I have a split personality.
At least, clothes-wise I do.
I have my writing duds, the everyday clothes I wear when I’m writing and my dressier author attire. I spend most of the year in jeans and t-shirts. If the weather’s cold, I throw on a sweatshirt or jean jacket. I don’t really have a reason to dress up. My part-time job involves hauling boxes and sorting greeting cards, so casual is the way to go there, too. My church is come-as-you-are and anything from suits to shorts is okay. I definitely fall into the informal spectrum on Sunday mornings. My life right now doesn’t involve nights out on the town, so I really only have one time I gussy up—when I’m “the author.”
I put on my Author Clothes for signings and conventions. Several times a year, I dig out my nice black pants, a suit jacket or two, and a few jewel-toned linen shirts. I suit up, making myself presentable for the audience. When I first dipped my toe in the writing pond and attended a writing conference, I went for the black suit look. People asked me how long I’d been an agent. At my next con I wore a kelly green jacket. Haven’t been mistaken for an agent since.
Instead, I’m usually mistaken for a bookstore employee at signings.
“Oh, you’re the author!”
Apparently people don’t expect the person handing out bookmarks and telling them about the books on the table at the front of the store to actually be the author.
Maybe I need funkier Author Clothes. Maybe a tied-dyed t-shirt that says, “Yes, I wrote the book! I’m the author.”
What about you? Do you have a split clothing personality? Do you have writing duds? Anything special for conventions? And, I’m taking suggestions for clothes that scream, “Hey, she’s the author.”
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I happened to be at Kate’s Mystery Bookstore in Cambridge Mass last night for a 25th anniversary party. Yes, I crashed the local event put on by the MWA, New England Chapter.
Really cool place, by the way.
But the place was full of authors. I saw nothing that said, “This one is the author.” For guys, it seems jeans and a sport jacket and open collar shirt is the ticket.
Perhaps a big name tag that says “AUTHOR?”
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Hey, Will. Sounds like a great party! So casual for the guys. What about the other half of the author population? Did the ever-popular buisness casual look dominate?
by Sara
on May 14th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
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Ok, I hate clothes. Really. I wish I could wear comfortable jeans and t-shirts all the time. But, I’m applying for a job that is suit manditory and business casual is a sweater set with a floral skirt. Sigh.
So, the suggestion for the HEY outfit, I’m kind of clueless. I like Will’s suggestion though.
I was on a road trip last month when I saw a lady at a gas and go in five inch heels at 6 in the morning. I pointed them out to my DH and the lady next to me smiled and shrugged her shoulders in a non verbal, “What the heck?”
BTW Sara, I used to do the greeting card thing too. It was fun, in a let’s play store kind of way. I’m weird like that. I like to try other jobs out just to see if I could do it. It was my other job though so it got a little much after a while.
by Lynn
on May 14th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
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Hmmm. Black jeans. Casual enough to look a bit wrinkled and feed the artiste mythos, but with enough sparkle to shine and draw attention to yourself.
Unless you’re among writers. Then business attire. Which I think is silly, because, well, speaking for myself, I had to go buy a whole week of conference clothes when I went to RWA, because all I have are books and sweats and jeans to read them in. 
What writer dresses in business attire every day???
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Not I, spyscribbler.
I did the same shopping trip and bought “author clothes.” Not saying that’s a bad thing. Shopping is never a bad thing.
Hi, Lynn. Nice to know there is a fellow card person out there. I survived Mother’s Day, so I think things will calm down now.
by Sara
on May 16th, 2008 at 6:52 am
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People asked me how long I’d been an agent.
So funny.
Leather. I think that’s the secret.
Except it’s so hot in the summer.
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