Working Woman's Wardrobe

I will never forget one of the most embarrassing moments of my TAP class. It was the day where you have to come in dressed in a civilian suit, as if you were going to a job interview. I had to line up along with the seven other officers in my class as our "image consultant" walked down the line to inspect us.

I had bought what I thought was a very stylish Ann Taylor jacket and skirt, and stood proudly, and a little wobbly, in my new high heels. When she got to me, she gave me the once over and said in her eastern European accent, "Tsk,tsk, that skirt is much too short. You need a longer length; those thighs are a little too...hmmm..." "Muscular?" I volunteered, but she just grimaced and said, "Take out the length another two inches, that will be much more flattering."

Clearly, she had never watched Ally McNeal! I thought short skirts were in. As it turns out, they were in....just not for um, muscular-legged gals like me. The point of this story is that style-wise, it is a whole 'nother world out there in civilian-land. The size of my thighs was never an issue in my flight suit, and wearing high heels was something I only had to do at changes of command. I had to start paying attention to what businesswomen wore. Should I wear pants or a skirt to an interview? Could I interview in business casual clothing? What exactly is business casual clothing for women?

I read magazines for women and noted what they wore. I asked for advice from my women friends who had already made the transition into the civilian world. They recommended wearing a conservatively colored (meaning black, grey or navy) suit with either a skirt or pants and feminine accessories, ie. wear a dark suit with a light pink blouse, but not a pink suit. After ten years of not wearing perfume or anything that was feminine to work, it look a little while to get used to being able to acknowledge that I was a woman through what I wore.

The joy of not fretting over wearing dangly earrings to work turned into anxiety over which earrings matched which suit. For a while I fell back on the gold posts I wore in uniform. But eventually I made the transition to civilian working woman and I now have the wardrobe to match. And the image consultant would be very happy to know that there is not a single short skirt in my closet.

(Submitted by Loree Hirschman)