To ask if this is appropriate office wear?

[Skimpyfd]

I work in a big law firm. Today I wore a navy dress about an inch above knee and skin coloured tights. Is this weird in winter?! Felt I got a few funny looks but might be being paranoid?

OP, I have done the rounds of City law firms. What you described is perfectly respectable and a non-event.

Black opaque tights with a navy dress in a corporate environment is IMO a fashion crime.

shouldn't we be past the stage where we judge women based on what they wear

Not in a professional environment, men are judged just as much. When you see what some people would consider appropriate to wear in an office (or not wear), you realise that a dress code is sadly a must for any company.

"Bear legs would have been inappropriate where I worked."

Let's be honest, furry legs don't go down that well anywhere.

I can't think of any environment whatsoever where nude tights and a baby dress above the knee could p

A navy dress is fine but I would go for navy tight and navy shoes.

Please please don't do this unless you want to be arrested.

By the fashion police for heinous crimes.

Possibly be considered inappropriate, even in the City. I can only imagine that most of the people criticising have never worked in the city and have imaginations as to how one would dress. You barely see a tie, even in many of the law firms, they only go on for meetings and an inch above the knee is far from short. My husband works in banking and today he's wearing navy jeans, suits are almost unheard of unless they know the client expects it. The women in his office, even the very senior ones are usually in trousers and a jumper, no suits but bloody gorgeous handbags

I wouldn't worry about it.
It sounds a bit cold to me but I am senior enough in law to wear anything I like and people will always take me very seriously so I don't have the same issues as more junior people any more.

I was looking at what female lawyers in London were wearing over the last few days at an event. At least 3 were in black trousers, white nice hacket, a trouser suit (I always wear a skirt, very occasionally a dress); One younger one was in a fairly nice shift dress which was relatively short - above knee and I think she had thick black tights on and then some slightly strange ankle boot things which woudl be fine for the office but may be not for the event we were all at but then I go out of my way to encourage women lawyers to dress in a way that works with clients but which also is equal, fair, equivalent to men and what they want to wear so I was quite pleased with her boots actually.

What I am really after is the highest quality legal advice. If that emerges from someone wearing a onesie or their painting dungarees even then as long as they are not putting a client off I could not care less. In fact I made a point of wearing no make up and no perfume for this event in the interests of women's rights.

I'm a city girl - getting on a bit so not really a girl. The finance firms I've worked for do not encourage bare legs. Nude tights are the norm even in Winter, only the very young or those in casual attire like woolly skirts and waterfall cardigans would wear Opaques, and they are back office staff. And yes the men are judged equally - college lecturer jackets aren't OK , a suit without a tie, or a suit jacket with jeans or chinos on dress down is OK. We are allowed to be casual on non client /event days I.e. Jeans, trouser suits or chinos, but think Princess Di on a jeans day - I.e. With blouse and blazer not Madonna in jeans with tee shirts or cable knits. General rule is if it's something you would wear at home or in a social context - bar, club or whatever then it's not OK in the office. What you were wearing OP sounds fine for my very conservative office. Opaques with a dress in a professional context would be wrong in my line of work, Opaques are considered casual wear - to be honest flats are too, although some of the tall girls do wear them in preference to heels and provided they are smart they get away with it.

Another City worker here though in finance rather than law.

Unless you worked for an extremely conservative firm, a skirt one inch above the knee and nude tights would not even be noticed, let alone commented on. I've seen women working in banks and broker firms wearing far less conservative clothing.

The company I work for is very laid back and most people dress pretty casually unless meeting clients. I previously worked for two banks and the dress code was smart casual but not really enforced. The only time I ever saw someone reprimanded for their dress was when a woman turned up at a US investment bank in skinny faded and ripped jeans and a tight white vest with platform heels.

Monday to Thursday, I usually wear stuff like tube skirt with shirt/top/flats, black jeans with long tunic top/heeled boots, cropped smart trousers with blouse/flats, dress with black opaques and biker boots. Fridays are jeans with trainers and smartish top.

Lawyer here, used to be Magic Circle, now in-house - nude tights and skirt just above the knee are fine but black flat shoes may have made the overall look too casual. Hard to tell without a picture. Even if it wasn't quite the right thing for your office don't worry too much about it.

Sounds fine, I'd maybe look a fraction longer as I'd be wondering if you were cold!

Also I'd wonder whether natural colored tights could ever cover up hair as that's why my staple winter tights are thick black ones!

I'd not worry about it too much :)

Flat shoes are definitely acceptable now, thank fuck. A plague on anyone who thinks they aren't anyway.

Sounds fine op.
I've only ever worn nude tights, hate the others! ( and i'm certainly not looking for no sugar daddy )

It's not too informal. Maybe the looks you were getting were because you looked great!

Thinking back only a few years to my time in the city (still have friends there I meet up for drinks after work, so fairly current with "what is worn", and ranging through a number of different firms inc magic circle, big four etc on top of your traditional banking):

Sheer tights are far smarter than any other colour (and frankly, have you ever seen the Queen wearing any other colour tights?!). Generally nude preferred over black sheer, but either work, depending on your clothes and shoes. Bare legs generally frowned upon. Opaques generally best kept for non client facing days.

Dress length an inch above the knee also absolutely fine.

However, the dress itself may be inappropriate, depending on cut, material, sleeves etc.

The usual rule is - if you have to ask then it's not appropriate.
In a graduate role, perhaps look at what the others are wearing and follow "suit" (lol!)

provided they are smart they get away with it.

How depressing is this? IF you wear something deemed smart enough, you can 'get away' with not damaging your feet/knees/back?

What is the male equivalent of this rule?

Oh yes, there isn't one. Funny that.

It sounds similar to my school uniform in the seventies (navy dress, flesh coloured tights) and therefore perfectly respectable. I honestly cannot imagine anyone getting all strung up about flesh coloured tights - who are these crazy people ?

If I was your client I would find your dress absolutely fine - in fact I doubt I would notice what you were wearing unless it was totally outrageous. I judged my divorce lawyer as shit because she made major mistakes on detail in every document she sent me and then charged me for the e-mail reply where she had to correct herself. I can;t even remember what she wore - trousers I think - but what impressed me (or didn't) was her competence (or lack of).

If people give you funny looks give them a bright smile and walk past with your head held high. They are the weird ones.

Interesting. I always thought flesh coloured tights were formal office attire, irrespective of the season. Black tights are evening wear and opaque tights are informal. Things have clearly changed since last time I worked in an office

If you're tall with long legs skirts which look fine on other people somehow look indecent on you. When I was much younger (in the mid 90s - ouch), I wore a shift dress to work which was about mid-thigh, with black tights, flat shoes and a smart jacket. I am 5'10".

Within two hours, I was called into my manager's office and told my dress was unacceptable, distracting (am guessing this was the crux of the issue) and I was never to wear it again. He did also mention he was unhappy with my hair, makeup and some of my blouses.

This was a small company in a regional town, hardly the Bank of England.

This thread baffles me. So many women discussing, to the INCH, what length of skirt/dress to wear and a secret code about the meaning of various colours of tights - a secret code that seems to vary depending on your age bracket.

Sheesh. Is it the 1950s?

Me too Findero intelligent, highly qualified women BENDING to this shit about heels and inches!

What a crock!

Why do they put up with it? I'm so glad I work in an industry where women aren't expected to wear high heels and fuck up their back and feet! If I DID work in an industry like that, I'd wear flats anyway!

Sounds fine to me as well.

Unless you are outdoors a lot, surely normal tights are warm enough in an office?

Depending on the dress fabric & style opaques might not go with it.

Law firm or no, flesh coloured tights with black flats looks weird.

Glitter who cares? As long as the person is clean and tidy then that's all that matters.