Shopping for professional attire: daunting

I HATE CLOTHES. And I hate shopping.

Okay, that’s not entirely true. But the process of finding the right clothes for a specific occasion can be an excruciating experience.

Dragging myself around a shopping mall makes me wish someone would grab a heavy candle or other blunt object from a nearby kiosk and bludgeon me out of my misery. It’s enough to make me renounce shopping forever.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about updating my wardrobe. I am going to be graduating at the end of this semester, and I have to plan for what comes next.

I’m hoping to get into graduate school and maybe find an internship. This means that I will be entering the professional work force, and I need to start dressing like an adult.

I really don’t have professional clothes in my current circulation of outfits. I’m more of a jeans, hooded sweatshirt and sneakers kind of girl.

And aren’t most college students?

I aim for comfort above all else. No one really sees me except for professors and other students. The reality remains that soon this will change, and I have to appear more polished for a prospective employer.

Recently I spent an afternoon shopping in search of clothes that would be suitable for such professional settings.

I tried higher-end retail establishments first.

Some of the clothes looked okay, like something I would wear. I prefer solid, neutral colors such as black, gray, tan and navy blue. Those were the top color choices for the majority of the clothes.

However, the prices were not something I could reconcile myself with.

A plain cotton skirt for $99? I don’t think so.

Buying clothes in general is difficult for me because of my petite size.

Most pairs of pants are way too long for me. Blazers look bulky on me, and the shoulder pads don’t help.

And there’s no way I can wear high heels. Even small kitten heels make it difficult for me to walk and leave my ankles sore.

Where is the practicality in that?

I tried on a few pieces, but they didn’t feel comfortable. The button-up collared shirts felt stiff. They didn’t look quite right on me.

Perhaps I just wasn’t accustomed to seeing myself dressed this way.

Some of the shops I found myself in sold business type suits for women, but they looked dowdy and they all reminded of something old, white Republican women would wear.

I am none of those things, and that’s certainly not the appearance I want to have.

Conversely, there were stores that targeted younger women that featured ultra-miniskirts and tight pants with glittery thread sewn through them. Doesn’t exactly scream classy.

Eventually, I ended up in a GAP, contemplating whether or not I could pass off henleys as ‘business casual.’

I felt myself reverting to a stage of infancy, where I couldn’t even dress myself anymore. I tried to accept the fact that I’m going to be the “Ugly Betty” of my office.

Although, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

If there’s one thing to be learned from this popular TV show, it’s that an individual can be intelligent and productive without having to succumb to the overly fashion-consciousness of her peers.

But I refuse to admit defeat.

I may be down, but I’m not out. I’m determined to keep searching for the right clothes that suit me.

Although I deplore it, I will find myself strolling around stores, examining ensembles.

I’m sure that someday I will find something I like, as long as it might take and how much pain it causes me. After all, fashion means suffering for style, right?

Sharn Dhah is senior at Fresno State majoring in English.

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