Fashion and Quantum Theory

Hands down, my favorite warm-weather outfit. I love the whimsical field pattern on the skirt!

Skirt: Anthropologie; Belt: NY&Company; Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft; Shoes: Banana Republic; Fleur-de-lys necklace: Francesca’s

I actually wore this skirt to my internship last semester, and had a good cry in the bathroom after it caught on a metal bin and ripped down the back...and one of my fellow interns informed me it was "very silly" to buy a new one. I, however, did not find it silly, and since it didn't hurt to try, I explained what had happened to the store...and they sent me a new one. Free. But that encounter still rankles occasionally...I didn't judge her (out loud) for wearing the same shirt every other day. (This story will make more sense after you read the rest of my post, in case you're wondering what brought that up.)

So, today I went to the law school “Dress for Success” show and learned a valuable lesson about the inequality of the sexes, as the guys’ “Image Management” seminar had enchiladas and rice, lovingly presented in silver serving trays, and we had…cold wraps and tortilla chips out of plastic bins. I went for the Ann Taylor Loft coupons and the free make-up, but the comments of some of my fellow students got me thinking on beauty and fashion as it applies to the professional world, and more generally.

A few women were openly condescending about the need to have a “fashion show” to instruct us how to dress, and seemed to feel it was counterproductive…but to what? I'm lucky in that I go to a school where being concerned with appearance and fashion is the norm, but there are still those sullen style naysayers.

Why does a love for clothing and a respect for your own appearance have to be divorced from intelligence? If I had greasy hair and wore sweats to class, would that make me seem smarter? Would I be more serious about my career if, instead of spending those twenty minutes getting ready, I was analyzing law theory?

Maybe that super-chic girl in DSW is thinking about Schrodinger’s cat while she’s trying on those wedges…who’s to say?