weekend dashes to starbucks or the dry cleaners is usually guaranteed to result in a “You look so cute” moment!
Fun post!
May 31, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I LOVE this! I am student/writer and I hang in PJ’s, too. I call them my “Power PJ’s”
May 31, 2009 at 3:12 pm
“Power PJ’s!’ I love it, Alexandra.
Ah, Christine. I remember when I taught and had to get dressed like a civilized member of society.
Jamie! Arm of a t-shirt as a headband? LOL. I bet you were cute.
You’re right, Lady Glamis: Comfy trumps embarrassment.
Hi, Nancy. Good to “see” you. I admire you for putting on clothes the day you drive your son to school. I brave it in my PJs. It will be excellent blog material when I get a flat tire and have to change it in my pajamas.
June 1, 2009 at 10:02 am
LOLOLOL! This is awesome! “You look so cute!” ROTFL. I work in pajamas too. At least I wish I could. I do have to get dressed for school, but as soon as I get home (at 2:45 in the afternoon) I change into my pj’s. Which means I wear my husband’s basketball shorts and a disgusting T-shirt.
June 2, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I went out and bought new pajamas in honor of this event. I bought black light-weight cotton with little coffee cups all over them. Yeah. Stylin’ for sure now. Soooo “cute” am I.
June 5, 2009 at 9:37 am
I work full time, but I have had those moments on Saturdays with my daughter’s dance practices. I’m not a foo foo girl, my inner ponytail and flip flops come to the surface on weekends, and I’m a firm believer in no makeup if at all possible…
So there have been Saturday mornings that I have had to go in to the dance studio to pay for whatever, thinking “it’s Saturday morning, everyone else will have this same ‘dredged up from the swamp’ look I’ve got going.” Not the case. There are evidently sick perky Saturday people out there. It’s just wrong.
June 6, 2009 at 9:59 am
I dare not say what I work in. Hint: My wife hates AC so the house stays somewhere in the lower 80s.
Great story, and I got a good laugh out of it. Thanks for sharing.
June 7, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I had the same pajama experience with my daughter at a high school dance a few years ago. I could have killed her! I walked in to the gym, all decked out in my p.j.’s and boy–did the teenagers stare. Gulp. Thanks lovely daughter, you owe me one!
June 8, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I LOVE wearing my pajamas to work. This works okay for running after a two year old, cleaning, and writing but then I always end up having to change to get out of the house to pick up kids or something of the sort so I just decided it was easier to put jeans on at the beginning of the day instead of halfway through it.
June 23, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Mary, I’m rolling on the floor laughing. Not at you, but with you. Gosh, it’s so fun to wear the writer’s clothing until… oh, argh… I’m in public with this on?!? Keep stylin’ and I won’t tell a soul!
October 13, 2009 at 11:23 am
It’s October… and I’m still sitting here in my pajamas from June…. LOL Hey, I got no place to go so what da hey.
Di
November 6, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Reading this post completely made my day!
I too am a pajama girl when I’m writing. I will however, take into consideration your embarrassing tale and place suitable garments near the front door – just in case.