Hawaiian Kine Professional Attire

I still remember when I first started working at Ilima and everyone told me that I wouldn't be dressing the same the following year...well I still dress the same :) I even managed to move down to elementary school and keep the same wardrobe. Granted, I don't work hands on with the little ones that often, but still I consider myself a professional dresser even by mainland standards.

When Chris and I really started getting serious, I'd get a lot of comments about how he dressed since he was pretty infamous for being casual, but he can clean up if he needs to. Now, he's got a pretty standard attire of a t-shirt and khaki pants or jeans. Wednesdays he's started wearing a tie and dress shirt just for fun.

So that's us...but what about the rest of Hawaii's working educators?

This past January I went to a professional development. I won't name what it was, but it was a training that involved district resource teachers, administration, fellow teachers, etc. This particular session I arrived early and as I gathered my stuff, my jaw just about hit the ground at what I saw. At first I figured, maybe I mistook what I saw, but then my admin joined me at the table and before she put her bag down, I saw her jaw just about hit the ground too and I knew without looking at it what she was seeing.

Now, a little caveat: yes, dressing in Hawaii can be viewed as somewhat less casual than mainland attire. However, this outfit was pretty...interesting. Judge for yourself:


Several people were pretty scandalized by this particular individual's choice of attire. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why someone would dress like this to a professional function...the best I can figure is that she had a really good night and had to do a walk of shame to work. But she sure wasn't acting shamed since she just walked all around with her head held high...and her shorts pretty high too!

Regardless, my eyeballs and my brain had a field day with this one. SO SCANDALOUS! And of course while I might be pleading scandal and shock, I am obviously not mature enough to just judge her and let it go. So when I saw her at the bank, I had to capture the moment. I suppose if being in education doesn't work, there's always the paparazzi for me!

Still though...I mean, come on people...I have underwear that's longer than her shorts! :) And it's the Big Island. Can you blame me? This kind of nonsense is the spice of my life now!!!