So you have had flag day and found out your going to Beijing! or Bratislava! or Brasilia! or anywhere else under the sun. Hopefully it was #1 on your bid list and you don't end up crying but either way you may need to do some shopping - so Cheer Up!
Let's assume the employee already has work clothes covered. And you know how to dress your kids and yourself. But do try and remember to think ahead - kids grow and may need more or bigger shoes, pants, who knows what before you come back to the land of Target again. No one was ever sorry about buying kids too many socks at Target. Or underwear. Or picking up some random stocking stuffers off those end caps where little things are on sale. THIS is a VERY good idea, so try and remember it! Pantyhose can also be hard oversees. Trust me.
Now, what else will you need to take to post? UAB and HHE. And maybe a consumables shipment. Exciting stuff!
If you are new to the adult world you may need to actually buy some adult stuff. Queen sized bedding. Pots and pans, baking sheets, knives - knives are a biggie because there is no ordering knives off Amazon, real dinner plates and silver wear. Some wine glasses. When your just starting out you do not need to go crazy. Simple. You will add more later. Try and stick to plain white and then you can add to it with whatever strikes your fancy. You can probably pick up all this adult stuff at Target, or Wal-mart or Crate and Barrel, whatever your budget.
While you are perusing Target and other such big box strip mall stores in NOVA, you may want to think about the holiday seasons. It might be nice to put a fake Xmas wreath (or a little fake tree) or a fake pumpkin if you are going someplace hard without pumpkins. If they have the stuff out for holidays, pick up something. Holidays overseas can seem sad and it is nice to have a little something to remind you that it is Halloween or Thanksgiving if it 110 F outside. You don't need to go crazy, just a little something that doesn't seem too tacky. Do more if you have little kids. Also, if you can get your hands on a few Halloween costumes, you will be thankful later. Trust me again.
Next up - what to really put in your UAB and your HHE and what to take in your suitcases.
The Marine Corps ball at post
The Embassy Prom…or the Marine Corps Ball, whichever. Same thing.
There will always be one woman, at least, at every ball who wears something totally inappropriate. Wether it's the 40+ year old with 7 kids who stands about 4'9 and has a tailor made dress. A tailor made dress with a neckline so plunging it goes all the way to her waist band. Or the wife who has a really nice figure, but decides to go with a sequined dress that practically has cut outs for her breasts. It can be distracting and frankly ridiculously embarrassing for the wearer of the bad dress. Don't be her!
You can never go wrong with classic. Ask the CLO, or a woman who has been at post at least a year what the ball is like. Floor length or shorter? Tropical posts almost all tend to be fine shorter, but not hot pants length shorter of course. Ann Taylor has dresses. Nordstrom has dresses. J Crew has dresses. You can have a dress made if your at a post where that is done.
And while you may have princess fantasies you would love to act out, the above dress would never be appropriate at a Marine Corps ball. Or anything else that requires a hoop skirt.
There will always be one woman, at least, at every ball who wears something totally inappropriate. Wether it's the 40+ year old with 7 kids who stands about 4'9 and has a tailor made dress. A tailor made dress with a neckline so plunging it goes all the way to her waist band. Or the wife who has a really nice figure, but decides to go with a sequined dress that practically has cut outs for her breasts. It can be distracting and frankly ridiculously embarrassing for the wearer of the bad dress. Don't be her!
You can never go wrong with classic. Ask the CLO, or a woman who has been at post at least a year what the ball is like. Floor length or shorter? Tropical posts almost all tend to be fine shorter, but not hot pants length shorter of course. Ann Taylor has dresses. Nordstrom has dresses. J Crew has dresses. You can have a dress made if your at a post where that is done.
And while you may have princess fantasies you would love to act out, the above dress would never be appropriate at a Marine Corps ball. Or anything else that requires a hoop skirt.
Clothing or how not to look like an ugly American
Or I could just call this post 'don't wear yoga pants outside your house' seriously ladies, yoga pants are not actually pants meant to be worn in public. You may wear them at home or at the gym. Or even on your way to and from the gym. Do not wear them to go pick up mail at the Embassy, to your child's school or to do the shopping. You will look like an ugly, lazy American.
If you have no idea what to wear, get on Pinterest or Polyvore and look through some outfits.
It is not that hard to try and sometimes look put together. Jeans, a clean t-shirt that fits, cute flats, or tennis shoes - almost anything besides flip flops. Put a few minutes aside on home leave or R & R or whenever you shop to work on some things that go together.
At many many international schools it is easy to pick out the American moms. Embassy moms tend to go even more extreme in the 'I don't care what I look like' mode of thinking than other American expat moms. Everyone has bad days when you don't have it in you to pull something together, but more days than not, you should try. A little. It is not that hard. You could even procure a few acceptable causal outfits from Target.
If you have no idea what to wear, get on Pinterest or Polyvore and look through some outfits.
It is not that hard to try and sometimes look put together. Jeans, a clean t-shirt that fits, cute flats, or tennis shoes - almost anything besides flip flops. Put a few minutes aside on home leave or R & R or whenever you shop to work on some things that go together.
At many many international schools it is easy to pick out the American moms. Embassy moms tend to go even more extreme in the 'I don't care what I look like' mode of thinking than other American expat moms. Everyone has bad days when you don't have it in you to pull something together, but more days than not, you should try. A little. It is not that hard. You could even procure a few acceptable causal outfits from Target.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)