Wrap Shirt

Today was the annual academic year opening breakfast at work, and as such, it’s time for us all to begin the transition away from business casual attire back to straight-up business attire. I always have some difficulty with this transition, because I tend to be resistant to suits, closed-toe shoes, and other such things when I’ve been wearing kitten-heeled slides and cropped pants and such all summer. Besides, although it’s much cooler today than it has been recently, it’s still summer-warm, so it’s always a challenge for me to find something to wear that’s appropriately businesslike for the opening breakfast, but still airy enough for a hot summer day.

I thought about my trusty Ann Taylor brown pants, but they just seemed too – well, too brown this morning, and I also noticed that the lining was torn when I was getting them out, and that would have bugged me all day. I’m not sure how that happened. Oh, wait, I remember now. MY GIANT ASS ATE A HOLE IN THE LINING LAST WINTER. Anyway. Does anyone know if you can replace the lining in a pair of dress pants, or if I should just give them up? Because my ass isn’t quite so giant these days, and has promised to stop eating pants.

So the brown pants were out, which left me with fall-weight gray pants, winter-weight gray pants, or one of four pairs of inferior black dress-not-suit pants. I have done absolutely no fall shopping yet this year, because I’ve been spending most of my money buying stuff for the house. What’s wrong with those four pairs of pants, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you:

1. The first pair of black pants is for fat days. The waist is a little too high, and the legs are a little too straight (I prefer a boot cut), and miraculously, they’re a bit too big right now, and would only work with something like a big sweater.
2. The second pair of black pants is too long, and the pockets are too poochy, and they collect lint like strippers collect dollar bills. They’re also a tiny bit big, which would be fine if it weren’t so damn annoying.
3. The third pair fits well enough, I suppose, except for the fact that they’re too damn long. Like, way too long. Oh, and there’s that poochy pocket thing. Seriously, aren’t I old enough by now to find a tailor who can shorten my pants and sew the pockets closed? Evidently not.
4. I didn’t expect the fourth pair to fit, but remarkably, they turned out to be the best pair for today. They’re kind of low-rise, with a nice boot-cut leg, and smooth pockets. These pants have a magical ability to make me look either horrible or hot, depending on what I wear with them. The fact that they don’t magically make me look hot every single day is the main reason they continue to be inferior. Oh, and I don’t love the fabric. Sometimes it’s too casual.

So, yeah. I ended up with the #4 black pants and the fabulous $120 pointy shoes that I actually got for more like $20, and then I had to find something to wear on top.

After a lot of thinking and trying on six different tops, I reached into the closet and pulled out this pseudo-Asian wrap shirt that I haven’t worn in ages. It looked good over a camisole, and the end result was reasonably professional, so I kept it on, but not without some initial apprehension. It’s pretty – lightweight black cotton with a colorful print of flowers and leaves and stuff, and it’s flattering, too. But I’ve only worn it about four times since I bought it.

I bought this blouse on sale in February of 2004, and wore it for the first time a few weeks later, on March 1st. I remember this, of course, because the evening of March 1st is when Ginny had her car accident. All day I’d been walking around feeling like a badass in this shirt.

I’d been working out when we got the news, and didn’t want to go to the hospital in my tank top and jogging shorts. When I went into my room to change, I looked at this shirt, and ultimately decided to wear a hoodie instead.

I didn’t wear the wrap shirt again for a long, long time.

In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve worn it and not spent the entire day thinking about the accident, although I guess I’ve thought about it a little more than I usually do. It’s funny how things can bring memories back. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it today, so maybe it’ll become a positive thing for me again.