First Day on the New Job

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Last Monday was my first day at my new dream job. Yes, this outfit is a week old because I just didn't find the time (or energy) to prepare this post during my first week. It was a crazy-hectic week! It had been so long since I started a new job, I had forgotten how awkward it can feel to have to learn your way around a whole new building, a new computer network, a new set of procedures and a new group of people. Just learning the names of all 200+ people in the building is going to take months!! :) It's funny how even a person who is incredibly skilled and experienced can suddenly feel completely incompetent in a new environment. I think it's good for me, though. I certainly can't see myself having any issues with complacency any time in the near future! ;-D

After much debate with myself regarding what to wear, I ended up going with this purple satin blouse from Victoria's Secret and a plain black pencil skirt. I know my readers were leaning toward a dress/blaser combo, then removing the blazer later in the day, but I didn't have any long-sleeve dresses that would look right with my blazers... And in order to remove the blazer, I would've definitely needed long sleeves underneath until I could ascertain whether visible tattoos would be acceptable. As it was, one feisty older administrative assistant promptly informed me, in good humor, that I was overdressed, so it's probably best that I kept the jackets at home.

I did take my readers' advice in terms of makeup! I went with a dark shimmery silver in the crease, a soft pink on the lower lid and my usual pearly light pink below the brow bone. I stuck with the dark brown brow powder to keep my eyebrows from getting too dramatic, and used black shadow on a damp angled brush to create a soft eyeliner on the upper lid. I finished with a single coat of mascara, soft blush and the same mild lip gloss I wore for the interviews.

I think this version of my subtle, work-appropriate eye makeup is far superior to the terra cotta shade I attempted for the interview look. What do you think?

New Shoes for a New Job!

Don't forget that my annual Red & Black Week is coming up June 3-9. That's less than a week away! I hope you are all thinking about post ideas for the big event. ;)

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Red & Black Week Starts in ONE WEEK!

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Just a reminder, Sophistique Noir's Second Annual Red & Black Week starts one week from today. Get your posts ready for a full week of celebrating the most important of all Goth color schemes, June 3-8.

Get all the details.

Remember that you can plan your posts ahead of time if you won't have time to do blogging during the week. Just create your posts and schedule them to launch on the appropriate day, then pop over to my blog and add your post using Mr. Linky. Adding your link takes just a few seconds and will help your blog get new fans!

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Monthly Homework Assignment: Prized Possessions

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I'm chronically late with my Monthly Homework Assignments for Le Professeur Gothique! I'm really hoping I have become teacher's pet so I can get away with it. Or maybe I'm just testing her to see exactly how late I can be before I get demerits. ;)

May's assignment was Prized Possessions. There are so many things that I could include in this list... Pets and photos, of course, go without saying. I chose to keep my choices fashion-related so they are relevant to my blog and to narrow down my choices a bit. :) At the same time, fashion really isn't the first thing I would worry about if my house was on fire and I could only save whatever I could carry, but I do have a few jewelry pieces that I treasure beyond just what they are as material possessions.

 
The first and most important is this brooch. It's my only true vintage jewelry piece, and it belonged to Mr. Kitty's mother. His parents were quite a bit older, and sadly had both passed away before I met him, so I never had a chance to know them. I've seen his treasured photos from when his mother was a young woman in the 1940s and I've always admired how classy she was. I was so deeply honored when he was going through a box of her accessories, came across this brooch and asked me if I would like to have it. I've worn it several times on my blog, and it was my good luck charm in Interview #2 for my new job.

The next item that I would do just about anything to save in a fire has virtually no monetary value. It's just a silver ring from one of those “random mass-produced inexpensive silver ring stores.” The value in this ring, as I mentioned in my Monthly Theme for February (which happened to be Rings), is that it was the very first thing that Mr. Kitty ever bought me, other than food and wine. ;)

Last but not least, I truly treasure this Alchemy Gothic locket Mr. Kitty got for me last Christmas. Not only is it one of the most stunningly beautiful things I own, as well as a gift from my soulmate, but it contains photos of my most treasured non-material possessions:

Prometheus and Perseus!

Sure, I'd save the cats before this locket if there was a fire, but this thing has traveled close to my heart any time I've had to leave them for more than I day ever since I got the locket, so I've grown very attached to it. It is a symbol of comfort to me whenever I can't be with them. I find when I am wearing it, even if one of them is currently laying in my lap, I like to open it and look at those tiny photos and remember how much joy those images bring me in the absence of their actual presence.

What material possessions would you be sure to save if everything you owned was about to go up in flames? What makes those things most important to you?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Dancing the Old Job Out of my System!

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As promised in yesterday's post, we went out dancing to celebrate my last day at the old job. I had been wanting to wear an all-magenta outfit ever since I did my all-purple outfit back in January. I had my magenta (cheap Frederick's) corset in mind but it turned out to clash quite badly with this skirt from Newport News. Different shades of magenta usually go quite well together, so I was a bit surprised. Luckily, I also had this lace-front cami from Newport News that was a perfect match. So I topped the whole thing off with my black underbust corset to dress it up properly for the club. I replaced the blazer with a magenta satin shrug I recently found on eBay. I now have this shrug in five colors!

The down side to this outfit was, while it looked fabulously fuchsia in the photos and while standing in line at the door, once we were in the club everyone complimented me on my red outfit. :( Yep, under nightclub lights everything looks either black or red. Not that an all-red outfit wouldn't be spectacular, but it wasn't the look I was going for. Let's save that kind of thing for the first week in June, shall we? ;-D

Pardon my bandage! This is what happens when you try to open a bottle of nail polish with needle-nose pliers because you're too lazy to go downstairs for regular pliers! ;)

I've spent so much time exploring “new job makeup” lately that I was dying to do something dramatic. You've seen this look before (no, I'm not all that experimental with makeup!). It features my Ben Nye Lumiere shadow in fuchsia, along with a healthy dose of black.

My lips are Morgana Cryptoria's Diabolic Druscilla with a bit of Ulta gloss on top and a heavy black outline. I'll be posting a tutorial of this look next week! My nails are Gelish gel polish in Starburst, topped with Orly (regular polish) in Bubbly Bombshell, which is a SUPER GLITTERY MAGENTA. Oh, true happiness! I've been doing my nails in gel polish lately instead of getting acrylics, and I am SO happy with the results. But that's a topic for another post. :)

For my hair style, I simply put my hair in a ponytail, braided it, added a fake chignon and wrapped my braid around it. The headpiece is something I made myself a long time ago with a velvet headband from random accessory store and a floral spray and bit of tulle from Michael's. I was so delighted that it matched my skirt and cami so well!

Do you ever do a “quick change” to go from work to club-wear? What's your time-saving secret when you don't have a full two hours to get ready for the evening?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Last Day at the Old Job

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I felt like going fairly colorful for the last day at my old job. I knew most of the day would consist of me going around saying goodbyes, or people dropping by my office to say goodbye. I wanted to shine, yet look professional. I also wanted something that I could easily convert into an evening look, since I knew Mr. Kitty and I would be going to my favorite club that night to celebrate my freedom from a job that had begun to drain the life out of me. I already had my club outfit in mind, which you’ll see tomorrow…

I wore my hair down because I always feel prettiest that way. Being an extreme introvert, I need a little extra boost of confidence when I’m doing something outside of my comfort zone. Talking to dozens of people in one afternoon is very exhausting to me, even if I really like all of those people and enjoy talking to them… It’s something only an introvert would understand, and if you are one, you know exactly what I mean. ;)

What do you do to give yourself extra confidence when you are facing a “big day” of some kind?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Second Annual Red & Black Week Coming Soon!

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June 3-8, 2012

Last year, I organized Red & Black week on a whim because there didn't seem to be any Goth blogging events happening. It was such a big hit, there were some suggestions that this should become an annual event. And so it shall.

The first week each June will be Sophistique Noir's Red & Black Week!

There will be six (6) days of posts (June 3-8). Then on June 9th I'll do a recap featuring everyone who participated. The posts will work just like my Monthly Themes: each participant can come to my blog each day of the week and link up their post using Mr. Linky.

The big event starts three weeks from today.  Now, get busy planning your Red & Black posts!  :)

Curious to see how this event worked last year?  Check out last year's posts and get inspired.

FAQs:

What is "Mr. Linky?"
Mr. Linky is a linking system that will be visible at the bottom of each of my posts during Red & Black Week. There will be a form where you can enter your name and blog post URL, then choose a photo from your post. Then your post will automatically be attached to my post so all of my readers can see it.

Do I have to post for all 6 days in order to participate?
No! You can post any one day of the week, or more if you wish!

Do my posts have to be outfits/fashion-related?
No!  Post any topic you like, as long as it relates to the theme of Red & Black.  Last year, we had flowers, food, art, album covers, etc.  Be creative!

Can I only use red and black?
No! :) Feel free to incorporate any additional colors, as long as each post also contains both red and black.

Does it have to be bright red, or does burgundy count?
ANY shade of red counts, from fire engine red to deep crimson, burgundy or wine! Just keep it in the red family, and don't get too close to orange, pink or purple.

When I include the Red & Black icon in my post, does it have to be at the top?
No. You can put the icon anywhere in your post, but it has to be somewhere in your post. It's only polite to give your hostess credit for the event. Of course, I would love it if it was up top, front and center, but that's not necessary. Put it wherever you think it looks best for your post.


To participate in Red and Black Week:

Each day (June 3-8), I will post my Red & Black outfit as well as a sign-up form. Add the icon to your Red & Black post for that day (it can be something you posted previously, as long as you go back and add the icon to the post). Then, come back to my blog and add a link to your post (direct link to your Red & Black post, not your blog’s home page) using the Mister Linky sign-up form on my post.

Your posts don’t have to be about fashion, but they do have to be "dark" and they must incorporate a red and black theme. Non-Goth blogs are welcome to participate, as long as the posts evoke an appropriately dark and/or classy aesthetic.

You don't have to participate every day of the event; feel free to just post once, twice or whatever you like!

Posts that are linked up without including the icon will be removed, because it’s my blog and I said so. :)

Please share this invitation with any bloggers you know who might be interested!

Questions? E-mail me using the Contact Me page.


HTML for the icon:
<a href="http://www.sophistiquenoir.com/search/label/Red%20and%20Black%20Week"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX362Cvgh__wx6ELA6KyvHkZ13pXxBYfxSuDuhM2pAIVIg0bXRVRzU3unUB2qBXV8xUdi8ZGmCUWi2ci10IZkl99xvq-qeHN-CEkk0x3fLkOJJtOEexPLYeNvYAm3Q4OITYycRJieZAr8/s1600/red-black-week-icon.jpg" border="0"></a>

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Interview #3 – The Grand Finale

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About two hours after I left Interview #2, I got a call from my new company inviting me to come back and meet the third-in-command. I knew at this point that as long as this guy liked me, I'd most likely have an offer coming. It was a relief to actually have a one-on-conversation this time, rather than panels like the prior two interviews. #3 was just a nice conversation, and I had the opportunity to ask a LOT of questions about the company. I strongly recommend that when you are interviewing for a job, you should interview them as well. That's your chance to make sure you'd really feel comfortable in the environment if you got the job. The answers to my questions about office politics and company culture left me without a doubt that this was a good move for me.

I was told this would be more of an informal “getting to know you” kind of conversation, so I tailored my outfit to this vibe. I wanted to wear something a bit less serious than in the presentation for Interview #2, and something extremely cheerful to help me shine. I stumbled upon this this magenta blazer on sale at Sears. It's perfect because it's not fully long-sleeved, but unlike most ¾ sleeves these just managed to hide my tattoo (even with my arm extended). This was fortunate, because it was a bit warm on the afternoon of this interview. The fit isn't 100% perfect, but I didn't have time to tailor it at all. I think I can get a bit better fit out of it before the next wearing with my meager alteration skills!

I paired the blazer with an aubergine sleeveless shell and my floral-on-black scarf. I added a black skirt that had a bit more character than the pencil skirt from the previous meeting, but still something simple, on the long side and not too snug.

Some of you will be relieved to see that I switched up the shoes and went with my typical patent Mary Janes. ;) Although at 4” the heel is a bit high on these, they are otherwise plain enough not to attract much attention. However, please keep in mind that I'm in Southern California, so I can get away with a bit in the shoe department. In other regions, you might not want to wear more than a 2-3” heel to an interview. It's always better to go lower if there is any doubt. I felt comfortable enough by this point in the process that I thought these would be fine.

I must have done something right with all of these interview outfits, because I got the job!  Two days after this third interview, they had completed the reference checks, had me go in for a physical (?!) and then officially gave me the offer.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice on what to do with my makeup for my first day. I think I will go with a dark grey as a few of you suggested. It would suit me much better than the brown!

Now the question is, what to wear on the first day? Should I stick with blazers for the first couple of weeks, or move on to a tailored, tucked-in long-sleeve blouse and simple skirt?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Interview #2 – The Presentation

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The day after my first interview for my new position, I got a call inviting me back for a second interview with the next people up in the chain of command. I was thrilled to find that they were impressed enough with me in the first meeting to continue me on to the next phase of the recruitment process. It also helped that I have an immense amount of experience in a somewhat specialized area of Web site management that was exactly what they need...

I was a bit surprised by the assignment for the second interview. They asked me to design and build a whole Web site with a fictitious theme of their choosing, then come in and present it to a panel of four people. While I was a bit scared by the immense undertaking ahead of me (on a very short deadline), I was thrilled because they were asking me to do what I am best at, and I knew they would be impressed with the results.

I had six days to complete the project, but had to work 10-hour days at my old job for three of those days. So I spent lunches, evenings and my entire 3-day weekend on this project. I tried to think of every possible detail I could include, made my design and code immaculate, and ran the whole thing by several friends and family members to get input and look for mistakes. Then I prepared a very detailed presentation of the site. I wasn't sure what they were going to look for or ask me when they saw the finished project, so I was prepared for any possibility I could think of. It was the toughest challenge I've ever had as part of trying to get a job! I walked out of that presentation with some very nice kudos from all of the panel members. I pretty much knew at that point that this was all going to work out.

I chose to wear something like what I would wear to make any professional presentation. However, my supply of long-sleeved blazers being miniscule, I had to track down a new one in my size in less than a week! That's no small task when you live in a small-ish town that is very casual. So I hunted online, found this one at Express, then called around to stores in the LA area to find one that had my size in stock. Mr. Kitty commutes to LA for work, so when I found one I had them hold it and he so sweetly went to pick it up. Luckily, it was indeed the perfect fit. And thankfully I had a coupon I had found online, because Express career wear is not cheap. But I don't have many other “splurge” pieces in my closet that are office-appropriate, and this jacket was WELL worth the cost. It even has a little flair at the bottom that makes it very figure-flattering.

I almost felt overdressed in this outfit, but the IT director, who was part of this panel, was wearing a suit and tie. So I made the right choice. To keep this look from feeling too corporate, I paired the blazer with a white lace blouse, and the vintage brooch that belonged to Mr. Kitty's mother. A simple black pencil skirt from Target and black tights finished the monochromatic look I was going for. There is something about the combination of black, white and grey that always feels edgy to me, even if the style of the outfit really isn't alternative at all. I wore the same bow-decked heels as in the first interview to further enhance the femininity of this look. I felt powerful, professional and confident in this outfit.

For all three interviews, I wore the same makeup look. I used a very dark brown eyebrow powder instead of my usual black, to tone the look down just a bit. I used a shimmery pearl-colored shadow over my whole lid (heavier on the lower lid and more subtle on the brow bone), then a bit of taupe shadow in the crease. Instead of my usual thick black liquid line on the top lid, I used the same dark brown brow powder, applied with a damp brush, to create a soft line along the top lid. I used mascara on the top lashes only, my usual blush (applied lightly) and a rose-colored lip gloss. My eyebrow shape is still distinctly non-mainstream, but the toned-down makeup made my look just undramatic enough. I don't really care for how I look in brown-toned makeup, particularly that taupe shadow that just happened to be the only earth-tone shadow I had (a free sample with something I had once ordered). I probably won't wear this look on my first day, but I'll definitely go subtle until I see how others in the office look.

What do you think I should do for my “First Day at the New Job” makeup?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Interview #1 - First Step Toward Change

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Today, I introduce my new journey to my readers by sharing the first of my interview outfits for the new job I mentioned in my last post. Interview #1 consisted of a written test on Web development basics, followed by questions from a panel of three interviewers. I was super lucky that I actually used to work with one member of the panel! I really felt that I blew the first interview despite days of mental preparation, as I hadn't done one since 2001 and my skills in that area were more stale than I even realized. As an extreme introvert, answering unexpected questions posed by strangers on the spot is NOT one of my strong points... I really think that having a former colleague on the panel, and a good reputation in her eyes, did me some good. This is a perfect reminder of why it is so important to always do a great job and make the best possible impression on everyone you encounter in your work.

For interviews in an office environment, I believe in always wearing a blazer. The first time you walk in that door, you usually have no clue what the dress code is for a company. It's not worth the risk of dressing too business casual and then finding that they are a full-on suit and tie kind of place. A blazer over a dress is a perfect in-between that would be appropriate in either case. Even if you turn out to be a bit over-dressed with the blazer, at least you've shown that you go to the effort to make a good first impression.

I chose a simple purple dress from Ross and black blazer from the Juniors department at Macy's. The dress is neither low-cut nor snug-fitting at all. Interviews are never the time to use your va-va-voom, ladies. ;) I swapped out my animal-print glasses for a simple purple pair, and wore no jewelry except sterling silver stud earrings. A necklace would have been appropriate, as long as it was not too large or “Gothy,” but I was trying to keep it simple.

Shoes are also supposed to be "not too tall" for interviews, so I wore one of my few “low” pairs of heels (only 3 inches): a faux-suede peep toe with bows! I saw these on Meagan Kyla's blog Coffin Kitsch in one of her “Shoes! OMG!” features a while back, and immediately headed to the Target Web site to order them. Target shoes sadly start at size 5.5, so these are a bit large for me, but a nice heel pad and tights help them stay put. :)

My cartilage piercing, plus the unseasonal wearing of opaque black tights in the spring, were the only real indicators of my nonconformity. Plus, I stuck with black and a dark jewel tone. My side bun is also definitely a very non-popular hair style. :) These elements made me feel enough “myself” to be comfortable in my skin while not feeling like I was calling an inappropriate amount of attention to my appearance.

I'll talk about my “interview makeup” in my next post, when I present my Interview #2 Outfit.

I truly believe that the interview process is simply not the time to distract people with aesthetic representations of your amazing depth of unique personality. ;) It's a time to let them focus on your skills and your ability to communicate.

Of course, all of my advice in this post applies to interviewing for an office job, because that's the area in which I have experience.  It's also all just my opinion, but it has worked for me.  :)

What would you wear to interviews? Do you think appropriate interview attire varies based on the industry the job falls under?

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.

Time for a Change... And a BatFit Accomplishment!

Yes, I've been an extremely quiet blogger lately. Sophistique Noir has been in a state of near silence for most of April for both posting and commenting. I even failed to announce that there would be no Monthly Theme for May... But I promise it is all for a very good reason.

For the past couple of months, I've been looking for a new job. It's been an exciting and challenging process after 11 years in my current position. Late in March I stumbled upon a job listing that sounded absolutely perfect for me, so I sent in my resume. A month later, I've been through three intense interviews with a total of eight interview panel members. I completed a major project that I spent 30 hours on one weekend in order to give them a presentation showing what I can do. I even had to go for a physical as a condition for employment. Yesterday, I completed the whole process and was formally offered the job.

This accomplishment was my number one goal for BatFit 2012. When she began her 40x40 journey, Le Professeur Gothique had stressed that fitness is about both physical AND mental wellness, a concept that I totally agree with. Due to a toxic person at my work, my problem was definitely in the mental area. I never wanted to mention too much about it on my blog (you never know who is reading...) but someone did something very unethical to me last December and it plunged me into a pretty major depression, something that is very unlike me. For months, my stomach churned with nausea whenever I thought about going to work. I had no energy and I binged on chocolate. I laid awake nights, I had horrible dreams when I did sleep, I cried on my way to work and on my way home for weeks on end. I knew there would be no solution but to walk away from that job and get that person out of my life forever.

I'm someone who doesn't really like major change, so it took me a couple of months to even get up the courage to start looking at job openings. Then, despite finding a wealth of awesome jobs out there in my industry that I was perfectly qualified for, I found fault with every single one. Until I came across one that I just couldn't deny was perfect for me. Just at that time, Le Professeur announced the BatFit challenge of "Facing Your Fears." I was in the midst of doing just that, and my hard work paid off tremendously!

I'm truly looking forward to this new opportunity in my career, and the new chapter it opens for this blog. I will be taking you along with me in my process of adapting to a new environment and slowly letting my personality come out after I win my new colleagues over with my work performance and professionalism.

Now's the time to practice what I preached in my post about Dressing Goth at Work. It's time to come into a new position with a fairly conservative appearance that just hints at my quirky sense of style (I won't even be showing a single tattoo until I see whether there are others in the office with them). Over the coming months, if it is appropriate to do so, I will ease into being more "myself" in my style and appearance, as long as everything I do falls within the organization's dress code and the comfort zone of my supervisors. It's going to be an adventure, after more than a decade of being totally comfortable (to the point of complacency) in my old office.

I feel alive again, and I'm so thankful to be headed in this new direction. And I'm thankful to my sweet readers who were concerned by my virtual absence over the past few weeks! Sorry for the long, photo-free journal entry here, and extra-special thanks to those who are still reading at this point. ;)

Stay tuned later this week for posts of my three interview outfits, along with my rationale for dressing how I do for those most important first impressions.

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All images and text © Sophistique Noir Gothic Fashion Blog. Do not use any photos or text from this blog without providing a credit to me and a link back to the original post.