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Post by debutante on Mar 19, 2018 21:53:45 GMT -5
Times have changed and I realize this -- but some areas remain constant, for example, proper office attire. You'd think that by the time a person has settled into their thirties they'd know this, but apparently it isn't the case due to one "Penelope Garcia". Unless you've seen "Criminal Minds" -- you're probably unaware of this character but in a nutshell she's a fictional computer analyst working for the FBI. She has a very eclectic fashion sense that's seldom escapes notice. Although the actress playing her has lost weight over the years -- "Penelope" was more or less the "fat girl" on the series. As such, she seems to have become an iconic role model for overweight young women. I began to notice it a few years ago. It seemed the more overweight a young girl was -- the more she was likely to "Penelopinize". The prevailing thought expressed by thinner women (which I've heard verbally expressed) was that "if they can't feel beautiful, they want to feel interesting." There's no harm in that and certainly "Penelopinizing" yields some interesting combinations. However, Penelope Garcia gets away with wearing these fashion statements because "Criminal Minds" is a television show. If she worked in the real FBI, they'd tell her to knock it off. I mention this because --- someone my daughter knows was told (for the second time) by her boss to stop wearing so many patterns and colors to work (translation: "Stop Penelopinizing"). Today she posted a photo of herself in normal office attire with a caption complaining how "repressed" she felt. Amazing that one television show could so warp a person's perspective. Her boss isn't really asking her to do anything other than wear proper business attire (which is, and has been industry standard). Sometimes I wonder if television does more harm to people than good. I can't help but think the two reprimands will reflect upon her in other ways --- and yet, all she's worried about it drab clothing. I'd be more worried that I blew my chance of ever being promoted.  --Debutante |
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Post by faskew on Mar 20, 2018 8:16:12 GMT -5
Every company has its own rules, but it's not uncommon for there to be two dress codes - one for those who interact with customers and one for those workers who are hidden away in the back where customers will never see them. Of course, the type of business makes a difference, too. A law office will be more conservative than a business that designs web pages. And so on. In any case, attracting attention by the way you dress can be either a good thing or a bad thing.
Basic rule of corporate life - if you want to be promoted, dress like your bosses. If you look like one of them, they will subconsciously accept you as one of them. For really serious climbers, you should also take up the boss's lifestyle - go to their church, play golf or whatever they do, etc. Again, if you appear to belong to their "tribe", they will be more open to letting you in. Regardless of your actual qualifications. 8->
Also applies to job hunting. Try to dress like the people who already work at a place. If you have an interview coming up, drop by the place at lunch or at the end of the work day and see what the people coming out are wearing. Caveat: many businesses have a different dress code for Fridays, so don't do your observation on that day. Anyway, if you look like the people in a group, they are more likely to let you in.
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Post by raybar on Mar 20, 2018 16:33:14 GMT -5
A google search on penelopinize (as well as several spelling variations) produced zero results. Did you make that up, Debutante? The closest actual word is penelopize, which means to delay, based on Penelope's behavior in The Odyssey. Also, the articles I read about Penelope Garcia mentioned nothing about young women imitating her fashion. Nor did articles about Kirsten Vangsness, the actress playing Penelope. Which is not to say that I made an exhaustive search.
There is a certain mutual influence between what real people are wearing and what costume designers put on fictitious characters. Designers get ideas from real life, and real people imitate what they see in movies and television. Round and round it goes. On balance, however, I would say that movies copy ideas from real life more than real people copy ideas originating in movies. Media can push a trendy new look and make it popular for a while, but the initial idea usually comes from reality. Molly used to subscribe to every fashion magazine - especially youth oriented magazines - you can think of so that she could stay current and dress "her girls" in the latest trends. A couple times she even managed to get something on the air before it appeared in the national press, but she was working from research, not inventing new looks herself.
Regarding a woman in her 30s who still dresses like a teenager, all I have to say is that she's old enough to know better.
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joan
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Post by joan on Mar 20, 2018 17:31:17 GMT -5
Gosh, ray, it was an anecdote. I just wonder if Ms. Penelopinize would mind her actual picture and story being used in this manner. That she published it herself was maybe as far as she wanted it to go. Anyway, love gossip.
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Post by debutante on Mar 20, 2018 17:40:54 GMT -5
The photo is of the actress Kirsten Vangsness dressed for her role as "Penelope Garcia" on "Criminal Minds".
"Penelopinizing" is a Chicago term -- perhaps it hasn't spread beyond our city yet. But it basically refers to dressing in outlandish costume for work (as "Penelope Garcia" does in "Criminal Minds"). She seems to have become a real iconic role model for overweight Chicago young women. You see "Penelopinizing" wherever you go.
I don't have a problem with it for casual wear -- but it's not professional for work -- as a friend of my daughter has discovered being reprimanded twice by her boss. But what struck me was the fact that at thirty something (she's older than my daughter) this gal should have known better.
Almost forgot -- I would never post a photo of my daughter's friend in her outlandish outfits. Although I assure you they are far weirder than the one reflected in the photo I posted of Vangsness as "Penelope Garcia".
--Debutante
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joan
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Post by joan on Mar 20, 2018 19:47:15 GMT -5
"Almost forgot -- I would never post a photo of my daughter's friend in her outlandish outfits."
That's what I thought!!!!!! Thank you for clearing it up!
As for ray: "Regarding a woman in her 30s who still dresses like a teenager, all I have to say is that she's old enough to know better."
What about a teenager dressing like a 30 year old? Fashion for women has always been fluid. A person shouldn't be judged for dressing as they see fit for themselves, BUT........if not considered appropriate by those who employ her, then she will learn soon enough......or, learn how to be an entrepreneur!
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Post by raybar on Mar 21, 2018 0:03:32 GMT -5
My "old enough to know better" comment was specifically about someone who didn't know how to dress at her particular job at 30 years of age.
Outside of situations where enforceable dress codes exist, from offices to construction sites, people can dress however they like.
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Post by faskew on Mar 21, 2018 8:27:46 GMT -5
It's not an absolute, but I've noticed over the years that many people dress the way they did when they "came of age" (say early 20s?). It's not unusual here in Austin to see old folk at the grocery store wearing clothing that could have come from 1968 or so. Not miniskirts, but jeans, T-shirts, hair, etc.
And speaking of clothing and costumes, I've been bingeing on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" for several days now. They had a special in Sep 67, then the series began in Jan 68. I probably saw most of the shows in 68 (Junior in college in the spring, senior in the fall), but I don't remember anything about them much. It's a real time capsule to watch the show now. The men mostly dress in suits and ties, but the women are often almost naked. Even their miniskirts are sometimes only about 1-2 inches below their panties. Haven't seen a man without a shirt yet, but two of the skinniest women wear tiny bikinis as they dance around with slogans and such painted on their bodies.
There's a lot of political satire on the show, which is very, very mild by today's standards. For example, Rowan wears a peace symbol on his suit jacket, but never talks about it. There are jokes about Vietnam and LBJ, but very lite. They do a news segment on the show with news from the past, present, and future. The future is 1988, and it's amusing to see what they consider to be humor for 1988. Somehow they got super-conservative John Wayne on as a guest for one show. Weird.
Anyway, if you want to see some wild costumes and a flash from the past, watch some 1968 Laugh-In. 8->
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Post by raybar on Mar 21, 2018 10:27:46 GMT -5
I saw a few "Laugh In" episodes recently. We (my college friends) all thought it was really funny at the time, but now I find it pretty lame. Which is not to say I didn't enjoy seeing an old favorite again.
And then there was "Hee Haw" for those of us who liked stupid jokes and country music.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 11:53:29 GMT -5
Have any of you ever watched "Younger", where a forty-year-old recently divorced woman who wants a job in the publishing industry pretends to be 26, and does get the job?. And has to keep pretending and also hooks up with a guy who is around 26. She's in great shape, by the way. I don't know how old she really is in real life. Anyway, the way she dresses to look 26 is weird. I can't believe a real 26 yeas old would dress that way. Strange.
It's an ongoing series. I'm not sure when it will be back on again. Here it's on TV Land.
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Post by faskew on Mar 21, 2018 13:27:29 GMT -5
>And then there was "Her Haw" for those of us who liked stupid jokes and country music.
I don't like country music. It's rock n' roll for me. Although lately my favorite stuff has been dream pop - Julie Cruise, Crista Bell, Emika, Badaldamente, etc. I listen to it as I play games on my computer. Very soothing. Like aural marijuana. LOL
The Laugh-In jokes remind of me vaudeville - lots and lots of quickies, with some physical comedy and dancing thrown in now and then. The jokes are stupid, indeed, but it's a trip to the past and reminds me of my wasted youth. But in a good way.
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Post by raybar on Mar 21, 2018 13:53:13 GMT -5
"Younger" is on TV Land in Los Angeles also. It's one of the 300 channels I may have never looked at before. Today they are running Gunsmoke, Everybody Loves Raymond, and M*A*S*H all day.
imdv.com indicates that "Younger" has broadcast four 12-episode seasons so far, so it must have found an audience. There must be more to it than "woman lies about her age." I can't imagine that 48 episodes about keeping the same secret would be very interesting.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 14:07:22 GMT -5
Oh, there's lots more than just hiding her age because of the job. But because of that, she's had to hide her age to everyone else, her co-workers, including her 26-year-old boyfriend. And there are precarious situations why she runs into people who know her from her previous life and how she gets around that so that they don't give up her secret. Oh, yes, and when her college aged daughter shows up. Lots to keep one's interest.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2018 10:02:10 GMT -5
I mean *I* usually dress "like a teenager" - jeans, t-shirt, sweater, sneakers. I don't see why a woman my age shouldn't (and my female roommate agrees).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2018 10:03:41 GMT -5
Oh, there's lots more than just hiding her age because of the job. But because of that, she's had to hide her age to everyone else, her co-workers, including her 26-year-old boyfriend. And there are precarious situations why she runs into people who know her from her previous life and how she gets around that so that they don't give up her secret. Oh, yes, and when her college aged daughter shows up. Lots to keep one's interest. That actually sounds like a pretty entertaining setup. I'll look if I can find it on Amazon. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2018 11:22:53 GMT -5
I mean *I* usually dress "like a teenager" - jeans, t-shirt, sweater, sneakers. I don't see why a woman my age shouldn't (and my female roommate agrees). No, not that kind of teenager. It's a flouncy dressing kind of teenager. You know, trying to be hip. Funny thing is that no one else in that publishing company dresses like that. Tri-colored knit tops, Short almost pleaded skirt kind of look. Leggings. knit head coverings. That sort of thing. Not the kind of style an adult women would wear. |
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