The Work Pants Conundrum

I work in a grocery store. I've been there for the past four years. Before that I worked at my local Wendy's. Do you know what these two things have in common? Okay, I'll tell you even if you guessed it.

They both require pants. (Everywhere requires pants but I promise I have a point.) More specifically they require "work" pants. For Wendy's it was black pants (like Dickies) and for the grocery store it requires khaki, navy blue, or black pants that aren't jeans (also much like Dickies).

I'm not a big clothes shopper to begin with but forking out money for work pants seems to be a HUGE issue for me. I don't know why. I'll spend more time in my work pants than in my jeans. But I just have a problem "justifying" spending money on pants for work. In my mind, I should only spend like 20 bucks on pants even though I have specific requirements for my pants (they have to cover the top of my shoes!).

Oh and to make it worse, I have issues buying clothes from the DI. I'm a bit of snob but I'm trying to humble myself. (It hasn't worked thus far.) So I have to resign myself to going to the store and finding pants that cost just a smidge more than $20. (I also have issues with Walmart clothes- don't ask me why because I really don't know the answer.)

It takes me a long time to acknowledge that I need to get new work pants. When I worked at Wendy's I had three pairs the entire time I worked there and I worked there for a year and a half! And I hated my pants!! They were horrible. And when you hate your work pants, your attitude about work isn't going to be the greatest- I speak from experience.

Yesterday, I finally went to Old Navy (I love that store for some reason) and got a pair of pants. I tried them on and they met my approval. (They cover the tops of my shoes.)

So why is it so hard to buy work pants or clothes or uniforms? We'll spend a good portion of our time wearing these clothes so why don't we/I feel comfortable enough to spend money on them so we'll feel good at work? If you feel good in your work clothes, you're more likely to feel good at work. (This isn't true every time but I think it has a positive effect on your attitude to a degree.)

Okay, my little pants rant (ha ha ha) is over.

Until Next Time,

The Hopeless Romantic