I have to de-hippie-fy myself!

At least for a while anyway. Before ya'll jump on my back, let me explain.

I FINALLY... after YEARS of looking.. GOT A JOB. I really really need this job too. The thing is, the woman I am working for is umm, rather conservative. Normally I would not change the way I look for a job, but I need a job desperately enough that job trumps style, and I'm fine with that for now.

The problem is, until I started trying to dress conservatively, I never realized just how much of a "dirty hippie" I look sometimes. For the interview, I actually had a hard time finding an outfit and toning down the "hippie" look, but I managed most of it, I still looked like I had a bit of hippie to me but apparently it wasn't so loud that she was put off from hiring me. yay.

I took off all my hemp jewelry to start with. For the interview I wore my only pair of jeans and a somewhat conservative shirt. But all that's left that doesn't scream hippie is the jeans and basic shirts. Boring. But... The job I am doing involves helping a person with physical therapy, so I need some comfortable clothes that don't look "sloppy" but don't look too "hippie" either. Jeans aren't very comfortable for getting down on the floor and doing physical therapy. (I will be caring for her daughter with CP)

So, I need some help, what are things I could wear that would look decent, not sloppy, but still be comfortable enough to move around when needed? And that don't look too hippie? Something that a conservative, well-off woman and her daughter would not be embarrassed to be seen in public with?

And please guys, let's not start a whole "you shouldn't hide yourself" debate here. I KNOW this, but like I said, in this case, job trumps style. So I just need some help. Ok?

I hope I can at least get away with wearing my chacos when it gets hot.

 

Ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do, Bree...no shame in that...and I'm glad you got the job!

Maybe cotton capris with a cotton shirt would be good when the weather gets a little warmer...also long-ish skirts that are loose and cover your legs when you may be sitting down on the floor...I've seen more conservative skirts like this in dept. stores...of course, the stores are selling the hippie type skirts too, which it sounds like you don't need. Good luck, Bree!

 

congrats on the job!
is it just casual conservative? If so, yeah, capris work great.
Cords are awsome, too. They can look very nice and are wonderfully comfortable.
(people, please don't punish me for saying this) but walmart has some nice plain tee shirts and stuff that look very conservative. Here (canada) they're 2 for $14.
just take a gander through a department store, grab whatever you think might look ok and try 'em on.

 

I love a good pair of loose linen pants. I have like three pairs. They are comfy and you can classy them up with a nice shirt. And, you can make em "hippy" with a cool tank top or tee.

 

what about stretchy yoga pants or those workout pants that are fitted? I always think they look nice but casual and they would probably be great to wear while helping a young child in physical therapy.

 

Actually the one I am caring for is 43 years old, but mentally much like a child. Very sweet lady. Her mom is in her 60's or so I'd guess. (Thus the conservativeness)

I am hoping after time when they get to know me better, I can wear "my" stuff.

Thanks for the good ideas so far! I hadn't even thought of capris and fitted yoga pants. Keep 'em coming!

(And to answer a question, yes it's casual conservative. I don't have to "dress up" or anything, just "presentable" as they put it. but it's been so long since I wore "normal" stuff I forgot what it was!)

 

I was thinkin' the same thing re: the white pants. They look damn good!

 

Thanks! Unfortunately the pants I have on in that picture are transparent enough that they show my underwear. It doesn't show up in pics but you can seem them in person. I tried going commando but then my pubes show. Is that conservative? LOL

 

**gasp!!!**

PALAZZO PANTS! I'M IN LOVE! Those would be PERFECT! Comfy, yet conservative and still me. I can pair those with a nice somewhat dressy shirt.

Kinda pricey, but it's worth the eco-factor if they are sturdy. Do you know if their clothes really do hold up well with a lot of wearings and washings?

 

yes, plazzo pants and gauchos are the most comfotable pants ever and they look nice and dressy when you have to make em look professional, but you can janis joplin up the plazzos with a boho looking top and your jewelry if you wear em on a OFF WORK DAY. =)

 

I am not a girl, and as a result no little to nothing about women's clothes but you could probably go buy some nicer clothes at a thrift store, too. The ones around here have a lot of good clothes in them. Also, maybe you could sneak in some of your old hippie cloths a little at a time. For example, dress casual-conservative for a couple weeks, then sneak in something like a skirt or hippie-like shirt and just change something up every couple of weeks and in a few months, you will be doing P.T. in your patchwork skirts and pesant blouses! And if it is just one item that has changed after you have gotten to know her for a while, then she will probably just say "I don't like that *article of clothing* could you not wear it around here again?" or something like that.

But the main thing is it is what is on the inside that counts. If you have to change the way you dress, que' sara sara (sp?). It doesn't change who you are. Just let your personality shine through and everything's gonna be alright.

Good luck at your new job!

 

My favorite comfy clothes involve a t-shirt and a skirt. If you can pull off the skirt thing, there are plenty of comfy cotton clean looking skirts in style actually that would't be hard to find. Skirts are sooooo comfy. But if the job isn't the kind you can do the skirt thing in then there are cotton pants out there. Shirts are usually a lot easier...
good luck, and congrats on the job

 

They actually do some pretty smart-casual hippyish stuff these days. You should check it out.
It all came in due to the "neo-hippy" fashion last season. High-street Hippy sorta thing I suppose.

 

Ok, I think I've almost got my work wardrobe worked out! Yaaay!

But first lemme say, Drumminmama, you are bad news for my (at the moment) skinny wallet! LOL

I fell in love with the black wrap pants, a peasant shirt, and a couple of other things on the dharmatrading site... and ordered them. Comfortable, still me, but not too hippie for the conservative bunch (I hope). Their clothes are cheap!!! Hope they hold up.

Then I looked everywhere online for the "lotus pants" on the deva site that might have been cheaper, couldn't find them, so knowing that I won't have time to go all over oklahoma looking for them went ahead and ordered a black pair. As much as I love the palazzo pants, I realized that they weren't very pratical, as they might get caught up on my lady's wheelchair levers or something like that, so I figured I better keep the pants kinda close to my legs. I may get them later as a spoil me present though.

So, here's what I've got for my work wardrobe so far:

Pants:
Black wrap pants, black lotus pants, (when they get delivered) tan linen pants that I already have (hope they still fit), MAYBE the white pants I have in my sig pic if I can find undies that don't show under them too much, and some roll-up olive colored capri type pants I also already have (that hopefully won't fall off LOL). I also have a couple of other tan pants that MIGHT work, not sure on those yet. That makes at least about 5 pants, for 5 days of work, wash on the weekend. So far so good.

Tops:
Assortment of nicely-fitting collared knit shirts, and v-neck knit shirts, all in solid colors (I HATE prints). Comfortable but not as sloppy as t-shirts, and will all coordinate nicely with the above pants. They are kinda old and worn out, as they are from when I had a job a few years ago, but they will do until I save up enough money to buy more clothes.


Shoes:
-Brown birkenstock clogs for cold days. Will look kinda funny with black pants but I don't care, comfort before style!
-Black Chaco sandals for warmer days. Will go nicely with all pants.
-Flip flops for when I am helping her in and out of the pool, shower, etc. (quick on and off, and don't have to get chaco straps wet this way)
-Believe it or not, I do not find most athletic shoes comfortable. They are hot, and my feet and legs hurt after a while. And I like to kick my shoes off a lot. Maybe I just haven't found a good brand yet? Anyone wanna reccomend a comfortable brand for long days on the feet?

So, I think I'm set for a while. And the best part is I didn't have to COMPLETELY give up my style. Maybe after I've been working there for a while, I'll slowly start wearing my hemp jewelry to ease them into my hippie style, and I won't feel so naked. LOL I like having necklaces and bracelets on, but I am allergic to most metals and hemp is really all I can wear. So most of the time it's hemp or nothing, and I feel naked with nothing.

One thing left to figure out tho: the "normal" bras have GOT to go. With everything I'm doing, those uncomfortable underwire slippy slidey boob shapers just won't do. Sports bras are TOO tight tho. The cami bras I usually wear are not enough support and slide up a lot when I am active. I'm thinking I am going to try to find something in the middle, maybe a sports bra type bra but one that isn't so thick and stiff, and hopefully will give me BOOBS and not a UNIBOOB.

 

Slacks and a sweater.

 

YAY FOR THE UNI-BOOB!

hahaa, just kidding....

i would try long-ish skirts. they cover you if you are standing, and if you sit indian style on the floor, they still cover you up and everything.

Capris too.... they have a lot of capris style pants at old navy right now for like four bucks a pair... i would check that out. old navy's stuff has always held up for me. it's about the only corporate place i shop for clothes these days....

 

scrubs,,you know what surgeons nurses etc where??

light, comfy,professional,,an cheap..

very cheap near big hospitals..

could probably get a good mix an match set of say 4 tops an 4 bottoms fer like 60 bucks here..

hope that helps..

luv n lite.