When you think of abrupt transitions, transitions that make you mutter to yourself, “Just gotta get through this day…,” what comes to mind?
How about the first day back to work after a fabulous extended vacation? Or that first week back to the office after a year of Zoom? Or the first day back at the gym after a week off to enjoy a holiday?
As an educator, two abrupt transitions come to my mind.
One is the first day back to school after the New Year. After two weeks of flying high on eggnog and tinsel, gluttony, parties and family gatherings, teachers and students are suddenly thrust back together into a small airless classroom with nothing to cut the tension except for five pounds of fruit cake. Your students glare at you malevolently as if you are to blame for their lot in life. The classroom decorations that seemed festive in December now seem dour and sad, and mock you with their forced cheerfulness. The same students who were weaned on extensive classroom viewings of “Elf” just ten days earlier think fondly of the times when you referred to them as cotton-headed ninny muggins.
They wish you dead, and so do you.
And if you taught seniors, it was all the more brutal. Because everyone knows that the first day back from the New Year is the unofficial inaugural beginning of the end of the senior high school career.
‘Tis the season to do as little as possible, fa la la la la la la la la.
But to me, the most difficult transition of any calendar year is leaving summer and starting the school year.
Don’t misunderstand me, I love getting back into the classroom. Any teacher worth his or her salt enjoys going back, even if only for the comaraderie of seeing colleagues and greeting students. My reticence is never mental, but physical, and begs the following question:
How to emerge from the barefoot beach season of salt water and sundresses back into the grownup world of polish, perfume and polyester? I mean, I go through the summer looking mostly like a crazed tan poodle. You know the clothing line Sweaty Betty?
I’m Sweaty Yetty.
My hair does not react well to humidity, and I don’t try to fight it. I don’t feel like getting keratin treatments and Brazilian blow-outs only so as to be forced to sit inside like a pampered princess. I like working-out, swimming, hiking, biking, and boating, not sitting in a salon trying to figure out ways to resemble a Barbie doll. Barbie is tough to maintain, and summer is too fun.
But the week before classrooms open, I look at myself objectively. I need a pedicure. To have the frizz removed from my hair. To refresh my make-up, maybe even out an uneven tan from different cuts of bathing suits. To re-visit my shapewear drawer.
I start with my closet. Pulling my professional clothes up in the rotation and pushing summer clothes back (not too far back, I’ll still be wearing them for a month) only takes a couple of hours, and it helps me see what I have and what I need. I hit the Nordstrom sale yesterday and updated my wardrobe with some key pieces- crisp white tanks and t-shirts, an oversized blazer and couple of sheath dresses that can be worn alone now, and paired with a blazer or an oversized cardigan once it starts getting chilly again.
Some tips for late-summer professional polish:
CLOTHING:
Look to nudes, beiges, tans and whites. Navy looks nice in this transition season as well. If you’re over 50 like me, going sleeveless depends on personal opinion and workplace. If you work in a conservative office, wear the sleeveless sheath, but have a sharp cardigan to put over it.
No stockings. Give them the heave-ho, yo. Get a spray tan or self-tanning mousse if you want tan legs. Click on hyperlink for my favorite on Amazon, and get a tanning glove to avoid orange hands.
SHAPEWEAR:
Do it. But keep shapewear thin and airy. I swear by Thinstincts by Spanx to pull me in and keep me cool.
FOOTWEAR:
Excessive heat and humidity makes our feet swell, so avoid sky-high heels or anything too spikey. Go for low to mid-heeled beige sandals- they are a must-have, and look good on everyone.
JEWELRY:
My jewelry gets stashed in the summer, but it re-emerges triumphantly in the fall. In this transition time of heat and humidity, think light. Pearl studs. Silver rings, a thin tennis bracelet, dainty hoops, a gold cross. Avoid costume jewelry or anything too chunky.
HAIR:
Leave-in hair conditioner and anti-frizz spray will help with the frizzies, and a great cut will keep you looking modern. Time to get that Brazilian blow-out now. Be careful with hair product- too much will weigh your hair down.
MAKEUP:
Remember KISS- Keep it simple, silly! Less is more in the summer.
- Oil-free moisturizer
- Prime
- Powdered bronzer for a quick glow
- Nude shades for under
- Fun color for over, like poppy lips
- Lip stains instead of lipstick
- Setting spray like this one that I use from Sephora.
If you’re sick of the heat and humidity, cheer up. Only a few more weeks until sweaters, boots and pumpkin-spice lattes!
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