Business Casual

I am so jealous of men who are able to just throw on a pair of khakis and a blue oxford cloth shirt each morning and walk out the door. I agonize every morning over what to wear. I always wear pants, as much of my editing work is done leaning back in my chair with my feet on the desk. But aside from the pants-or-skirt decision, what do I wear that is somewhat professional looking without being overdressed or girly-silly (e.g. the floral print appliqued jacket with brilliant turquoise lining I wore last Friday).

Of course in Tucson there is no real business casual. Business casual in Tucson is clean shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. When a man dresses up here, he dons a clean Hawaiian print shirt.

You can always tell the IBMers who are transplanted from the East Coast. There's one sweet man in my building who always wears a white shirt and tie. He says he'll dress the same until the day he retires. And the men walking around the building in suits, searching for a hidden conference room? They clearly just got off the plane to attend a meeting.

I need to think about a suitable female equivalent of khakis and blue oxford cloth shirt. Maybe that's my next career: fashion designer to confused women.