8.16.10a
8.16.10c
8.16.10e
8.16.10f
8.16.10d
8.16.10bSo I call this my ‘museum curator’ outfit. I’ve worn it a few times before (different variations) to the office without blogging it. Do you feel betrayed? I bet you thought I went without clothing on the days that I didn’t blog. That’s only half true, my friends.

For some reason I always put different occupations with my outfits. I have the professional, the rocker, the cool professor. And this one, the museum curator. I don’t know why I think that this is a curator outfit, it most likely is not. But there is something free and creative about this, which I guess in my mind equals curator. Maybe it’s the influence of playing with Barbie dolls for 14 years. (Yeah, I played with Barbie’s till I was 14. My husband knew this and still married me.) It’s like I created these false ideas in my head that an outfit defined an occupation. But after working in the professional world for a few years now, perhaps Barbie wasn’t too far off with that philosophy. I mean doctors have uniforms, right? But maybe there should have been a few tweaks in the line up. Perhaps Casual Friday Barbie with stirrup pants and an oversized t-shirt from a 1993 fun run. Or the Not My Job Barbie who wears crocs with jean capris and a crazy Hawaiian button-down, so you never know quite what she does all day at work. I don’t think that I ever played with the museum curator Barbie, but I did have a McDonald’s Fun Time Barbie complete with a McDonald’s drive thru. I’m not even kidding you, she had a uniform, headset — the whole shebang. This is what dreams are made of, people. Well at least my 10 year old dreams.

Looking back, I’m okay with the way things turned out. I’ve learned that it’s not realistic to think that every outfit will come with a new job, coordinating accessories and an oversized hairbrush. And although I never got to live out my barbie doll dreams of becoming a doctor, a lawyer, a princess fairy, a gymnast, florist or aerobics instructor, nothing stops me from dressing like someone else’s profession from time to time. Today a curator, tomorrow an astronaut. You see? Dreams can come true.

8.16.10g

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63 Responses

  1. Love it! This outfit is great, and maybe I'm crazy along with you, but I totally get the museum curator connection. I often feel like I'm dressing up to play a part at work (not always the actual one you're doing at work).

  2. I had the Barbie fast food set-up, too! And I played with my Barbies well into the adolescent years… and I refused to let my grandmother give away my Barbies, their dream house, or their assortment of hot rides (Ferrari, a pink Cadillac, and a Jeep Wrangler) until I was in my 20s 😉

  3. Ah, hon, we don't actually dress like that (says the museum curator)!

    I don't tell you to burst your bubble, but in reality we all look much more like Indiana Jones, bullwhip and all. However, if you keep dressing like that and telling people you're a curator, and myself and the teeny tiny handful of other stylish curators I know keep dressing the way we do, someday, SOMEDAY, we'll rid museums of the polyester pantsuit. You're a part of this battle now – fight wisely.

  4. Challenge: Dress like all of your barbie doll dreams. You're Kendi, if anyone can do it, you surely can 🙂

  5. i love the picture frames. they remind me of that Microsoft commercial here peoples dreams come true from using windows.

  6. Creeper alert: I had a dream last night that I met you and we became instant BFFs and you were shorter in person 🙂

  7. i love this post, kendi. i think i spent more time dressing my barbie's than i did actually playing with them.

  8. I love the doodles; do you have a tablet or a very very steady hand with your mouse? Cute either way.

    I also love the outfit, of course. I love the pop of color that the shoes bring against the otherwise rather monotone color scheme.

    – Patricia
    fivefootsomething.blogspot.com

  9. Cute outfit! I have this cardigan…its part of my 30 for 30! As someone who played with barbies far longer than was socially acceptable, I'm loving this post.

  10. I love that last photo! You've really put things about dressing, into perspective for me. Im starting to realize I dress for work, instead of dressing for myself

  11. Speaking of having Barbie dolls until an inappropriate age, I actually ordered a Barbie recently. This year's career Barbie is "computer engineer", the first time she's been an engineer. I'm so excited, hopefully girls will dream of being an engineer now!

  12. I love these photos, and the fact that you assign careers with your outfits. And I love the little paintings you're looking at in the last photo.

    PS I actually played with my Barbies in my teens. Mostly I was just jealous of their awesome outfits.

  13. You know I do the same thing? Yup. I went through a period last summer where I wore a lot of "librarian" outfits. Oh and a lot of things that made me think of relaxing on a chaise longue with a panther in the 1930's. Yup, that specific.

  14. Ohmygoodness I had the McDonald's set, too! I remember feeling a twinge of horror when I came home one weekend during college and found my beloved drive-thru in the basement. It deserved so much better than that. *Sniff*

  15. what a lovely post! you are adorable! the outfit looks great as always, and I get what you mean with the curator outfit. 🙂

  16. This outfit is soo lovely! I totally get the whole feeling of dressing like an occupation sometimes.

    Loveee the location btw! The pictures are amazing! 🙂

    xo April
    everydayforgotten.blogspot.com

  17. So funny, I was totally just thinking about this last night. I played with Barbies till I was 12, and it would have been a longer relationship, but my Mom made me give up my stash. When you accumulate barbies and outfits for 12 years, it's quite a stash, and I guess there was some other little girl she knew that needed my toys. Wow. That seems unfair now. But hey, an early indicator that I loved putting outfits together!

  18. Love it Kendi! I love the nude pallet with the pops of colour. I think you would be a very chic curator. ps Barbie would be proud 🙂

  19. My classmates always told me that I would be a librarian. I would take museum curator any day. 🙂 Still love those shoes!

  20. That last photo is just incredible, Kendi! It looks so serene and introspective, but I love how it becomes just a bit silly when you know the context. All the same, it's gorgeous. And this outfit couldn't be more fantastic.

  21. I love the color combo and the backdrop. I didnt have barbies, instead I had the Sunshine Family- they were kindof an earthy version of Barbie and Ken. These ones were Steve and Stephie and the baby was Sweets. I even had the Grandpa and Grandma. In fact they are still sleeping in a box in my moms basement!!

  22. Is your dress still available at Target?
    Barbies were great and all, but Legos, don't get me started. Space ships, underwater bases, Egyption pyramids, native infested swamps, ridiculouly dangerous mansions with plenty of secret hiding places, overly elaborate citys complete with multi-storied buildings. Good times, good times.

  23. Kendi, this isn't related to your outfit (which I love, btw) but since you are a shopping gal again, you should head to Loft.

    All their sale stuff is 40% off and some of it marked down to $5. I got 2 shirts, 2 skirts and a belt for $15. How awesome is that?

  24. I can totally see this being your galler-ina outfit. Maybe I was influenced by Charlotte York and watching too much SATC during formative high school years, but my work style has always been a little influenced by the "museum curator" look. Sometimes it verges a little more on "crazy art teacher" territory though!

  25. I'm not going to lie, I am not one of the bunch who played with Barbies at an inappropriate age. Seems I missed out 😉 Very cute outfit!

  26. Hilarious Barbie ideas! I had the McDonald's Barbie & drive-thru too! I do wish I would have gotten my hands on a Museum Curator Barbie instead :.)

    I must say, I'm loving the doodles, too!

  27. Jinks —

    I got it before the 30 for 30, so late june? When I went back the other day I still saw it there, so I'm sure it is still available. It's about $20-25, so quite the deal! 🙂

  28. This IS the same dress! We are so going to be twinkies at the next brunch.

    Can you come to my blog and teach me how to draw on my pictures too?

  29. I'm new to your blog and completely love it! This museum curator outfit is so gorgeous, especially those fantastic shoes!

  30. Dear Kendi,
    I woke up today, found a post on a friend's facebook about your blog, looked it up . . . and now I've spent hours (more than two, fewer than three) looking through months of your daily posts. Here's what I have to say:
    I'm addicted, probably forever.
    Thank you for the sarcasm!
    I wish my Target was as awesome as yours seems to be. *sigh*
    -New devotee
    P.S. I will probably need some sort of software installed on my computer, allowing me to read only one post per day. Or at least not hours and hours of them at a time.

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