Being a tour guide has taken over my wardrobe…

Never before have I been so concerned by the practicality of the items in my closet. Unlike some who held this position, I was not a tour guide prior to becoming a summer intern in the Admission Office.  The first few weeks on the job, I intentionally went shopping for cute summer outfits to wear on the tours. Little did I know that those “cute outfits” would be impractical for walking backwards and roasting in summer heat. After a few weeks in my role as a tour guide, I quickly threw looking good on the job out the window and readjusted my priorities. While looking good comes naturally to me (it’s okay to laugh, I chuckled as I wrote this), it took a much lower position my list of concerns.

Opposed to looking good, I am now concerned with dressing for comfort and keeping cool as I prepare for work each day.  You would think I am preparing for a sporting event. I make sure that I consume a nutritious breakfast which will help energize me through my morning tour, remain hydrated to prevent the heat from getting the best of me and of course, wear an appropriate outfit.  This weekend I took advantage of the College’s close proximity to the Prime Outlets.  Instead of looking for cute summer outfits, I was more concerned about purchasing lightweight and light-colored clothing to beat the heat and comfortable, flat shoes for walking backwards. Walking backwards is a challenge for me as I am accident prone, so my shoes must add to my ability to walk properly.  We can save the story of me falling down the office stairs for another blog entry.

Back to my style adjustment; I generally where dark colored clothes as you can see in the picture. My wardrobe consists of a great deal of black and navy blue. I quickly learned these colors do not cut it in the heat. My wardrobe now consists of neutrals and lots of breathable fabrics and oh boy do they make a difference.  Never did I think I would take fashion tips from my father of all people. My father wears a hat of some sort most of the time. Now I understand why he wears a sun hat during the summer and considers them a wonderful invention. While he uses his sun hat to protect his bald-head from the sun, I see the practicality of the sun hat and use it to protect as much of me as possible from the sun (do you see the size of my hat in the picture). My hat aids in shading my parent’s greatest accomplishment, me, from the sun’s strong rays while my light colored, lightweight clothes help to keep me cool.  So on your visit to the school, look for me, the 5 foot tall, sunhat- wearing young lady most likely to be seen walking backwards across campus leading a tour group.  Feel free to join my group or if I am not leading a group to stop and talk to me about the College.  And, if you need any fashion advice about your pending trip to the College, we can talk fashion or rather the practicality of your wardrobe choices.