| ChrissiFi |
| (member) |
| 05/08/2008 09:08 |
What do you wear to work?
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What do you wear to work? I work in an office where when I started the dress code was "smart office". 5 years ago this meant ties for the chaps except in summer but that's now been relaxed to ties optional. Usually I wear smart trousers and a shirt but as newer members of staff have started wearing t-shirts and chinos (one of the directors wears black jeans and a smart shirt when not meeting clients) I'm wondering if that's considered normal office wear these days? My previous job was suit if meeting clients but otherwise so long as you weren't indecent anything went including ripped jeans and scruffy shorts. Both jobs are have been in small IT companies so the sort of environment that doesn't tend to overly formal.
| Psyche |
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| 05/08/2008 09:29 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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no it isn't even in the Civil Service IT depts tend to be more casual.
I don't meet the public so wear a smart(ish)blouse and skirt and keep a jacket handy for meetings.
| feathers |
| (member) |
| 05/08/2008 09:37 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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By the time I finished work 18 months ago in a senior role in a much more formal setting, I'd long replaced the shirts with t-shirts (no slogans!), but still wore smart trousers and a jacket or elegant cardi. Only secretaries still wore suits! It all depends on what is the norm in your field.
| bluebella |
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| 05/08/2008 10:03 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I can wear what ever I want to work as it's a very small place and we don't get many visitors. I am the only female here and usually come to work quite smart.
I find it easier to wear a trouser suit (only a cheapie from Next or Wallis)and a shirt than muck about trying to think what to wear.
I was actually talking to my aunt about this last night as she is supposed to wear a uniform to work but every now and then rebels and wears her own clothes.
I said I thought she was lucky not having to think about what to wear but she says it gets so boring after a while.
When it's really warm I wear linen trousers and sometimes a skirt but as it's all men here I like to make sure nothing is on show,ha ha!!!!
It's interesting becasue I drop my husband off and pick him up from the station each day and I like to see what everyone is wearing as most of them are going to work in the city.
It's definitely got more relaxed now and when I look at some of the young girls, I wonder where on earth they work!
The other thing that makes me chuckle is some of the girls in really lovely clothes, and then a big pair of ugly trainers on!!!! I'm sure they have their "proper" shoes in their bags though and makes sense to travel in.
Bluebella (in navy trousers and navy and white shirt!)
| anner06 |
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| 05/08/2008 10:09 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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i with pre school children, so wear trainers, jeans (shorts in summer) and a pre school polo shirt. need trainers because sometimes you have to move quick and jeans and t shirt because sometimes things get wiped on you - paint, glue, snot etc
| Janmac |
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| 05/08/2008 10:31 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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All my working life , up until recenly, I have had to wear business suits & court shoes. Now I work in a small office of engineers- I am the only female most of the time - and its jeans and t-shirts, shorts when we have a summer etc. I get to wear linen trousers and sandals if I want , or a dress etc- actually no one cares as long as you do your job. Which is lovely - no more pressure to make sure everything matches and looks smart. No more tights !!
I still keep my sense of pride and am never knowingly scruffy - just relaxed- today jeans , pretty t-shirt , cardigan and sandalls. Wearing a little makeup and some funky jewellrey so hopefully still making an effort!
| MrsDing |
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| 05/08/2008 11:55 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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Even though it's very informal here, I still like to wear smart clothes most of the time, so I have a collection of formal trousers for winter and smart/casual skirts for summer together with about a million mix'n'match tops.
If it's hot, the tops can get quite skimpy but never tooooo much!! I will occasionally wear jeans on a Friday.
Curiously, my boss often wears jeans on a Monday - perhaps he doesn't want the weekend to end??!!
| miclor |
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| 05/08/2008 12:41 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I also work in a very small office - it was converted from the garage at my boss's home. Most of the time I'm on my own and there are two other part timers who come in on certain days. There is an opening window, but the office gets very hot because of all the pc's and other hardware. Clients do sometimes come into the office but they are very casual anyway as most of them are gardeners, builders etc.
I wear my oldest clothes to work - jeans and t-shirts, jumpers in the winter. My boss lets her kids muck about on the office pc's in the evening (but that'a another story) and I've lost count of the number of times I've sat on something wet or leant on something sticky. I've seen the kids with their shoes on, feet up on the office chairs and so I don't want to be wearing decent or expensive clothes in there.
I really miss not dressing smartly for work, in fact I always change straight away when I get home and then I'm usually smarter than when I was at work!
| AllyL |
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| 05/08/2008 12:49 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I work for a haulage contractor/coal merchant -there is dust everywhere so I usually wear jeans & Tshirts, very occasionally a skirt. Last week when it was hot I acutally wore a dress!! Prior to working here I worked in a hotel sales office, meeting clients a lot, so I had to wear suits and look smart. When I started my job here 14 years ago it was wonderful not to have to wear tights!!
Because my workwear is so casual now, I really love it when I get a chance to dress up. My colleague looked so smart in his suit when we had to attend a work-related funeral, I neary suggested we have a "dress UP Friday"!
| ChrissiFi |
| (member) |
| 05/08/2008 12:55 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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Whilst moving between the various departments this morning I've noticed a complete range from casual through to formal - some of the programmers are in suit trousers and shirts (I keep telling them programmers should have beards and sandals!), one of the admin team is in cropped leggings, a long shirt and flipflops and I've seen a techie in black jeans and a t-shirt. I'm wearing creamy beige cotton trousers - bootleg jeans fit but not jeans - and a smart poplin shirt which is as casual as I get for work. All of us are supposed to be 'smart office' which is what led me to wonder what that actually means these days.
| AnnieJo |
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| 05/08/2008 13:02 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I work from home so wear jeans and t shirts every day. Sometimes I get a bit down about never having the opportunity to dress up and always looking the same but it seems a bit pointless to dress up to go into the office in my own house! All my previous working life I worked in a uniform which I found really easy at the time because then I never had to decide what to wear each day and now I find myself wishing I had a reason to choose nice clothes to wear. I guess sometimes we are never satisfied with our lot or is it just me?
| marymary |
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| 05/08/2008 15:24 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I work in a small office with three other women. We tend to wear a range between casual smart and smart casual, depending on what's going on and how we feel. We tend to dress up a bit if we go to meetings out of the office, but I've noticed that 'dressing up' sometimes makes me feel as though we've overdone it a bit, compared with general office wear these days. It seems quite hard to get the right balance. Oh to be male, when a suit seems to fit most occasions!
| wispa |
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| 05/08/2008 19:48 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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Just started a new job, and all the men wear shirts and ties, although a lot don't wear suits. It looks so smart, much better than the relaxed dress code in previous places I've worked where open-necked shirts and chinos often turned into t-shirts, scruffy jeans and trainers.
As a result, the women make more effort too. Smart trosuers or skirts, smart tops, nice necklaces, smart shoes or heeled sandals. No suits and trouser suits, but as my daughter says, they can look a bit like building society corporate clothing. No hippy skirts,t-shirts or flip-flops.
It really makes a difference to the way people act and think. It's so much more professional than other companies I have worked for.
..wispa
| janmor |
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| 05/08/2008 21:13 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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It's a bit of a mix where I work TBH - I work in a university so there are lots of casually dressed academic members of staff with lots of support staff (of which I'm one), many of whom look much smarter! I tend to dress 'smart casual' most days i.e. trousers with tshirt or blouse plus a jacket but I do enjoy putting on my suit for any important meetings and always feel more confident the smarter I'm dressed.
We also have 'dress-down Friday' when most people wear jeans, but I'll only wear mine if I'm in the office all day with no meetings.
jan
| brandyqueen |
| (member) |
| 06/08/2008 18:50 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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Hi all
I wear uniform, as i am a nurse, and its a navy blue tunic and navy blue trousers, black flat court shoes, no jewellrey, no false nails and only tiny stud earrings, we have a strict uniform policy, and i have to say it is quite bland and boring, and its very hot to wear in summer and you freeze in winter!! but at least we don't wear paper hats any more lol you think i am joking, i used to have to make up my hat from stiff card.lol those were the days! lol Brandyqueen x
| Sha |
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| 10/08/2008 16:27 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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This is an interesting thread! I joined a large insurance company last summer and was really pleased that part of the joining pack explained the dress code - no dilemmas. It was all fairly standard - jacket or suit for meetings, but more relaxed otherwise. Then a couple of months later they openly abandoned the dress code saying that we were all adults and could decide what is appropriate ourselves. I really like this approach and in practice nothing has changed.
I wear trousers or skirt and smart top or shirt. I have suits for conferences, or external networking events. I do wear jeans on Fridays if I have no meetings. I do like to dress smarter for work than I would otherwise as it gets me more into a work frame of mind.
Most of the men wear trousers and smart shirts but no ties. I think this is really nice as it's still smart but not as formal as ties.
A pal of mine is giving up uniform after 25 years and looking forward to splashing out on a whole new 'civvy' wardrobe - lucky her to start from scratch. She could go for one of those capsule wardrobes where everything matches!!
| letty_cropley |
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| 15/08/2008 16:23 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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My idea of smart office ( femail) is anything except jeans - I think they are totally inappropriate unless practical for the job e.g. car mechanic
I really hate the general inappropriate wearing of jeans - smart restos, glittering concerts/opera etc.
Only forgivable when teamed a seriously obvious designer or expensive top and footwear.
| Hippychick |
| (member) |
| 26/08/2008 19:04 |
Re: What do you wear to work?
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I work as a SEN Learning Support Assistant at a HUGE High School; I dress smart/casual - pretty smock type tops with nice trousers or long skirts. Flat pumps in the summer (lots of walking and stairs between classes) and flat boots in the winter. Most of my clothes are Monsoon - (albeit via Ebay
) I meet with parents a lot, so like to look quite smart, without too formal.
| Maximillian |
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| 01/09/2008 11:31 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I go to work on jeans and t-shirts... my office is small and they allow us to wear anything we want(that can make us look presentable)...
| cupcake |
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| 01/09/2008 17:02 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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The same as I wear the rest of the time! Today I have on a Fat Face wrap over skirt and a Gap top. I wouldn't wear jeans or skimpy vest tops but otherwise....just my normal clothes!
| RunGirl |
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| 02/09/2008 16:20 |
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Re: What do you wear to work?
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I work at home a lot and have got into the bad habit of wearing either my gym kit (thinking I will go later in the day) or wearing old baggy tracksuit bottoms etc....I am sure you can imagine the look.
I'm trying to lose weight and smarten up my appearance a bit so decided yesterday that I need to make the effort when working at home in the same way I would when going to the office as an encouragement not to overeat when at home and give me more confidence. So today I got up showered, blow dried my hair and put on (a little) make up in the same way I would if I was going to the office. Am not overdressed - but wearing smart jeans, black top, jewellery and proper shoes
And it's worked so far; I have got loads of work done because I feel more focussed, and haven't raided the fridge. Even took some time out at lunchtime to go to the bank and get my nails done. I just need to keep it up for more than a day - easier said than done!
When going to the office or travelling for work I normally wear a smart trouser suit, usually a dark colour (and usually M&S or Next) with a coloured t-shirt underneath and either medium heeled shoes or preferably boots.