What do I actually dress for?

In case anyone wondered, I am a PhD student specialising in the migration patterns of  high skilled migrants, at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam.

To finance that, I moonlight as an editor and translator in the combination English-Spanish, with a slight twist of Dutch. This is the Netherlands, after all. Currently, I have a very good client in Arnhem, the Netherlands, that’s why I commute everyday. A medical association that shall remain nameless. I also (mostly) work for different NGO.

In my free time, I like browsing through websites of clothes that I cannot get (a.k.a. any brand in the US) , checking my email compulsively, reading compulsively as well and writing short stories. I also like thinking about combinations of clothes that make me look good. Then again, I don’t always succeed in practice.

I have been diagnosed with IBS (it may be a bit gross to read, so click at your own peril), which means I try to eat super healthy, and I follow a strict gluten-free diet for medical reasons. So no luscious cake postings on my feed. That makes me sad!

That’s me all excited about finding gluten free treats at a random food place in NYC

And that’s me eating a fabulous gluten free hamburger in NYC

If I could have one wish it would be to move to NYC where there are so many options to eat gluten free safely, and buy clothes to further develop my quirky style.

I am Mexican by birth and Dutch by choice 😉

For a visual overview:

One of those days… (outfit fail!)

Everyone has one of those days…

Today I woke up a full hour before my alarm and could not get back to sleep. I was not rested at all!

So zombieface (me) decides to throw together an outfit that’s all in line with the weather last night (guesses?). I generally plan carefully, but this morning my brain was not yet up and running, apparently.

As I am about to leave the house, I realise (horror of horrors!) I have a very important meeting with my new boss. It was only the we-are-deciding-your-future-at-the-company sort of meeting, so no biggie.

All of a sudden that loud red button-up makes a lot less sense than 2 minutes ago. So I quickly change into a beige sweater and throw a gray blazer over my shoulders. Is this the moment to say I was wearing black jeans?

Due to my little wardrobe mess I missed my train connection. No need to panic, there’s another train 15 minutes later. But then THAT ONE’s delayed which makes me miss my second connection (the glamorous commuter life, sigh).

Then I finally open my eyes and I look at myself in the mirror. I look dark. Very dark. Bags under my eyes, disheveled hair, black on gray with beige combo. What was I thinking?

Thankfully I am not hired for my sartorial skills (yet?), so I get to keep on editing, at least for the foreseeable future.

Moral of the story: plan your outfits, Alba. Even being a morning person cannot always work.

The rules of the game

Today I read that the most you should spend on clothes is 5% of your salary.

I am a freelancer, and right now things are going well, but you never know when people might need my proofreading and editing services.

So I have a limit, and a very clear one. Never more than 100 euros per month, no matter how much I like the clothes or accesories.

This means I am only allowing myself to buy basics, rather than super trendy things.

Also, I am looking out for sales! I love sales! And these days things seem to be on sale perpetually, so there’s that!

Another goal of mine is to learn to sew. It’s on top of my list, together with learning to bike (a necessity that I have managed to skip in the last 3 years I lived here)! If I can learn to alter things, a whole world opens up for me, I think!