I took Jo at her word and for the first time ever I didn’t wear a blouse to work. Now I would love that to mean that I didn’t wear anything, but I put a nice top on instead. It wasn’t low cut or anything, but I just felt… better. Maybe it’s more feminine or something, but I smiled at a guy on the tube and he smiled back, and then I was too embarrassed and went back to my book.

Oh, and I wore trousers too. We’d been allowed to wear trousers before, of course, but somehow grey skirts had become office uniform.  Jo said she liked my outfit and my heart fluttered. What an idiot!

I went for lunch with Ha and we talked about our new boss. I wasn’t the only one who wore something different too, and Ha had a lovely green blouse that almost matched her eyes. We both agreed that although we’d have to see how things went with Jo over time it was definitely good to have a woman at senior level.

Weirdly, on the way home I felt sexier as I was, covered pretty much from head to toe, than at any time in the past couple of months. It’s wonderful what empowerment feels like.

I met Jo, the new partner, today. I was worried that she might be really pushy or something but she talked about how important it was that all the women in the office had someone to make their case at senior level and she had a lovely smile and all of a sudden I seem to have a crush on my boss. (She’s not really my boss, because I report to Brian, but it’s close enough.)

She asked if I’d been told I had to wear a blouse and skirt to work every day, and I said someone had told me when I started, but then I turned red as I wondered if she could work out I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. But she just said as long as I was smart and professional I could wear what I liked.

Pilates was exhausting again.

A new senior partner started at work today. Her name’s Jo and she’s the first woman the company’s ever had in that position. They’d told us about her a while back, and about how they wanted to be more inclusive, and I’d expected her to be some dowdy old accountant but she was probably not even forty and was wearing a nice top and grey skirt that made the rest of us girls in white blouses look distinctly ordinary.

I didn’t get to meet her but I caught myself pulling my blouse tightly shut when she was introduced to the office. I think I’m paranoid that she’ll work out I’m not wearing a bra any more, although it’s not exactly part of the office dress code so I’m not sure what she could do.

It was bucketing it down with rain from the start of the day and I didn’t want to get drenched and turn my blouse see-through again. I was hoping to give the thigh socks a run out but it was raining so much I wore boots and normal socks instead.

Once I got to the office Ha said she liked my boots! She said this weather was the closest she’d get to Vietnamese weather in the UK, although she’d not spent much time there. She told me about how in Hong Kong a lot of people will just wear shorts and a t-shirt in the rain because although you get soaked you also dry out quickly once it stops. Before I had time to think about it I said you could just wear nothing at all then there’s nothing to dry, but then I blushed and so did Ha!

Sunday was chores day and I didn’t get out of my dressing gown until lunchtime. I wasn’t in the mood for much today so I just lounged around in jeans and t-shirt and read and tidied up and generally wasted the day.

I also realised that my idea of going out in the garden and getting my clothes off the line in my underwear didn’t really work in winter. Oh well.

I had a revelation today: thigh socks. Better than tights, and much more durable (and warmer) than stockings. I went out shopping and bought a few pairs and then tried them on at home. I’ve only ever worn stockings once before but boy was I amazed at how sexy it felt just wearing these. This is going to sound really weird, but I took a picture of myself wearing nothing but those long socks (right up to the top of my thighs) and, you know what, I reckon I look allright.

I tried a few things on with them. Short skirts looked waaay sexy, and I don’t think I’m brave enough for that, but even longer ones felt pretty good.

Maybe I’ll try stockings sometime after all, if I ever get a date.

I feel like I might have started this exhibitionist adventure at the wrong time of year because it’s really quite cold today.

Anyway, I found a kind of solution, which was long socks, boots, and a long skirt. I mean, nobody would know what was or wasn’t underneath, and thankfully it wasn’t too windy so I kept nice and warm. Then I had a cardigan and a blouse and a jacket until I got to the office.

Matthew came over for a chat at some point and I wished I’d undone another button, but I kept on fingering at the lapel and I could see it was distracting him. Maybe there’s something there. He’s nice enough.

The train was absolutely full with Halloween partiers this evening. I envied them for the fun they seemed to be having, but I much preferred to go home to be honest.

I can’t believe it’s November already!

I ached from pilates again this morning. I better get a flat stomach out of this or I’ll be very disappointed.

At least it had stopped raining, but it was quite cold so I had to wear tights. And tights with no underwear is a no-goer, and I’m not spending loads of money on stockings, so it was a distinctly unadventurous day at work. It was made even worse by seeing a load of sexy Halloween party-goers out in skimpy outfits on the way home!

I was so frustrated that as soon as I got in I turned the heating up and stripped right down to nothing and spent the rest of the evening naked! I had the lights turned down, of course, and put a dressing gown on when I went to the kitchen (because I don’t have blinds on the windows there), but it felt very liberating. Especially each time I walked past the dining room window, even though nobody was in opposite to see me.

Given the way the temperatures are going I doubt I’ll be able to do that many more times this year.

Pilates day. Knackered again.

What a day.

The weather took a bit of a nosedive. Although it stayed warm it was forecast to absolutely chuck it down with rain. But being the resourceful person I now am I took full advantage of it as I have some calf boots that don’t get anywhere near enough wear, and to go with those I wore a slightly shorter skirt than usual. It meant I wasn’t really showing any more leg, but it felt a bit riskier to move the bare skin a bit higher!

It put me in such a good mood that I was bouncing along the street to the tube with my umbrella in one hand and my bag over my shoulder. And when it started to rain it felt so good I didn’t put the umbrella up. It felt remarkably warm and I didn’t even button my coat up.

I put the funny looks that I got on the tube down to the grin on my face, but then I got to work and went into the bathroom to dry my hands and I worked out exactly why: the white blouse I was wearing was half-soaked with rain, and looking back at me from the mirror were two pink nipples showing through the wet cotton! It was like I was wearing tissue paper!

OMG I wished I’d had the courage to do that knowingly, but there was no way I could sit around the office like that. So I had to keep my jacket on and buttoned up for the morning while I steamed inside! I must have looked a right state with bedraggled hair and a red face from being too hot.

Lesson learnt, I guess, but I’m not sure if it was a good lesson or a bad one.