It’s nice to read all these Thanksgiving-themed posts from US bloggers (although I’m sorry to say that that thing you do with sweet potatoes and marshmallows is just wrong). It must be rather strange to have two family-gathering type holidays so close to each other though - I imagine Christmas is quite enough for some people. People like me, for instance, to whom large gatherings of people are something of an anathema.
I was presented with a slip of paper and a name today, with an admonishment not to tell anyone the name that I’d been allocated with. Smoking Lawyer scooted her chair over to my desk. “Who’d ya get? Wanna swap? Come on, I’ll show you who I’ve got.” I refused to spill the beans, so now I have to come up with something innovative to buy a secretary for the office’s Secret Santa exchange. At least I don’t have to buy something for one of the partners.
Tomorrow is Friday, and if there are no court appearance or client appointments, that means casual dress day! And for me, that means jeans and Converse high tops, because I’m all professional like that. Jeans were forbidden from my last workplace (which tells you something about that workplace), and so I had never discovered the joys of working in jeans. I love working in jeans. You can lean right back in your chair, put your shoes up on the piles of boxes lurking next to your desk, and dictate letters to your heart’s desire. For some reason, it just doesn’t feel the same doing this in a suit.
7 Comments
23 November, 2006 at 7:52 pm
You lucky minx you! I never worked anyplace casual enough to allow jeans on “casual Fridays.”
23 November, 2006 at 9:10 pm
I think I might be interpreting casual at the very limits of the definition, Cat - the jeans I’m wearing have rather enormous flares, and little fake rips in the pockets. But they’re oh so comfortable, so until someone tells me to stop they’re going to keep appearing on Fridays
23 November, 2006 at 9:43 pm
I once worked for a company which introduced “casual Fridays”.
Initially this was interpreted as “ties optional for gentlemen”, but gradually degenerated to “touch footy/painting/car fixing clobber”. Not a very professional look. The sales staff were terrified of bringing clients into the IT department on Fridays. (Maybe that was the desired effect?)
Eventually the “Casual Friday” rule was redefined as “Do you think the doorman at City Rowers would let you in wearing that?”
So just take your comfortable jeans down to City Rowers at lunch time for an independent ruling.
23 November, 2006 at 11:43 pm
I would wear jeans every day if I could. Actually I could but no one does. Friday seems to be the only day people dress down that low! I love my jeans, especially the ones with just a little stretch to them.
24 November, 2006 at 1:45 am
I don’t like casual Fridays at all. It just shows to people how casual my normal business attire actually is …
Plus on one casual Friday, I was wearing a Threadless tee and slacks, and had to give evidence in court that I had served someone for an urgent Friday evening application. Not even the mismatching jacket could hide my Threadless Tee (“The Outdoor Mix”, if you’re curious). The always very well presented judge did not look impressed. Never again.
Now I just wear a plain t-shirt with whatever suit I would have worn that day anyway, and leave my casual gear for home. I prefer the separation anyhow.
24 November, 2006 at 3:10 am
You could always put together a package for me and call it a non-Christmas package! At this point, mail is the only thing I really, really look forward to.
2 December, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Mikefitz, casual Friday doesn’t apply if you’re meeting with clients, or going to court, of course. Happily, I’m junior enough that this rarely interferes with my Friday jean-wearing.
Oh yes, Barbara, comfy jeans are the greatest.
OTT, I wear jeans and two plain collared shirts on alternating weeks. The thrill may wear off, I suppose, but I love the freedom of not having to wear suit pants.
I’m working on it, M
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