Dressing "professional"

What the hell does that mean?! No open toe shoes. Power skirt suit (apparently, pantsuit is more "casual.) Check out this description (copied from an e-mail from career services at school):

Professional Attire for Women:

* A business suit in a classic style. Pant suits and skirt suits are acceptable, but pant suits are considered more casual, so wear a skirt suit if interviewing for more conservative organizations. A "suit" means that the jacket and skirt or pants are made from the same material. Women have more flexibility with suit color, but avoid colors that are very trendy; stick to a more classic color.
* Under your suit jacket, wear a collared blouse or conservative shell, in a color that complements your suit.
* Shoes should be black or brown, whichever complements your suit color. Wear shoes with closed toes; avoid wearing a shoe that could be considered a sandal. Boots are fine with a pant suit, especially when interviewing in cool weather.
* Wear nylons that match your skin color.

So, realizing that after almost four years of working at a nonprofit, I own zero professional clothing. Thank God I invested in some suit jackets years ago. Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I kept thinking about all the shoes that I had and not a pair was "professional." In fact, most are either sandals or sneakers. Ack. So two and half hours later, I now own a pair of Nine West pumps (closed toe, thank you very much), a Banana Republic black skirt (that fits and is outlet priced), a classic white Brooks Brothers button shirt (again from the outlet), and pantyhose from Kohl's (of the Hanes variety). And, I splurged and bought Juicy Couture perfume from Kohl's; I've been mulling over the perfume for months now (or has it been a year?!) and finally figured out that Kohl's has a smaller bottle for cheaper ($45 beats $85 anyday, I really don't need that much perfume). I am so ready to be professional for the networking event tomorrow.

Important lesson of the day: Dressing professionally can be done affordably at the Great Mall in Milpitas. When I (or my sugar daddy) make the big bux, I will shop at Barneys New York. But really, no one can tell the difference unless you tell them.