BlogHer - Playing dress-up - Comments

or Crocs.

alyssaroyse — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:18:37 -0600

Or socks with sandals. Or fleece. Or anything that shows any undergarment in any way. Or....

so funny.

I was just driving home listening to "Forever in Blue Jeans" by Neil Diamond. (I know, I know, Neil Diamond, who listens to that?) And thinking that I was going to write a blog post about this thread on my blog..... I"ll let you know when it's up.

You can be you AND be appropriate, whoever you are and however you dress, there's a work-appropriate version of it out there. For me, it's forever in blue jeans, but nice ones, with well-pressed shirts. :)
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Zandria, you would e-mail me

Susan Wagner — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:40:42 -0600

and I would set you up. Promise.

Appropriate work attire is not so much about fancy as it is about appropriate, as Heather pointed out. I talk to managers all the time who are struggling with staffers who come in baring it all -- boobs, belly, and butt. I think Alyssa makes a really important point about finding the balance between personal style and professional style, in order to look like yourself AND look like an expert in your field.

All I ask is that NONE of you wear flip flops to the office. Ever. Thank you.

Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate

I would have absolutely no

Zandria — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:49:14 -0600

I would have absolutely no idea what to do if I suddenly needed to dress fancy. None at all.

Personal blog: Keep Up With Me
BlogHer blog: Life - Singles

Depends on the culture

HeatherB — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 16:27:39 -0600

Interestingly enough I'm at a conference where the dress code is super business casual/Hawaiin t-shirt and khaki shorts with tevas. It is one national organization that the place I work for is a member of. The other national organization that my job belongs to is much more conservative and reserved especially during conferences. The stark differences between the two cultures was noted when talking with another colleague about what to pack for this trip. He stressed NO SUITS and said that we would look like the 'stuck up' people of the other organization.

My theory is that if you can do your job well and aren't wearing a hoodie and torn jeans, then why isn't acceptable for the average work day? Most days in the office, I spend the day alone with my door shut. If I'm out visiting state or federal legislators then of course I dress up, but I don't understand needing to dress up every single day especially if the only person who will see my outfit is me.

But until the cold day in hell when that policy changes (now would be a nice time to point out that my mother is one of the top manager's at my organization and she also is the dresscode enforcer, which means that I get called out all the time for what I'm wearing) I will be making my wardrobe a little more adult like.

If I had my druthers though, it would be all Banana Republic jeans all the time.

Heather B.
Personal Blog: No Pasa Nada
BlogHer CE: Business, Career & Personal Finance

It's how you wear it...

alyssaroyse — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:15:53 -0600

It amused me, to no end, to hear talk of the slovenly style in DC..... I complain often about fashion in Seattle. Fleece for all occasions. And I think that we are responsible for the creation of the "socks and sandals" look, a look which should be rendered illegal, not just a crime of fashion.

Fashion, however you look at it, is, in fact, important in the work place. For better or worse, we are judged by how we present ourselves. And, there is such thing as appropriate and inappropriate attire. That said, you also have to be you.

I spend my days in the largely male dominated world of Venture Capitalists, bankers and lawyers. It's not the core of my business, but it IS the stage of my business - early stage, in need of other people's money. So I have to do what we loving call the "dog and pony show" several times a week. BUT, I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl, i really am. It's how I'm comfortable, and when I'm comfortable, I do my best thinking, talking, presenting etc.... I'm at my best, and I want investors to see the best me. But even I will not go to a big meeting in jeans and a t-shirt.

But I will do it in jeans. When I gave my first pitch in front of a room of investors, I did it in a suit. I felt like a fake. I felt like someone other than me. And it showed.

So I went out and did something I swore I would never do, I bought a pair of $200 jeans. (Designer, BUT, organic cotton, made with fair labor by laborers who had health care, education etc.... I justified it as validation of my market, which is social consciousness.) In my dark, beautiful, fantastically designed killer jeans, i ROCKED my next pitch.

The compromise that i made with the fashion police was that i wear well tailored and pressed shirts with my jeans. And nice boots or shoes (always a heel). I go for a very tailored, fashion-forward look, but in jeans.

All in all, you have to be who you are. I don't want to paint an image of myself as one thing, only to later have people find out I'm something else.... And grooming matters. Looking "put together" matters - but you still have to look like you. Because the better you feel, the better work you will do.

It is interesting, isn't it.

The side note to this is the idea of dressing-up, as in playing dress-ups. As my husband and i have closets full of wigs and wild party clothes for Burning Man and they many parties that keep the spirit alive throughout the year, we also have closets of normal clothes. I was getting dressed for a meeting the other day and my daughter said, "mom, i think i like your Burner Costumes better than your Work Costumes." to her, it was all part and parcel to the same thing - pick the right costume for the right occasion. And have fun in it.
___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE
make some good news!
www.JustCauseIt.com

Wardrobe

Dagny — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:17:30 -0600

And that's why I'm always careful when applying for jobs. If they say I have to wear a suit most days, then it's not the job for me because I definitely am not a suit person. When I wear a suit, I feel like a little girl playing dress-up in mom's closet. Business casual is more my thing. Then again, there aren't that many jobs around here at which business casual does not fly.

Playing dress-up

HeatherB — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:25:55 -0600

Last week during a staff meeting, I showed up in a cream and brown skirt, with brown tights, brown mid-calf boots and a brown turtleneck. For weeks I’ve been looking forward to tights and turtlenecks season and now would be the perfect moment to start showing off the winter wardrobe. It was a very ‘cute’ outfit but upon arrival to my staff meeting I felt incredibly inadequate and out of place. It doesn’t help matters that I’m the youngest manager in the building and the youngest person in my department – our new intern is even older than I am – but showing up to a meeting where everyone else is sporting freshly tailored suits from Nordstrom will cause anyone’s face to turn scarlet. I felt like I was on a permanent Take Your Daughter to Work Day and then later on my mommy would come take me to lunch and make sure I had milk with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

When starting out it’s important to remember what kind of environment one will be working in as that will presumably dictate work attire. Of course circumstances for men and women differ greatly as men won’t have to contemplate the many complexities of the boot at perfect height but still there is the natural progression from jeans and a t-shirt that reads ‘I love Ghana’ to something that says “I’m a lobbyist so please listen to me.” My previous job was fairly business casual. I could wear cords when it became cold and the aforementioned brown turtleneck/tights and boots ensemble would be a hit. Suddenly though, I’ve been thrust into a world of having like 14 suits and a dress for every occasion. For the record, I LOATHE wearing suits. I have exactly one that I wore to my second interview for my current position and now I apparently need four others for each season. This has all been bothering me over the course of the last few weeks and now I find myself going to sleep each night, head reeling over whether or not my winter white cord skirt would be appropriate attire or if I have to put it away for another day in a dress. The answer of course would be No, it is not appropriate I’m going to visit a member of Congress attire and Yes, I should put it away for another dress and – Lord help me – stockings.

As such, I have been told by my mother on more than one occasion that I should be building my work wardrobe and then maybe I won’t feel so much like a 12 year old. I’ve never held true to any belief that clothing makes a person happy, I tend to buy what I like when I see it, ergo a closet full of the most comfortable GAP t-shirts imaginable and dresses perfect for Southern California in the spring. This isn’t just about shopping making me feel better about myself it is about me finally venturing into this new role that I have earned and am extremely proud of. I need to be seen as a professional adult and without a quality wardrobe that speaks to some modicum of seriousness, I feel like a fraud and well, generally blah about myself. It doesn’t make an already difficult situation better when you don’t feel up to the part and a good work wardrobe is a large piece of the puzzle. Believe me, given my penchant for shopping, this – the attempt to become well attired without a huge amount to work with - is all harder than it sounds, but once again, I thank God and Al Gore for the internet.

Recently Susan Wagner, my guru for all things fashion, wrote a post responding to a 22 year old soon to be teacher with the same dilemma. I of course stole some of the items from this list and adding them to my own, like a bra that makes me look more like 24 than 84, if you catch my drift:

Now that Meagan is graduating from college and going out into the Adult World, she needs to get herself and Adult Bra. The right bra changes the way your clothes fit, and when you're talking about overhauling your wardrobe, you need to start at the foundations. Meagan needs to have a bra fitting before she buys anything else. Most department stores and small lingerie boutiques offer fitting services for free.

DC is full of really, really brilliant people though sadly not the best dressers. I had the pleasure of meeting Johanna of A Serious Job is No Excuseat a DC Bloggers Happy Hour where most everyone is good looking and her blog is all about finding the best pieces even with a limited budget and still being able to have fun with a wardrobe when your job requires proper behavior at all times:

Each day, with old-man candor, I'll offer my brand of style counsel to the lawyers, lobbyists, Congressional mistresses and any of the other professional DC women who think their serious jobs are a valid excuse for dressing the ill-fitted, office-inappropriate, comfort-first way women in this city tend to dress. And when the mood strikes me, which is often, I'll also muse about celebrity fashion and my own fashion-related comings and goings, both of which, I'm sure, are of great interest to you.

And finally, even though Susan already mentioned her, I figure that Michelle deserves a second mention because dude, I so wish I had thought of all of this what to wear business a lot sooner like I don’t know in APRIL 2005 as opposed to some two and half years later, but like I’ve said time and time again; I’m a slow learner. Thankfully Michelle is not, so kudos to her:

So I made myself a rule. If it isn't feminine, preppy or tailored, I'm not buying it. Pretty, Preppy and Polished just made a better blog name. Pretty, because I'm a huge girly-girl, preppy because... well, I love me some J. Crew. And polished because my figure looks best in tailored clean lines and substantial fabrics. I'll be sharing both real-shopping and wish-shopping for clothes and accessories, as well as pictures of what I'm actually wearing. More importantly, I would love opinions and suggestions from you. I know I can't be the only college-transitioner out there going for a new look. Stick around and we'll find it!