My day-to-day office attire is sort of an Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face vibe. Lots of turtlenecks, tapered pants, and flats or loafers. It’s not a suit and pumps, but it’s business casual enough that people take me seriously. I like dressing a bit nicer for work than for casual outings. I think it subconsciously puts me in a serious, professional frame of mind. It mentally prepares me for a day of working.
I don’t mind the idea of business dress codes. I don’t think everyone needs to wear a solid gray suit, but a standard business casual dress code allows for personal expression while also showing that the people working in the office respect it enough to not show up looking too informal.
Regarding crop tops in the office - not going to happen for me unless the A/C situation in the office radically changes. It’s too cold at my workplace for short sleeves, let alone a crop top.
"I like dressing a bit nicer for work than for casual outings. I think it subconsciously puts me in a serious, professional frame of mind. It mentally prepares me for a day of working."
This is why I'm for dress-codes. Every little thing we do contributes to our state of mind. Whether we shave or not, whether we dress in our "Sunday best" or opt for the "athleisure." Is it a hassle for me to put on my tie and suit when I go in? Some days it feels like it, but I've since found it: a.) helps set a clear home-life/work-life divide in my mind; b.) puts me in a frame of mind to get things done; c.) makes me feel confident because I have to do all these other little things just to put on that suit and tie.
Or put another way, you don't see the benefits of making your bed every day if you've never had to do it in your entire life.
I think workwear died about a decade ago with tech and as Zoomers enter the workforce, it will die even further. I don't know that this is a good thing—it seems like one more death blow to decorum in public spaces, one more means of blurring the public/private distinction. But it's inevitable.
I've worn khakis and polos since i was a teenager - this was pretty common in early 2000s and not really considered 'preppy'. Although maybe it is - it seems to be what people are wearing when "the worlds most hated college white boy" memes pop up.
Anyways, I've continued to wear that into the office as an adult (work in tech, but it is a bit stuffy/corporate).
That's sort of as far as I'm willing to go, personally.. some people do wear dress shirts, and sometimes ties. But it's not for me. Like you mentioned.. I don't want a separate wardrobe for work and being able to wear polos avoids that.
A funny little distinction for this wardrobe is - do you need to wear your polo tucked or untucked?
It's silly that this makes a difference, but sometimes it does.
And additionally, what kind of shoes are you allowed to wear?
Definitely not into having to wear oxfords or any type of dress shoes.
But I'm also not sure I want to see people walking around in big goofy basketball shoes or the legions of middle aged middle management in big dorky new balances. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Anywho, I don't have a point, just sharing my thoughts lol.
Technology companies (also Universities) have a style that is not quite formal office wear, but also has a kind of typical look to its measured informality. e.g. upscale outdoors wear like Rohan (for either men or women).
Mira Murati at OpenAI comes to mind as an example of the style.
I work retail, and while we once had a dress code, we now longer really do (in theory I suppose there are standards, but not in practice). And rather than lean towards the artistic/fashionable, it has led to tshirts/sweats/ripped jeans/hoodies. In an upscale department store, this has led to customers wondering who the staff is.
Your outfits were great! The ones I'm seeing are not (and yes, I do think some people are wearing their pajamas to work). But as a middle aged lady in my blouses and flowy pants, I've decided it's not my hill to die on. And when customers comment I suggest they ask for the store manager.
My day-to-day office attire is sort of an Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face vibe. Lots of turtlenecks, tapered pants, and flats or loafers. It’s not a suit and pumps, but it’s business casual enough that people take me seriously. I like dressing a bit nicer for work than for casual outings. I think it subconsciously puts me in a serious, professional frame of mind. It mentally prepares me for a day of working.
I don’t mind the idea of business dress codes. I don’t think everyone needs to wear a solid gray suit, but a standard business casual dress code allows for personal expression while also showing that the people working in the office respect it enough to not show up looking too informal.
Regarding crop tops in the office - not going to happen for me unless the A/C situation in the office radically changes. It’s too cold at my workplace for short sleeves, let alone a crop top.
"I like dressing a bit nicer for work than for casual outings. I think it subconsciously puts me in a serious, professional frame of mind. It mentally prepares me for a day of working."
This is why I'm for dress-codes. Every little thing we do contributes to our state of mind. Whether we shave or not, whether we dress in our "Sunday best" or opt for the "athleisure." Is it a hassle for me to put on my tie and suit when I go in? Some days it feels like it, but I've since found it: a.) helps set a clear home-life/work-life divide in my mind; b.) puts me in a frame of mind to get things done; c.) makes me feel confident because I have to do all these other little things just to put on that suit and tie.
Or put another way, you don't see the benefits of making your bed every day if you've never had to do it in your entire life.
I think workwear died about a decade ago with tech and as Zoomers enter the workforce, it will die even further. I don't know that this is a good thing—it seems like one more death blow to decorum in public spaces, one more means of blurring the public/private distinction. But it's inevitable.
I've worn khakis and polos since i was a teenager - this was pretty common in early 2000s and not really considered 'preppy'. Although maybe it is - it seems to be what people are wearing when "the worlds most hated college white boy" memes pop up.
Anyways, I've continued to wear that into the office as an adult (work in tech, but it is a bit stuffy/corporate).
That's sort of as far as I'm willing to go, personally.. some people do wear dress shirts, and sometimes ties. But it's not for me. Like you mentioned.. I don't want a separate wardrobe for work and being able to wear polos avoids that.
A funny little distinction for this wardrobe is - do you need to wear your polo tucked or untucked?
It's silly that this makes a difference, but sometimes it does.
And additionally, what kind of shoes are you allowed to wear?
Definitely not into having to wear oxfords or any type of dress shoes.
But I'm also not sure I want to see people walking around in big goofy basketball shoes or the legions of middle aged middle management in big dorky new balances. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
Anywho, I don't have a point, just sharing my thoughts lol.
Happy memorial day.
Also this reminds me of my parents complaining that people going to the Las Vegas Sphere were underdressed
Iconic post
Technology companies (also Universities) have a style that is not quite formal office wear, but also has a kind of typical look to its measured informality. e.g. upscale outdoors wear like Rohan (for either men or women).
Mira Murati at OpenAI comes to mind as an example of the style.
oh, and at a British university, at some kind of formal-ish occasion, for women, the Kate Middleton type of look might also be an option.
I work retail, and while we once had a dress code, we now longer really do (in theory I suppose there are standards, but not in practice). And rather than lean towards the artistic/fashionable, it has led to tshirts/sweats/ripped jeans/hoodies. In an upscale department store, this has led to customers wondering who the staff is.
Your outfits were great! The ones I'm seeing are not (and yes, I do think some people are wearing their pajamas to work). But as a middle aged lady in my blouses and flowy pants, I've decided it's not my hill to die on. And when customers comment I suggest they ask for the store manager.