office wear

Our actual boss wears jeans and holey vests from Primark, has pink hair and loads of tattoos. We have a guy who wears a suit, another guy who likes jeans and a polo. One lady likes dresses, heels, and piles of make up. Another lady channels her inner swamp witch. I'm a safe jeans shirt and blazer type with some bag lady moments. For me, it doesn't matter if you're decently covered and don't smell.

A cheap nasty polyester uniform suit. Why is that something to aspire to?

Personally, I think jeans and trainers are fine, but jogging bottoms and football shirts are not, but that’s just personal preference.

So go and work for a law firm or funeral director.

I’ve worn joggers and a hoodie to the office all week to my job as a finance manager. It’s 2024; you’re the only person who cares what people are wearing to work. I suppose you disagree with hybrid and WFH too.

DH works for a law firm and wears <gasp> shorts when it’s warm.
I run my own business and my only work wear rule is that you cannot wear strapless tops on Zoom calls (because it basically looks like you’re naked and is therefore distracting).

so apply for jobs at those sorts of companies.
The rest of us will carry on as we are

We have this too. If you have a rare client meeting you'd dress in business wear. The rest of the time there's no difference in what I wear to the office or at home.

I also remember some bollocks about 'bring your authentic self to work'. Which I think I was about wearing whatever you feel comfortable with, whether that be a hijab or a man in a skirt.

They wear a fleece in my local Sainsbury's. I won't shop there again until they raise their standards!

Surely there is a clear solution to your problem…. Go and work somewhere else?

You sound completely ridiculous. Why does in matter what people wear to do their job. The world has moved on but unfortunately not everyone.

Get a job there then, problem sorted.

The management of Sainsbury's are customer facing in an environment of uniforms, hardly comparable.

I don't understand why on earth someone's clothing is any of your business or concern.

Professionalism is displayed by your actions and output not outfit.

I work for a very famous institution that you would think would have a very smart dress code. I bought a capsule corporate wardrobe before starting. Everyone wears jeans, including C-Suite (unless they’re doing TV interviews). It’s the modern world.

So what?

And once again, if you want to work somewhere where you are forced to wear a suit, you can do that.

What do you actually do for a living?

I work on a bank trading floor. 20 years ago, men & women wore suits every day. Things have changed and smart casual in the office is fine, dress down on Fridays if you’re not WFH. Client meetings would still be a suit for the men, smart dress/blouse/skirt/trousers for women. Clients are rarely in suits these days and ties for men are unusual. The quality of your work is considered far more important than the quality of your wardrobe.

I'm not a manager in Sainsbury's though?

I would be more interested that someone could spell and use correct grammar Op. Just a thought...

And so?

🤷‍♀️

We have dress for your day, so if want to be casual you can and if need to be formal you can

What's your AIBU exactly?

I'm non customer facing and mainly wear leggings, hoodie and shirts, I'm the highest performing in my team.

If feel comfortable wearing formal dress then go for it but others favour comfort. I'd hate to be sat down all day having to wear tights and skirts in a potentially boiling office and not feeling like I can wear anything cooler. I feel self conscious in formal stuff and much prefer just being comfortable. There's nothing wrong with your approach and preferences but you can't police what others wear!

Also There's nothing wrong with tatoos.

I just had coffee with someone who is a KC and part time judge. He was in jeans and a hoodie as not in court that day. Times have changed.

Go work somewhere else then?

Dress shoes and spats, silver-topped cane

people have tatoos but cover them up at work

Tattoos are not clothing. They make no difference to the formality of an office.

Why should people cover up tattoos just because you don’t like them? Some people might not particularly like your face, but they’re not telling you to put a bag over your head.

Having a personal preference for businesswear is absolutely fine. That’s your taste and that’s perfectly valid. But isn’t fine to think everyone else should conform your personal taste just to keep you happy. It’s controlling, selfish and fucking weird. You’re entitled to hate what your colleagues wear, but you’re not entitled to question their professionalism or expect them to dress like you.

You’d have conniptions if you walked into my office. We can wear whatever we like provided it’s clean and doesn’t have any slogans or sports team crests on it. We’re a professional organisation in the regulatory sector and our remit is a very serious and formal one. I have a meeting later with two colleagues - one is a knight and one is a dame, and the dame is so eminent in her profession that tomorrow she has to go and sit for a portrait that will be painted and hung in the entrance hall of her profession’s HQ. I have visible tattoos, a cherry red panel in my hair and multiple piercings. I’m wearing black jeans, a black t-shirt and platform Converse. The knight and the dame absolutely do not give a shit and they trust my professional advice and judgment.