Thursday, March 27, 2008

JBF Thursdays

Tomorrow is Friday. AKA "Jeans Day" at work. I actually overheard one of my coworkers saying in an excited, upbeat tone, "Thank goodness tomorrow is Jeans Day!" and another person agreed with them wholeheartedly. "Yes! Thank Goodness!"

Well, whoopidee doo.

I'm sorry. I'm afraid I forgot to drink the Kool-Aid on this one.

Am I supposed to get excited about this? When did wearing jeans become a humongous privilege? Or, conversely, when did wearing pants made from fabrics besides denim turn into some new kind of torture?

Many of my co-workers get all whipped up about wearing jeans. Although my boss explained on my first day of work that jeans were allowed on Fridays, on my first Friday I wore my normal dress trousers. People nearly fell out and every goddamn person I saw said "Didn't they tell you? You can wear JEANS on Friday."

I don't really have that many pairs of jeans, and frankly they aren't as comfortable as some of my other pants so I don't understand what all the fuss is about. I've tried to rationalize it and have come up with nil.

It's cool to wear jeans because:

- It's far more relaxing than the tuxedo/ball gown and tiara that are required in the corporate dress code.

- I don't already dress sloppy enough in my cargo pants and faded fleece mock turtlenecks.

- It's so confusing to have to decide which pair of wrinkled khaki's and hideously patterned polo shirt to wear on Monday thru Thursday.

-
They are far more comfortable than the chain mail and burlap sacks that are part of my regular business casual wardrobe.

-
Working my boring job has made me desperate to cling to any lame reason why I should keep coming back here every day instead of going completely kooky - so yes, yes, Jeans Day. Oh and Hurray! - left over sheet cake in the break room from Eileen's Retirement "party".

Management even give out "Free Jeans Day!" passes as rewards for work well done and people are excited to get them.

If I have done a good job I would rather not be rewarded with permission to wear my own pants.

Cash money does me just fine baby. A gift card works good too.

I'll save my excitement for when they come up with "Bathrobe Day", "Pajama Pants Day", or "JBF Hair Day".

*JBF = Just Been F&cked.

21 comments:

- said...

lunchlady, this post was laugh out loud good times. now, the fact that i've been wearing this particular pair of jeans for 5 or 6 days now has me REALLY excited to wear them again tomorrow. cuz its JEANS DAY, yo!

you need to wear something hideous on a jeans day. like a jean dress. or overalls. or a full on Canadian Tuxedo. DO IT.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you! PJ and slippers day would be cause for a celebration. Jeans I just don't get...they make my arse look HUUUUUUGE.

This is an old blogger by the way - remember me!? I started with a B and ended in a Y...:)
I couldn't stay away.

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

Player - You have GOT to tell me what a Canadian Tuxedo is please!

Kate - I don't mind jeans, and the right pair can make your arse look as good as balls, I just mentally refuse to allow the company to make wearing them once a week a perk like 401K.
BTW - I'm thrilled to hear from you again!!!! I missed you a lot.

Chris the Hippie said...

I dunno... If I go to a bank, lawyer's office, or county jail (I often visit them in that order) and see people wandering around in jeans I kinda assume they're not very professional and I tend to go somewhere else the next time. Some professions simply deserve a touch of class and, well, professionalism.

What I do for a living, however, deserves a ratty AC/DC t-shirt and stinky socks.

Quiet one said...

I guess "Jeans Day" is not a big deal, but my husband hates to wear a suit or slacks and a tie, so jeans day is a deal for him. I, for one, LOVE jeans and would be supremely happy with jeans day.

Unknown said...

I hear you, sister. When I was in NY recently some guy handed me a flyer asking me to wear orange for the day. It was supposed to tell the world that someone somewhere was suffering from something. I don't know. But what fun would it be to post a flyer on the break room wall announcing the need to wear THIS color every Friday for some bogus charity or worldwide injustice. I'll bet you'd have lot of takers, then call the news station and have them film it. HAH.

rcubed said...

Hilarious post. I think you hit it on the nail with "Working my boring job has made me desperate..."
My jeans are more comfortable than my one pair of non-jeans I have to wear monday through thursday. But I wouldn't say I get Excited about jeans day. My job sucks regardless. Although, cake helps.

Anonymous said...

Don't they know how hard it is to find a decent pair of jeans that both fit and are flattering? I'm with r cubed, I'll take cake.

- said...

lunchlady, i find that google imaging Canadian Tuxedo will give you a better appreciation for it.

Churlita said...

I can wear jeans to work anytime I want. Today though, I thought it would have been wonderful to wear my lounge pants. Don't worry, I wouldn't do that to my co-workers, but I would love it if I could.

Gwen said...

This line:

"If I have done a good job I would rather not be rewarded with permission to wear my own pants."

is priceless. I love your brain.

I wear jeans to work every day. My Managaing Counsel is the only one in the nation with such a lax dress code. Every person in our office (including me) considers it a HUGE perk. We thought he was leaving for a while and panicked.

Every once in a blue moon I'll even wear sweats, mostly when I'm pissed that I can't work from home.

SkylersDad said...

Ask any of my co-workers, I usually dress like a flood victim. It's all part of my "essence"...

The Guv'ner said...

AT my last job it was like that - everyone got bent every week about casual Fridays. At this one we have no dress code at all so I wear jeans everyday. They ought to instigate a "Corporate Friday" just to be asses. :) Of course I'd have to call in sick that day...

Nikki Neurotic said...

I love my jeans so with your coworkers on this one-fortunately though, I work a job where jeans are pretty much encouraged.

Anonymous said...

Now would jbf hair day require an actual morning "f"? I'm sure the office would be an incredibly pleasant place on Fridays if so. We have jeans day as well on Fridays, but I, like you, opt to wear other pants. We're supposed to pay $1 to wear them (most people don't) that goes toward some fund. I'm a cheapskate...I'll wear jeans when they don't incur fees!

Gifted Typist said...

What about yoga-pants day Friday

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

Chris - I know what you mean about the bankers etc.. It's especially weird on Halloween when the loan officers are wearing costumes.

I wore jeans a lot when I worked in vet clinics - it was silly to get any dressier than that.

Michelle - Of course I wore jeans today, but mainly to keep people off my back about it. I'm just as comfortable either way.

AGT - people would totally go for this if it somehow involved cake.

R-Cubed - I'm rather a bitch and don't get charged up about much of anything - let alone denim pants. Like I said in my comment back to Michelle - I wore the jeans.

Suze - the cake of course only makes it more difficult to find ass flattering jeans... oy.

Player - I don't know why I didn't think of that in the first place, but once guided by your Google hand I laughed my butt off.

Churlita - our dress code is business casual and only jeans are off limits except on Fridays. People really take advantage of this and might as well be wearing lounge pants, which is why I don't understand why jeans are such a treat.

Gwen - having that sentence pop into my head was the inspiration for the post in the first place - glad you noticed!

Skydad - I'm sure your totally stylin' and rocking the fleece and cargo pants.

Guv - that would really freak people out. I think you should put out a fake memo right away.

Silver - I love jeans too, but I can't get excited about them in that corporate way. I'll always take a stand against "the man" especially when "the man" tries to fool me into thinking he's doing me a favor.

Frenchie - that's what that do at MDH's work and he refuses to fall for it too. The money goes to some charity and if you aren't wearing jeans everyone gives you a hard time about being too cheap to give to the charity. Ack!

Typist - I'm all over that like white on rice or maybe like stretch on pants.

Leonesse said...

Living in Phoenix meant Shorts Friday. They had to be 'nice' shorts but wow did it help in going home in 120 degree heat.

Tricia said...

LOVE IT! Just discovered your blog and I have been laughing out loud while reading!

I work for a company where every day is jeans day. I admit I am one who gets excited about wearing jeans. I think it comes from all the years of church school and wearing dresses all the time! ;-)

But yeah - jeans aren't that comfy BUT you can wear more comfy shoes with jeans - that is a big plus!

I'm definitely adding you to my reader!

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

Leo - Phoenix is a whole 'nother ball of casual wax. I used to go there a lot for work and there is just no sense in dressing up - it's too hot and dusty.

Tricia - Howdy and welcome to my blog! I'm glad to make you laugh. Jeans are fine, I'm just against the corporation trying to make us think they are doing us this big favor and everyone lapping it up like ice cream (mmmm, ice cream would actually be better than a jeans day for me) I'm a bit suspicious that way.

... said...

I never really was a jeans person. I've probably worn jeans 15 times or less since I was 12.