My Summer School Sartorial Challenge: Some Thoughts

 I started wearing a different dress to class every day because I had some DOUBTS about teaching in-person every day, and I wanted to distract myself with the challenge.

I think, sadly, this is the last summer I will be able to swing that kind of teaching every day commitment. I really want to be in the public speaking classroom every year because I direct the class and feel like I need to be in the trenches sometimes to do this work well. But. There are other options besides every day teaching in the summer for seeing the class unfold in real time, and I am going to have to explore them. We have too many kids going too many places, and I need to be home with them to be most effective, especially with Ben gone for work.

Still, teaching freshmen is a particular kind of delight, and I am glad I got to do it, even though the day-to-day was hectic.

Real talk? I also decided to wear a dress a day because I think I am not the right size for any of my pants options, and this not something I want to deal with. Also, I have jeans and that’s pretty much it. Also jorts. (Which are not totally my size— but no not my size— and also not classroom appropriate). My wardrobe is very extreme: cocktail party or cookout is pretty much it. Sooooo the cocktail clothes get to go to work, and the cookout clothes come out after hours.

The good news? I stayed away from athleisure in public, which is an ongoing fashion goal. I also ended up feeling better about my body because my dresses all still fit me, and some of them are older than Jack. I have mostly been me-sized for a long time **shrug**

The bad news? I buy cheap clothes and then treat them like heirloom pieces. In my late forties, is it finally time to dress better? Or, does my utter midwestern momness mean I am doing the best I can already?

I am definitely ready to rock the swimsuit and cover up most days from now through the end of the month, anyway.

On a superficial note, this challenge made me realize I needed more shoes that I could wear to work or even out with dresses, so I took advantage of the Toms summer clearance sale to buy black and brown wedges. I will retire some year-old Target sandals that definitely outperformed my $18 investment and a 8-year-old pair of Toms that are literally falling apart (but are also still cute).

On a more serious note, I made up this challenge because the thought of overcoming the logistical nightmare that is my summer life and driving to campus and driving home and getting Minnie to and from camp and dealing with the after effects of the big kids home all morning and getting the middle kids to their million-dollar activities was just too much to handle. So I needed a fun distraction. But really I can't teach every day of the week over the summer at this exact moment in my life. Well, I mean, I can and I did but I think I might not again.

Least favorite lewk:

I was wearing the Target dress that you have probably seen everywhere and also probably own. Only I got it in a medium, and it was too big, but when I went to trade it in, it was sold out everywhere, so I kept it and put a tank top under it because it was so low cut but it just looks dumpy. It's been demoted to swimsuit cover up. It appears to be in stock in every size now. OF COURSE.

Favorite lewk:

This LOFT dress never lets me down.

Oh! And! My last 2 looks from last week:

Another AT LOFT dress that never disappoints, plus new Toms that were so painful, my ankles are STILL RAW— not sure if I can wear them again. And MInnie made me a bead bracelet at camp and insists that I wear it everywhere, so I do.

Also my hair is long enough for a bun, so that’s it forever. All buns.

Gap dress older than Coooper: