We all know the luxury of working in our bunny slippers. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the way I present myself to clients and colleagues, that is, the way I portray myself as a professional in professional settings. Have the bunny slippers gone to my head?

I thought about this especially as I walked into a meeting with one of my top clients and considered my attire:

Hair tied back in a ponytail, a tan ribbed cotton turtleneck, brown velour sweat pants and brown Merrills. Without socks. Oh, but I did have a smidge of lipstick on.

Is this wrong, I asked myself. Instead of feeling embarrassed that I was not in more professional attire, however, I had an entirely different take on the matter starting with:

1. I am the mother of a toddler. If you want me to dress like you dress, please stop by my house and take care of my child while I get ready. I can’t take care of a toddler AND spend time on my hair, makeup and clothing.

2. I’m not an employee - I’m an independent consultant. If I were just starting out, I’d probably spend a lot more time on my hair, makeup and clothing (and I could do it because I wouldn’t have a toddler). But these days, I’m not out to impress anyone with my looks or nail polish. I’m here because I know my stuff, and they want my expertise.

3. I’m eccentric. Let’s face it - I’m not your average everyday person. In fact, my husband just told me today that I’m “an odd duck.” His exact words. “I’ve never met anyone like you,” he tells me all the time. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but I take it as a compliment. I march to my own music, and it is an eclectic collection of sounds.

4. I’m over 40 so don’t really give a damn what other people think. Somewhere after the Big 4-0 birth date, I shed that awful weight of worrying what other people thought about me. Sure, I still have the occasional insecurities, but ultimately, I really don’t care if people don’t like my hair, my clothing or my naked ankles showing beyond my velour sweats. Let’s get down to business.

So what about you? Are you still buttoning up those suits or pulling up those pantyhose? Or are you less obsessed with a polished image and more focused on doing a good job?