archival allure

miss-zola:

This one’s for the conservators - Hey Ya!

Q: What can you wear or how do you deal with your wardrobe if you work in a lab, sculpt with clay, or have some other job that might leave you stained and dirty at the end of the day?

A:

A. – You might just need to compartmentalize your wardrobe. For example, while I might have items that would be perfectly functional for a workout (like my J Crew hoodie) I chose not to wear them to the gym in order to save them from sweat stains. This is of course different than getting dirty at work everyday, but it’s the best comparison I could come up with.

E.- I would also recommend thrifting as a means of building up a “work” wardrobe that you don’t mind getting dirty or being ruined by an accidental chemical spill. If you must wear pants to work, then use thrifting as a means to expand the cuts and colors of pants in your wardrobe. Rather than wearing the same style of boot cut jeans everyday, perhaps you can search out wide leg jeans, skinnies, gray jeans, black jeans, etc.

S. -I second E’s suggestion of thrifting as a means of building a “disposable” work wardrobe for those who work in lab environments.

A. – Yes, that is a great way to still wear stylish clothes that you won’t worry as much about accidentally destroying.

S. –Yes, and you can be more adventurous in trying things out of your comfort zone when you’re not as concerned about price. And it’s a great way to have fun with various styles and cuts without mourning the loss of any item if it does get ruined by chemicals or paint or whatever else may be the problem.