Because I'm supposed to be reading about diplomatic history

I wore a skirt to school today. Of course, I wore a skirt because it's Laundry Day, and by "Laundry Day" I mean "the food stains are too obvious for me to wear any of my pants or capris." And not that I'll actually manage to do laundry today. Just so that we're clear. (After this and carpet anthills, I don't know who will still be reading this blog by the end of the week.)

I'm apparently self-conscious, and especially so when I decide that it's a good idea to wear a puffy skirt with a loud pattern and to put my hair into bobbly pigtails. And then ride the bus. When I put together my outfit this morning, I thought I looked Cute and Fun.

But then, when I went into public, it was seriously like everyone was looking at me. It started with the girl who walked past me at the bus stop (she was also wearing a skirt, but was more stylish than I can manage). She actually gave me the once-over and glared at me as she passed by. She also stopped, when she walked down the street, and stared at me again. Wa-huh?

After that, it seemed like everyone else was looking at me. Many were smiling. And I started analysing my outfit. Was it a bad choice to wear my white fleece zip-up bunnyhug ("hoodie," for you non-Saskatchewanians) with the skirt? Was it the fact I was wearing a backpack with dress clothes? Did I look ridiculous wearing pigtails? Do I look like I'm attempting to look like our city's youth and am obviously too old for that?

By the time I got to the office, I was paranoid. I may have demanded of my officemates (both males) whether I looked particularly ridiculous today. And all I got from them was a mild, "Oh, I was about to mention that you look nice today."

And so I still don't know, but maybe I was just paranoid. And so I'm blogging it out. What do you think: paranoia?

ETA: Because Trillwing demanded it (and because I demanded photographic evidence when she said that she had dressed her son up as the Red Baron), now you can judge for yourselves. Please be gentle, because both the lighting and the angle are very much not good. Also, I am already aware of the ghostly colour of my legs, and the fact that I don't really have what one might call an "ankle." I've had years of certain sisterly and cousinly types reminding me of those facts.

What I decided on wearing today (and how I looked for most of the day, since I only needed the bunnyhug for the trip to school):

And how I looked when people were looking at me funny on the bus: