Several times a year, during our peak periods, my company has “jeans week” and for five days we are allowed to wear denim in the office. This brings up a few issues:

1. While I realize that I am a part of Corporate America this kind of regulated spontaneity reinforces the fact in an unnaturally harsh way. To me, a “treat” would be to wear whatever we want…instead I’m faced with a sea of colleagues whose upper body says work but whose lower body says play…it’s fashion schizophrenia.

2. There’s an element of bait-and-switch with our big blue week as we still have a dress code in place. So, no Converse hi-tops, sweatshirts (even if they’re APC or Proenza Schouler for Target) or casual wear of any kind…except the aforementioned denim. Plus, this is business-denim so no wear or tear…either natural or designer produced…is allowed.

3. Finally, and I know that I’m about to sound like the birthday girl who kept eating ice-cream until she was ill, but…five days in a row is a lot…by the time I reach day four I’ve lost any enthusiasm for jeans.

As this is such a relatively rare occurrence though I try to look past all of the negatives and constraints and make a game of it. Each day I attempt to put together an outfit that looks different the preceding day and where the denim is a part of the equation, but not the whole. In other words, I want people to notice the outfit not the jeans.

Will next week’s Big Blue Corporate Challenge be a success or a failure? Well, I’ll post pictures each day next week so you can judge for yourselves.