Sometimes I wonder why I even bother dressing at home.
Every morning, I get up, shower and try to put together something cute to wear to work. Then when I actually get into work, I realize my office building is f*cking freezing and I need to usually add one to two more layers of clothing over my cute outfit to keep myself from shaking at my computer.
Dramatic? Hardly.
But when I reach for a sweater at work, I have options! Why? Because I have two at my desk, along with a lovely assortment of shoes. Right now, I have four pairs of shoes at my desk (all black, two flats and two heels) to change in to when I arrive at work in sneakers.
One girl I used to sit by had a Rubbermaid bin of shoes at her desk. I swear that bin had 10-12 pairs of heels. I wondered what shoes were even left at her apartment.
People may tease me for this, but collecting a mini-closet at work is easier than you think. It starts when you leave one pair of shoes at your desk by accident, then the next day you think, “well I’m going to wear them at work anyhow, so I’ll just leave them there.” Then the shoe stockpile starts multiplying like bunnies and suddenly the only shoes you have at home are sneakers and sandals.
But when young professionals have to be prepared for anything, it’s not uncommon to keep extra clothes at your desk, especially if you work really long hours. I draw the line at pants and extra shirts though because the one time I’ll want to wear them at home, I’ll remember they’re in my desk drawer, which is not clean at all.
I’m trying to slowly take a few of my pairs of shoes home, but I’m sure it’s more likely that they’ll be multiplying at my desk again, especially with winter coming up.
Do you have a mini-closet at your desk? If so, what do you stockpile? Shoes? Sweaters? Jackets?
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A part of being a grad student in my area is a lack of consistency, meaning I work a good four or so different places a week. It is awful to leave anything behind… like say, an umbrella, since I don’t have a spare handful of them sitting around.
I just keep a sweater at my desk, but for those days I assume I don’t have an assignment and wear a hoodie to work only to arrive I have to meet with someone, I keep several clothing options and shoes in my car.
Oh, I definitely have a closet at my desk. A very messy closet. Just looking around my office now…I see seven pairs of shoes, a cardigan, a sweatshirt (like I’m going to wear that at work!?), three random tote bags, a pair of rainboots, and some gym socks (WTF?). I won’t even go into the number of coffee mugs sitting around here. lol.
Right now I only have one pair of heels under my desk, but I agree with you, it can definitely add up.
I have a suitcase packed and ready to go in the trunk of my car since my bosses can send me out of town pretty much without a moments notice. Fortunately, I don’t have to dress too nicely at work, so all I keep on hand is the ugliest sweater I own. (My friend calls it my librarian sweater). I also keep nearly every personal item I could ever need on hand, like deodorant, tooth brush, Tide pen, etc.
Nope, but I have a mini-drugstore beside my sofa (I have a cold).
;) Kim
I’m horrible because I have STUPID things. I have a pair of leggings, a boring tshirt, and a winter coat thats been there for 2 years.
when i worked up north i use to keep gym shoes and a change of clothes at my desk so i could go walking during my lunch hour (i’d eat at my desk afterwards). fridays i’d take it all home in the gymbag and wash (more often in the summer) and mondays bring em back. they had a dedicated walking trail for the employees of the building i worked in. i wish the place i worked at now had a walking trail.
i feel like the shoes at your desk is a chicago thing because you all have to walk/ride the train to commute.
me? i don’t have any shoes, clothes, etc at my desk
There’s a girl I work with who has tons of shoes at her desk too, but she always ends up wearing these blindingly bright green slippers. All I have is exercise clothes. I probably should have a change of clothes for those days when I have to go to school and feel like changing out of work clothes, but I’m not that put together to plan ahead.
all i have at my desk is an extra jacket because my office is like the arctic, it’s insanely cold in here. but that’s about the extent of my mini closet.
SOCKS, actually. Sometimes I’ll wear dresses into work, or throw on my Uggs in the morning. then when I change into scrubs, I have no socks to wear with my work shoes. So I bring pairs from home and STILL manage to run out, and then have to go buy more at the gift shop – and then find my old ones.
Today I have 4 pairs here.
Oh man, when I lived in Cali? This was me and my car. I could have gone on an impromptu road trip to any climate and fine for weeks.
When I had to dress up for work in my former life, I had quite the closet collection going in my cube. I had to start bringing things home on the train about two weeks before my last day because I had accumulated so much stuff. But I never regret wearing comfortable shoes to work and having to change into something else, especially when it snowed. I see some women walking around in heels during inclement weather and I’m basically just waiting for them to bite it on the ice.
As a teacher, I always had a extra pair. Sometimes I forget it’s a solid color shirt/tie day. I also have a set of gym clothes ready.
I only have a sweater at my desk now, and a pair of flip flops. But at my old job, when I had to dress professionally, I had at least 3 pairs of heels under my desk, and probably 3 blazers, since we had to wear them whenever we were with the guests (I worked in a hotel). I took home SO MUCH STUFF when I left that job haha.
I do this too! Especially in the winter, at least having a few pairs of shoes to swap out for your snow boots is key- but I have a whole kit of things! Basic toiletries, some basic medication (tylenol, cold & flu) a space heater, a blanket, a sweater or two, and 3 – 4 pairs of shoes. If I’m going to be somewhere all day, I might as well be comfortable!
I have 4 pairs of shoes at work. However, one of those pairs has a broken strap and I keep thinking I will fix it because I love those shoes but I haven’t yet because they are still at work. I sometimes keep a cardigan or something in case I get cold. Some girls here keep a blanket to wrap around their shoulders. I’m expecting a snuggie to show up soon.
Totally with you on this one! I have the same in my car! The trunk is my second closet!
Currently, I only have 1 sweater here.
But what I do stockpile is snacks. Even though we have two restaurants in my lobby, I like to have a full arsenal of food at the ready. Right now I have boxes of: All Bran Bites, Sun Chips, Minibix, Fibre 1 bars and oatmeal. Cause you just never know when you’re going to get really hungry.
I typically have 4 or 5 pairs of shoes and then the coats/sweaters/jackets. I am lucky enough to have a heater at my desk but when there’s meetings and stuff I need something!
I love having stuff here though, then I can never forget anything and I don’t have to cart it back and forth.
I used to have about six pairs of shoes here at my desk. I’ve since taken them home because I never wore them, but SIX!!! That’s a lot! I dont keep any clothes, but occasionally there’s an extra sweater I have here from time to time. :) But come winter- I’m sure the shoes will stock pile once again, because I’ll be wearing boots to work. Hello snow!
Hahahaha. This post is perfect. I never understand why office buildings are so difficult to moderate temperatures. My office building is FREEZING in the summer and FREEZING in the winter. I can’t win. I keep a fleece at my desk that I wear pretty much every day that I’m not wearing multiple layers with my outfit. This year, I’ve also considered buying fingerless gloves because, yes, it’s THAT cold in the winter. Ridiculous!
There’s a sweater hanging on the back of my office door and I think a pair of slingbacks in the bottom of my file cabinet. Once it snows I’ll be keeping even more shoes at work.
My boss has a shoe rack under her desk. Seriously.
My office is usually too warm. I actually have a usb fan! In terms of having a closet in my office though . . . nah. All I have is fluffy bedsocks in case my feet get cold. (I don’t like wearing socks generally and quite often end up with cold wet feet when its raining). That’s it. Loads of other people have cardigans over the back of their chairs though. They obviously feel the cold more than me…
totally with you on this one. i have 2 sweaters, a pair of heels, and random accessories that i got sick of wearing during the day & left in my desk. prepared for anything! :)
At my current job, I don’t really have to dress up (though I pretty much keep a wardrobe in my car just in case.) My old job though? I had at LEAST four pairs of shoes and a couple different jackets on call at all times.
i stockpile layers! The mill gets crazy cold- in the winter I have to wear long johns under my jeans, and sometimes tights under my long johns, but I keep boucoup sweaters, jackets, hats, gloves, scarves and coats on hand to bundle up if need be.
I have to have at least 6 pairs of shoes at work. I like choice.
My office is frigid as well. Its so not fun. I keep a few sweaters there too. Shoes not so much, usually only in the winter when I have to wear snow boots to and from work.
I try to keep extra stuff at work because it gets messy there and I don’t want makeup/stage crap all over my decent clothes (although there aren’t many of those left anymore). I always, always keep a hoodie in the office because my desk is right under an AC vent that refuses to stop blowing cold air, and I have at least one pair of sneakers and a pair of crocs under my desk for when I show up to work in heels or open-toed shoes which are no-noes on stage.
So, yes, I have a closet at work, but I think it’s funny that mine is the reverse of most people’s. I show up in the nice stuff and change into the crap!
I can definitely imagine doing that, and how easy it would be! I’m like you – get cold at the office really easily, so I’d probably stock up on warm cardis/sweaters/scarves.
I totally used to do this at my old office. When I left that job, my box of “personal effects” was almost entirely filled with shoes and travel mugs that I’d forgotten.
I have a locker and the other day I realized not only did I have my snowpants in there but a few extra scrubs, some regular clothes and a pair of cole haan shoes. random!
I love that you keep shoes at your desk. so smart, especially in the winter.