to HATE work/office wear?

[bluecake2]

I'm lucky in that my office permits casual wear for day to day work, such as jeans, trainers, etc. However, when I have to go to meetings with customers I have to dress up and I HATE it.

For one, I don't have the figure for it. Day to day I wear casual dresses, jeans, jumpers, trainers, boots etc. Formal trousers look terrible on me, as do suit skirts. I have a large chest and blazers look terrible too. I also HATE high heels, they give me blisters and are very uncomfortable.

Second, formal wear is usually itchy and uncomfortable. And cold. and did I mention the shoes? Even flat shoes, such as dolly shoes, are just not suitable for the winter months.

Suits and blazers etc are not made for women...
what's wrong with a suit for a woman? I love mine, they are easy, comfortable and look great with flat shoes.

I too hate suit type/formal trousers so have always managed to get away (but still hated) smart black jeans. However, I have recently found what I believe to be the holy grail of trousers, comfortable, smart & flattering (a bit pricey but pence per wear v low). www.mintvelvet.co.uk/product/black-5-pocket-tregging/19392
The pictures don’t do them justice. I wear them with knee length boots currently & smart blazer & top. But I think they look just as good with ankle boots.

@CallMeVito obviously women CAN wear suits and they can look lovely on some women. I just think the cut means that many many women (large of boob, small waist but big bum, wider thighs) cannot find suits which are comfortable... too many variables.

And that hey we're designed for men. It's like all the women at my graduation... the grad gowns would slip back off of our shoulders, wouldn't stay in the right position because they were designed to be worn by men. They looked sloppy on us women as all our male friends looked sharp

Jersey dresses are also my answer to this dilemma. I have one of these which I absolutely love
thefoldlondon.com/product/clifton-dress-navy-jersey/

And that hey we're designed for men
I completely disagree. My suits are completely different from my DH suits - different design, different cut, even on a hanger you can tell which one is designed for which gender.

Fair enough not to like them, but I do. As long as they are the right size, they are as flattering as any jeggings or anything, you find nice ones in plus sizes too.
I especially like them because it's a lazy option, don't have to think about what to wear that day!

Dresses are your friends
Ankle boots are your friend
Opaque tights in the right colour for your dress are your friend
(Controversial) old fashioned ‘slips’ in the right length for your dress (M&S in many lengths) are your friend - eapnunder jersey if you’re wearing tights- they make a dress hang properly and smooth a bra strap if you’re well boobed.

LwMommy I have two of those GAP dresses one black and one charcoal. I got them in the sale last year for an absolute steal. They look so nice on and I get loads of complements when I wear them.

I’m another one who never wears trousers or jackets - they just do not suit my round figure I also have a dress down office but several ‘smart’ meetings a month.

I find that dress code is entire at odds with us not judging books by their covers.

Of course, the bounds of public decency should be preserved (not sure who gets to decide what those bounds are though), but telling men and women that wearing a certain type clothing portrays a certain image is giving a very strange signal to people. The implication is that if you don't wear the prescribed 'uniform', then you aren't professional, or cultured, or sophisticated etc.

How can we condemn those idiots who judge a woman for wearing certain types of clothing, and yet condone a company for prescribing a different set of clothing because 'it says something'?

@theunreasonableone i have those 2 colours too, waiting for them to reduce again so i can get spares. I love that ive been able to wear them year round with tights, cardi/blazer and boots in cold weather and bare legs with ballerina flats in hot weather. Just wish they did them in burgundy, or plum to round out the week

I used to enjoy it, but I have put on weight and always breathe a sigh of relief when I can wear more casual clothing on a Tuesday, when I do a different role. I feel really uncomfortable the rest of the time.

I have the opposite problem OP - I'm in an office where we wear suits Monday-Thursday and have "dress-down Fridays" which I hate because I don't know what to wear for those 🙈

Could you compromise with a smart jersey dress from boden or seasalt maybe, with a soft blazer style jacket over the top? Flat boots rather than ballet slippers?

I am not a fan of traditional “tailored seperates”, but I have a fault defect work wardrobe based around jersey dresses, stretchy trousers and jersey blazers, ankle boots and brogues.

Watching with interest.

No-one expects you to wear high heels, so don't.

Trousers can be challenging for women unless you don't have a waist, as it's hard to find women's trousers to properly accomodate waists and hips.

As well as some of the other suggestions, what about a dress, leggings or tights and knee boots combo. Cardi too if you feel the cold.

I also like the Mint Velvet narrow trousers, oversized fine knit jumper, ankle boots combo, linked to above.

Uniqlo are also good, especially their heat tech stuff, which is good for layering if you feel the cold but also smart enough to wear under a shift dress to add warm and cover your arms too.

I don’t wear suits to work as no one seems to anymore in my industry.
Instead it is now cropped trousers and structured tops.
Structured tops are the way forward as they are slimming and avoid you wearing clingy unflattering clothes.
Jersey and clingy materials look terrible (on me!).

I wear Robell trousers to work. They look smart and you can get them full length or 3/4 for summer time. I hate suits, never liked shirt collars either! Though have a few Ralph Lauren shirts which are comfortable ...only wear suits/suits dresses for interviews. It’s robell troauers and nice tunics, long sleeved tops for me. I keep a mid pair of hells in my work draw that suit any outfit. Matalan have some nice tops. Knitted dresses and tights are great too for this time of year. I always go with smart/casual look and feel really comfortable. Check out the robell trousers!!!

Like the poster above, I wear flat boots, skinny black stretchy trousers (some might call them jeans...) and a loose formal-ish top. Sometimes a jersey blazer as also recommended above.

Very comfortable and no one has ever said I don't look smart enough!

I hate trouser suits and think they don't actually suit most women. I also don't own trousers as such - I wear skinny jeans to work with merino or cashmere sweaters and a blazer, the team with either ankle boots or smart flats depending on the weather:

I also have a few smart dresses I can wear with thick tights/leggings and boots or flats, and then I can either wear a fitted blazer or a cardigan.

Formal wear shouldn't be itchy.
You shouldn't have to wear high heels.
Flats with trousers, low court shoes with skirts. I wear boots in the winter and don't care if people think that's not formal enough.
Formal wear shouldn't be less flattering either. In fact, I'd say more flattering for most people.
You've probably got a couple of days left to get something in the Hobbs sale. The structured dresses there I would say are definitely more flattering.
Formal wear doesn't have to be cold either. I wear two or three tops under my dress and then a smart cardigan or blazer on top. Thick tights under a dress are warmer than trousers and socks.

I love my Betabrand trousers - look smart but super stretchy and comfy! They come from the states but there are normally discounts around and free shipping. I have them in about 4 colours now 😬

I'm with you OP. I worked for years in a very casual environment where you could wear anything other than obvious sports gear. Even trainers were ok as long as you wore them with jeans and not tracksuit bottoms.

I moved to a much more traditional office and hated it. It feels so restrictive. In this day and age I don't understand strict dress codes. Like a PP said, the idea of everyone having to prescribe to a 'uniform' in order to convey an image is silly. Especially in office jobs where you don't deal with the public or clients face to face.

As long as you're clean and neat, I don't see what's wrong with wearing jeans and a jumper to work. I just wish the working world would move to that way of thinking. It's happening gradually but not fast enough for my liking!

"I used to enjoy it, but I have put on weight and always breathe a sigh of relief when I can wear more casual clothing on a Tuesday, when I do a different role. I feel really uncomfortable the rest of the time."

But that's nothing to do with the clothes being formal, just that they don't fit you!

I've always found the Artigiano catalogue good for this sort of problem. Pricey but the stuff lasts forever and is soft and comfy. Hotter for shoes, ditto.

OP you sound happy in your attire or do you think you should dress differently?
We have no code where I work but I might put a frock on for certain meetings.
Just to look together iyuswim