Hey ! No staring at the chest

Had something very weird happening at work on Friday - I had the feeling people were staring at my chest.

Not used to that, although I guess my female readers will know what I mean. I can be a little guilty of that myself, although I try hard not to stare. Actually, I may get more defensive than average when confronted with someone attempting the distraction technique in trying to persuade me into doing something.

A little bit of distraction can be a very wonderful thing (some of the perfumes that walk past are highly distracting) but if it's at work with someone attempting to persuade me to go in a particular direction, then I'll look more closely into their reasons for asking.

So by attempting to exploit the male stereotype, they're actually making me a bit tougher to persuade.

That's at work though. Outside of work, I'm a sucker for a pretty face :-)

Anyway - what was causing the staring ? Here we go :

Yes - that's kinda artistically arranged for hiding of faces but it's about the best I could do with arranging my phone for a mirror shot.

It's a cricket top and it was perfect for Friday at work. We don't have an official dress code where I work but having a smart appearance is Expected. Most people wear what they like, although that depends heavily on them. Professional Sleepypete wears shirt + tie. Other people wear the same stuff they'd wear at a football match. There's also the ones who look as if they're ready for an afternoon at the pub (some are) and others who look set to dance the night away at a club.

We have all sorts. I go for the professional look or smart casual on a Friday as that's what I expect me to be wearing. If I was heading out the office for a customer or supplier facing meeting, I'd stick to the professional look. Credibility comes from your impressions on people and a lot of those depend on outfit. For my work, the professional outfit is the suit + tie. But that would be wholly inappropriate for a garage or hands-on engineering work.

So yeah - outfit counts for a lot. It says who you are and your general attitude even before you open your mouth. And even your general competence (like the garage suit who hasn't worked on an engine in years, they ain't gonna be working on my car). But too smart = more interested in looks than getting stuff done.

I'm getting distracted again aren't I ?

Cricket top got a huge amount of attention on Friday. It was perfect because I could wear it all day and therefore keep my back warm. Didn't expect it to get more looks or comments than my various subversive message "Don't follow me, I make it up as I go" t-shirts get :-). Could be that people instantly understand what it is and therefore have something to comment on.

To be honest, this top isn't likely to see a cricket field. I have another sleeveless top which is 20 years old so it has some of the stitching coming loose. I'll use that one if it gets so cold I need it. I generate so much heat though when I'm running around that I can't wear jumpers on the field.

PS It probably looks like my place is in severe need of redocorating. Yeah, I'd agree with that.