The Devil Wears Prada

I am reading this novel now and hope to go see the movie this weekend. The book is a great learning experience for me in regard to high fashion since I favor bargains at the Avenue, TJ Maxx, and local thrift stores. The novel is not so much of a learning experience when it comes to wicked women bosses. Granted, Miranda Priestly is a gross exageration of the women I've worked for but I truly believe two of my former supervisors had the same heart and soul (or lack thereof) as this character.

Wicked Woman Boss #1 - I could title it The Devil Wears Sleeve Protectors. You know, those long plastic sleeves with stretch at the cuffs that a women with 'expensive' clothes could slip on over her designer suit or silk blouse so as not to dirty the clothes with ink. When she walked through the office, service reps sat up straighter, smiled through their pain, and trembled. WWB#1 was tall and thin (of course) and had brunette perfectly coifed hair. She took long graceful strides and her shoulders rounded forward slightly...I can only hope it was the beginning of a big osteoporosis hump. She was a beauty - I'll give her that. Striking even at...perhaps 50 when I worked for her 25 years ago. Her lips were shapely but thin, the better to sneer with.

Wicked Woman Boss #2 - I could title it The Devil Wears Brighton. I can only remember her wearing velvet or floral or plaid with lace adornments vest and skirt sets. Her clothes were obviously expensive and she always had the right shoes, usually Brightons, to go with every outfit. When she approached my desk her posture canted forward from the waist in what I think of as attack mode. She always approached me while I was sitting at my desk because she liked looking down on me as she berated me. She was petite and thin (of course) and had brunette hair. I'm beginning to see a trend here. Are any Wicked Women Bosses full-figured gals? Hmmmm. And as with boss WWB#1, her lips were thin, and often curled into a smug sneer.

I must say in my own defense, because some would think I probably did something to deserve such treatment from WWB's, that in both companies I had other supervisors who liked, appreciated, and maybe even adored me. One wrote me poems everytime I made it to the top sales board - which was often. And one became a life long dear friend.

Based on my limited experience I think I should offer a warning. If you go for an interview and the boss is a woman between the ages of 40 and 65, who is slim, brunette, has great fashion sense and thin lips, then don't walk but RUN for the nearest exit.