Am I dressed properly as a librarian girl?

[Shana136]

Hi! My name is Shana! I am an Austrian American. I am a full-blooded Austrian. My parents are immigrants from Austria. I am 18-years old and female.

I am currently a librarian in a private library. This library doesn't belong to an academic institution. My library is a private one. It is owned by some person.

As a librarian, do these outfits of mine fit? Are they appropriate? I am scared because this is my first time being a librarian. Help me.

These are what I am wearing to match my job:

1. Buttoned white blouses. The blouses are of various colors such as pure-white, pure-black, dark-green, brown, tan, light-blue, etc. The sleeves of the blouses are of various lengths such as long, elbow-length, and short. The blouses aren't stretchy. The blouses have collars and cover all the way to the necks.

2. Ribbon neckties of various styles and also of various colors such as red, black, white, green, grey, etc.

3. Maxi long plaid folded-pleated skirts.

a. The pleats are folded in style. The pleats all fold in one direction or side. All of them fold to the right. The visible parts of the pleats are only 1 and a half inches in width. The pleats are overlapping with each other.

b. The skirts are so long that their hemlines reach and end at my toes.

c. The skirts aren't A-line which means that the skirts don't gradually expand from the waistbands to the hemlines. What I am saying is that the skirts remain straight from the waistbands to the hemlines.

d. The plaid patterns are ornate, beautiful, and of various colors such as white, red, blue, green, black, yellow, sienna-brown, orange, dark-green, etc.

e. The skirts are of various colors such as blue, beige, navy-blue, red, olive green, grey, white, greyish-brown, khaki, moderate-green, light-greyish-blue, burnt-umber, chocolate brown, dark-green, dark-cyan, blue-green, maroon, dark-red, medium-cyan, sienna-brown, ochre, yellow-ochre, dark-purple, black, yellow, orange, muted-pink, muted-light-purple, muted-light-blue, and brown-ebony. Yeah, I have a lot of these long maxi folded-pleated plaid skirts. I even have their own wardrobe for them. I am probably hoarding. I just love wearing these skirts before I was a librarian while most of my female classmates and female schoolmates were wearing knee-length skirts, jeans, and knee-length dresses. Some of them also wore mini-skirts.

f. The skirts have belt loops around their waistbands.

g. The fabric of the skirts aren't stretchy.

h. The fabric of the skirts aren't heavy but are also not overly light. The fabric of the skirts aren't thick but are also not thin.

i. All of the maxi long skirts hug my lower body, legs, and hips well. The skirts aren't baggy.

4. Buckle belts made of synthetic leather. The belts are of various colors such as black, grey, and brown.

5. Pairs of micro-crew-length short white socks.

6. Pairs of black shoes that have no calves. The shoes are made of synthetic leather.

7. Pairs of glasses.

__________

Also, I have long-straight mid-back-length dark-brown hair.

Not to brag but in combination with my clothing and my hair, am I gonna be objectified by male creeps due to my body, physique, and height? My face isn't ugly but fairly attractive. Some people say that my face looks soft and youthful. I don't want to brag but I am slim and tall. I am a bit taller than most males my age. My hips are also slightly curvy. I have A slim physique.

I am also introverted. I am also a bit weird. I am afraid that some people will take advantage of these and see it as a weakness.

Will I be okay? I am scared. This is my first time being a librarian.

Also, some person said to me that male creeps will stare at my buttocks, the back of those maxi long plaid folded-pleated skirts of mine, and also the buttocks pleats of those skirts if I bent forward and front especially on a table with both of my hands on the top surfaces of the table or if I placed both of my hands on both of my knees. The person said to me that male creeps will stare at the skirts’ buttocks pleats and also the hemlines of the backs of the maxi long skirts. I am kinda scared.

Please, help.

[spot]

Welcome to ForumGarden, Shana. You have made a significant step in asking such questions on the Internet.

I am unqualified to respond. I will give an opinion but I can't back anything I say with evidence. My unsupported opinion is valueless.

Congratulations on your job as a librarian in a private library. If you take qualifications in librarianship it can lead to an enjoyable skilled long-term career. The fact you have started in a private library gives you advantages in this regard.

Your choice of workwear is significant in several ways. In my opinion you should firstly blend in with anyone else in the same place, age and job. You particularly do not want to stand out visually.

Assuming you do not stand out, your selection of style is impeccable. The range of colors is far too wide, at most you should be turning up in no more than three shades of muted tones and consistently a white shirt. You are a librarian, you should not be mistaken for a catwalk model.

We cannot say whether these outfits fit. We can affirm they are fitting, as is the introversion. Nobody would feel comfortable with an extrovert librarian. In particular you can solve the issue of feeling exposed if you never, under any circumstance, climb onto a table. Regardless of posture or clothing this would be a major mistake.

You will, given your age and lack of librarian experience, be a magnet for male creeps. Your clients will be easily controlled - you do after all have the right to report them in writing and send them packing. Your more experienced male colleagues are potentially creeps. Again, reporting them to your head of department in writing will protect you. If your head of department tries to behave inappropriately it would be essential to make a written report to the owner. If nothing else it would put a line in the sand to protect future librarians in that position.

I suggest it is immediately necessary that you find an online course about being a librarian and study the requirements and professional paths you can follow. You have every opportunity to excel. In a job like this, personal initiative is the key to success. Even the introverted can modify their external behavior if they learn to be adept socially. It is easy to read and practice the recommendations in "How to make friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie.

[Shana136]

Welcome to ForumGarden, Shana. You have made a significant step in asking such questions on the Internet.

I am unqualified to respond. I will give an opinion but I can't back anything I say with evidence. My unsupported opinion is valueless.

Congratulations on your job as a librarian in a private library. If you take qualifications in librarianship it can lead to an enjoyable skilled long-term career. The fact you have started in a private library gives you advantages in this regard.

Your choice of workwear is significant in several ways. In my opinion you should firstly blend in with anyone else in the same place, age and job. You particularly do not want to stand out visually.

Assuming you do not stand out, your selection of style is impeccable. The range of colors is far too wide, at most you should be turning up in no more than three shades of muted tones and consistently a white shirt. You are a librarian, you should not be mistaken for a catwalk model.

We cannot say whether these outfits fit. We can affirm they are fitting, as is the introversion. Nobody would feel comfortable with an extrovert librarian. In particular you can solve the issue of feeling exposed if you never, under any circumstance, climb onto a table. Regardless of posture or clothing this would be a major mistake.

You will, given your age and lack of librarian experience, be a magnet for male creeps. Your clients will be easily controlled - you do after all have the right to report them in writing and send them packing. Your more experienced male colleagues are potentially creeps. Again, reporting them to your head of department in writing will protect you. If your head of department tries to behave inappropriately it would be essential to make a written report to the owner. If nothing else it would put a line in the sand to protect future librarians in that position.

I suggest it is immediately necessary that you find an online course about being a librarian and study the requirements and professional paths you can follow. You have every opportunity to excel. In a job like this, personal initiative is the key to success. Even the introverted can modify their external behavior if they learn to be adept socially. It is easy to read and practice the recommendations in "How to make friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie.

By the way, these below are my other skirts. These are not pleated compared to the ones I wrote about earlier.

By the way, these maxi long skirts are NOT A-line. They are straight which means they don't gradually expand from the waistbands to the hemlines. These maxi skirts hug my lower body, my hips, and my legs well. The skirts aren't baggy. They only look A-line from the images due to some internal support structure under the skirts. But I can guarantee you that they are all straight and hug me well. I pair these skirts with a buttoned elbow-length-sleeved blouse. I already loved wearing these maxi skirts as a teen even before I became a librarian.

What do you think of these other maxi skirts of mine?

These are the maxi skirts below:

[spot]

Shana,

The Royal Stewart in particular is too bright for any library setting. The others are acceptable as workwear. You should reserve the Royal Stewart for visits to Edinburgh and Balmoral where you will fit in perfectly.

I have the final circular example you posted in various shades of grey though not of course as a garment. It has been used to great effect as a table cloth. The table needs a thick chenille cover when not in use, to protect the wood from gradually fading in direct sunlight. The combination has been very effective as a domestic solution.

The muted red and black plaid with no white threads is perhaps the most appropriately subdued for workwear. During harsher months you may find a discrete chemise helpful outdoors.

[Shana136]

What about the blue one? I am talking about the 3rd.

[spot]

It is a simplified rendering of what originally, without the superposition of its bold black and yellow elements, would have been closer to a Nova Scotia tartan. I acknowledge those hankering for drama might be drawn more to the suggestion. It is perhaps more assertive in this simplified form than its better known inspiration. You will have more experience of its effect that I can bring to the conversation. As to how it might have affected Sir Walter Scott I would not like to guess, but I doubt he travelled so widely. The Nova Scotia design is very specific, cluttered by so many associative statements.

The bright royal blue base colour with its yellow/gold accent, paired with the less punchy plaid effect green, stands heavily contrasted by black and pale yellow pivots. I'm not sure it could be described as work-formal in any sense. Your new workplace might call for a more sombre piece, but don't let me put you off.

You'll be aware of the "tartan revival" preceding and in some cases even accompanying Queen Victoria's accession. This led clans such as the Johnstones of Annandale in the Scottish West March to present a very similar pattern to yours in the 1840s, brightened in the manner depicted after new dyes came onto the market twenty years later. That, with the brighter blue, would be a much closer match than the Nova Scotia I mentioned originally, though perhaps less frequently seen in recent years. It would be described as a traditional Scottish plaid pattern in royal blue and green, with bright yellow and black accents. It could not have predated their 1842 adoption since border clans (such as the Johnstones) "did not wear tartan or Highland dress" historically.

I worked in my formative years with a colleague who occasionally wore something close to your final image, usually paired with a burgundy cable-knit pullover.

[Shana136]

It is a simplified rendering of what originally, without the superposition of its bold black and yellow elements, would have been closer to a Nova Scotia tartan. I acknowledge those hankering for drama might be drawn more to the suggestion. It is perhaps more assertive in this simplified form than its better known inspiration. You will have more experience of its effect that I can bring to the conversation. As to how it might have affected Sir Walter Scott I would not like to guess, but I doubt he travelled so widely. The Nova Scotia design is very specific, cluttered by so many associative statements.

The bright royal blue base colour with its yellow/gold accent, paired with the less punchy plaid effect green, stands heavily contrasted by black and pale yellow pivots. I'm not sure it could be described as work-formal in any sense. Your new workplace might call for a more sombre piece, but don't let me put you off.

You'll be aware of the "tartan revival" preceding and in some cases even accompanying Queen Victoria's accession. This led clans such as the Johnstones of Annandale in the Scottish West March to present a very similar pattern to yours in the 1840s, brightened in the manner depicted after new dyes came onto the market twenty years later. That, with the brighter blue, would be a much closer match than the Nova Scotia I mentioned originally, though perhaps less frequently seen in recent years. It would be described as a traditional Scottish plaid pattern in royal blue and green, with bright yellow and black accents. It could not have predated their 1842 adoption since border clans (such as the Johnstones) "did not wear tartan or Highland dress" historically.

I worked in my formative years with a colleague who occasionally wore something close to your final image, usually paired with a burgundy cable-knit pullover.

Do you think it fits me?

By the way, some said this in reply to me:

"They're a bit on the bright side in my opinion.

All of them are the same style and a bit fuddy duddy which may be a thing where you are but librarians should be stylish and smart instead of following media stereotypical nerdy tartan old wifey styles."

What does he mean by nerdy?

[spot]

"fit" is an entirely subjective judgement, I'm entirely misplaced to express an opinion. Ideally you ought to ask your mother.

Nerdy: a person who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular subject, especially one of specialist or niche interest.

Normally I have a better dictionary to hand, but at the moment it's unavailable.

[Shana136]

"fit" is an entirely subjective judgement, I'm entirely misplaced to express an opinion. Ideally you ought to ask your mother.

Nerdy: a person who is extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a particular subject, especially one of specialist or niche interest.

Normally I have a better dictionary to hand, but at the moment it's unavailable.

Doesn't nerdy also mean socially-awkward introverted loner person who is extremely smart?

I am not against those types of people. I don't hate them. I am just asking if you know that nerdy also means those ways.

[spot]

I've consulted the Oxford Dictionaries English lookup site. It has one "Informal" definition and a warning of a "Derogatory" usage. I've never encountered the derogatory meaning before. It's in the dictionary to warn me never to use it, "Derogatory" is one grade before "Offensive".

nerdy
Pronunciation: /ˈnəːdi/
adjective (nerdier, nerdiest)
informal

1 characterized by great enthusiasm for and knowledge about a particular subject, especially one of specialist or niche interest: nerdy sci-fi stuff / it must sound pretty nerdy, but I dreamed of being a theoretical physicist

2 (derogatory) unfashionable and lacking social skills or boringly studious: when I was a nerdy kid, I got bullied a lot / his slightly nerdy haircut and glasses

I find it impossible to imagine someone in tartan being unfashionable, lacking social skills or boringly studious, least of all a librarian.

[Shana136]

I find it impossible to imagine someone in tartan being unfashionable, lacking social skills or boringly studious, least of all a librarian.

Why?

Also by the way, I don't know if you know this but you seem to forget that I am not against and don't hate nerds who are introverted, lack social skills, and are boringly studious. Also again, I am introverted myself. Also according to research, a majority of librarians are introverted.

[spot]

I find it impossible to imagine someone in tartan being unfashionable, lacking social skills or boringly studious, least of all a librarian.

Why?

Also by the way, I don't know if you know this but you seem to forget that I am not against and don't hate nerds who are introverted, lack social skills, and are boringly studious. Also again, I am introverted myself. Also according to research, a majority of librarians are introverted.

You make your point of view in all three spheres, or even the researched general view of librarians.

To take "unfashionable" I refute the possibility of its existence. In any arena where fashion can be recognized, it can only be so if fashions are cyclical and it has established a current approbation. That which can be labelled unfashionable today is clearly by that principle acknowledged to be fashionable again in its turn. No label of unfashionable can be eternal or the category of fashion cannot be applied to that area. If it can then its time will inevitably come again. I dress unhesitatingly in black while surrounded by peacocks.

Social ineptitude is inevitably a product of the cultural setting in which it is found. The life of the party in New York would be a social outcast in a French village. A French villager would be invisible in Los Angeles despite being five-times mayor at home, whose opinion of the local wine harvest is taken to be definitive.

To be studious is to be both curious and prepared to work hard at understanding the topic. If that is then addressed to someone else, it can only be boring if the other person is not interested. I wouldn't call that the fault of the well-informed speaker.

[Betty Boop]

Hi! My name is Shana! I am an Austrian American. I am a full-blooded Austrian. My parents are immigrants from Austria. I am 18-years old and female.

I am currently a librarian in a private library. This library doesn't belong to an academic institution. My library is a private one. It is owned by some person.

Does this mean you have no idea who owns it?

As a librarian, do these outfits of mine fit? Are they appropriate? I am scared because this is my first time being a librarian. Help me.

These are what I am wearing to match my job:

1. Buttoned white blouses. The blouses are of various colors such as pure-white, pure-black, dark-green, brown, tan, light-blue, etc. The sleeves of the blouses are of various lengths such as long, elbow-length, and short. The blouses aren't stretchy. The blouses have collars and cover all the way to the necks.

2. Ribbon neckties of various styles and also of various colors such as red, black, white, green, grey, etc.

3. Maxi long plaid folded-pleated skirts.

a. The pleats are folded in style. The pleats all fold in one direction or side. All of them fold to the right. The visible parts of the pleats are only 1 and a half inches in width. The pleats are overlapping with each other.

b. The skirts are so long that their hemlines reach and end at my toes.

c. The skirts aren't A-line which means that the skirts don't gradually expand from the waistbands to the hemlines. What I am saying is that the skirts remain straight from the waistbands to the hemlines.

d. The plaid patterns are ornate, beautiful, and of various colors such as white, red, blue, green, black, yellow, sienna-brown, orange, dark-green, etc.

e. The skirts are of various colors such as blue, beige, navy-blue, red, olive green, grey, white, greyish-brown, khaki, moderate-green, light-greyish-blue, burnt-umber, chocolate brown, dark-green, dark-cyan, blue-green, maroon, dark-red, medium-cyan, sienna-brown, ochre, yellow-ochre, dark-purple, black, yellow, orange, muted-pink, muted-light-purple, muted-light-blue, and brown-ebony. Yeah, I have a lot of these long maxi folded-pleated plaid skirts. I even have their own wardrobe for them. I am probably hoarding. I just love wearing these skirts before I was a librarian while most of my female classmates and female schoolmates were wearing knee-length skirts, jeans, and knee-length dresses. Some of them also wore mini-skirts.

f. The skirts have belt loops around their waistbands.

g. The fabric of the skirts aren't stretchy.

h. The fabric of the skirts aren't heavy but are also not overly light. The fabric of the skirts aren't thick but are also not thin.

i. All of the maxi long skirts hug my lower body, legs, and hips well. The skirts aren't baggy.

I've never seen so much information listed around describing skirts, why are all of those points so important?

4. Buckle belts made of synthetic leather. The belts are of various colors such as black, grey, and brown.

5. Pairs of micro-crew-length short white socks.

6. Pairs of black shoes that have no calves. The shoes are made of synthetic leather.

7. Pairs of glasses.

I've never seen shoes with no calves?

If you don't want to be judged as a sexy librarian, then don't wear glasses and don't wear your hair in a bun, held in place with your pen stuck through it.

Also, I have long-straight mid-back-length dark-brown hair.

Not to brag but in combination with my clothing and my hair, am I gonna be objectified by male creeps due to my body, physique, and height? My face isn't ugly but fairly attractive. Some people say that my face looks soft and youthful. I don't want to brag but I am slim and tall. I am a bit taller than most males my age. My hips are also slightly curvy. I have A slim physique.

I am also introverted. I am also a bit weird. I am afraid that some people will take advantage of these and see it as a weakness.

Will I be okay? I am scared. This is my first time being a librarian.

Also, some person said to me that male creeps will stare at my buttocks, the back of those maxi long plaid folded-pleated skirts of mine, and also the buttocks pleats of those skirts if I bent forward and front especially on a table with both of my hands on the top surfaces of the table or if I placed both of my hands on both of my knees. The person said to me that male creeps will stare at the skirts’ buttocks pleats and also the hemlines of the backs of the maxi long skirts. I am kinda scared.

Please, help.

Who said men will stare? Some might, most won't, what you describe isn't exactly figure-hugging clothing that exaggerates every curve, I think you are overthinking it all. I would suggest donning a long length cardigan over the top that will shield your derrière from being stared at.
If I were you, I'd wear trousers and be done with all the fretting. Some men are just disgusting, and others are polite; you'll soon learn the difference.

[Shana136]

Does this mean you have no idea who owns it?

I didn't explicitly say I don't know who owns it. I just didn't say who the owner is because I don't want to reveal more info about the person for no reason. Even if a librarian doesn't know, it doesn't mean the skills of a librarian is bad. It isn't relevant info in the day-to-day job of a librarian.

I've never seen so much information listed around describing skirts, why are all of those points so important?

Because that is exactly the main point of my post and that is that if my clothes are appropriate for a librarian and also if I will be objectified for it.

I've never seen shoes with no calves?

If you don't want to be judged as a sexy librarian, then don't wear glasses and don't wear your hair in a bun, held in place with your pen stuck through it.

Yes, shoes with no calves do exist. They are basically shoes that do not cover your calves. Also, I don't have my hair on a bun. It is long, straight, and flowing down. It is mid-back-length. I do wear a pair of glasses though.

Who said men will stare? Some might, most won't, what you describe isn't exactly figure-hugging clothing that exaggerates every curve, I think you are overthinking it all. I would suggest donning a long length cardigan over the top that will shield your derrière from being stared at.
If I were you, I'd wear trousers and be done with all the fretting. Some men are just disgusting, and others are polite; you'll soon learn the difference.

I never said most men will stare and be perverts but you have to agree that there are some creeps that exist and despite their low number, they are already big enough problems for many women and girls. Some of them will even grope. Now why am I saying this? Again, it's because I am slim, tall, my hips are a bit curvy, and my face is fairly attractive.

[Betty Boop]

Shana, your wardrobe sounds entirely appropriate for a professional setting—and more importantly, it reflects your taste and comfort, which is what matters most. What are the other librarians wearing?, take your cues from them.

Nobody has the right to make you feel objectified or unsafe at work. Creeps staring at you? That’s their problem. You don’t dress to appease them or to accommodate their seedy behaviour. You dress for yourself, your own personal comfort and the professionalism of your role.

If anyone ever tries to sexualize how you dress or attempts to place you in compromising positions (and frankly, no librarian should ever need to be bent over hands on knees—that’s not part of the job and anyone suggesting otherwise is raising serious concerns), you have every right to:

1. Call it out.

2. Report it.

3. Not internalize their disrespect as your responsibility.


Your introversion, your physique, your style—none of these are weaknesses or invitations for mistreatment.

Be proud of your look, do your job well, and don't let imagined threats, or worse, the inappropriate comments of others, make you doubt yourself.

If this was said to you in real life ('people will stare at the pleats of your skirt when you bend over'), that person was being inappropriate and trying to plant fear or control your clothing choices. Don’t accept that framing. You are not responsible for other people's predatory thoughts.

And finally, shoes with no calves? Shoes are shoes that cover the feet and don't go anywhere near a calf, they may cover an ankle though. Boots cover both the foot and the calf.

[Shana136]

I find it impossible to imagine someone in tartan being unfashionable, lacking social skills or boringly studious, least of all a librarian.

Why?

Also by the way, I don't know if you know this but you seem to forget that I am not against and don't hate nerds who are introverted, lack social skills, and are boringly studious. Also again, I am introverted myself. Also according to research, a majority of librarians are introverted.

You make your point of view in all three spheres, or even the researched general view of librarians.

To take "unfashionable" I refute the possibility of its existence. In any arena where fashion can be recognized, it can only be so if fashions are cyclical and it has established a current approbation. That which can be labelled unfashionable today is clearly by that principle acknowledged to be fashionable again in its turn. No label of unfashionable can be eternal or the category of fashion cannot be applied to that area. If it can then its time will inevitably come again. I dress unhesitatingly in black while surrounded by peacocks.

Social ineptitude is inevitably a product of the cultural setting in which it is found. The life of the party in New York would be a social outcast in a French village. A French villager would be invisible in Los Angeles despite being five-times mayor at home, whose opinion of the local wine harvest is taken to be definitive.

To be studious is to be both curious and prepared to work hard at understanding the topic. If that is then addressed to someone else, it can only be boring if the other person is not interested. I wouldn't call that the fault of the well-informed speaker.

I also have this one below. What do you think?

[Shana136]

Shana, your wardrobe sounds entirely appropriate for a professional setting—and more importantly, it reflects your taste and comfort, which is what matters most. What are the other librarians wearing?, take your cues from them.

Nobody has the right to make you feel objectified or unsafe at work. Creeps staring at you? That’s their problem. You don’t dress to appease them or to accommodate their seedy behaviour. You dress for yourself, your own personal comfort and the professionalism of your role.

If anyone ever tries to sexualize how you dress or attempts to place you in compromising positions (and frankly, no librarian should ever need to be bent over hands on knees—that’s not part of the job and anyone suggesting otherwise is raising serious concerns), you have every right to:

1. Call it out.

2. Report it.

3. Not internalize their disrespect as your responsibility.


Your introversion, your physique, your style—none of these are weaknesses or invitations for mistreatment.

Be proud of your look, do your job well, and don't let imagined threats, or worse, the inappropriate comments of others, make you doubt yourself.

If this was said to you in real life ('people will stare at the pleats of your skirt when you bend over'), that person was being inappropriate and trying to plant fear or control your clothing choices. Don’t accept that framing. You are not responsible for other people's predatory thoughts.

And finally, shoes with no calves? Shoes are shoes that cover the feet and don't go anywhere near a calf, they may cover an ankle though. Boots cover both the foot and the calf.

I also have this one below. What do you think?

[Betty Boop]

I think its a skirt Shana, I'm not sure why one skirt needs so many photos? Is this actually free advertising for you ?

What that also shows me is the seams don't align, badly and cheaply made when the seams don't align the pattern.