I've been told I dress too smartly at work...

[Appletina]

and I've been told I need to dress more casually.

I tend to wear smart day dresses, or skirts with a top or blouse, from places like Hobbs, Reiss, Jaeger. I don't wear jackets or blazers or full on suits. I wear low heels.

I work with the public and apparently my dress sense could be perceived as intimidating and so I am to dress more casually... I think that's a ridiculous and patronising thing to say about the great British public!

AIBU to continue to keep dressing as I am?

angelfacecuti75
That's it in a nutshell.

Or alternatively boss says jump and it's unreasonable or you wish to raise/query specific issues then have a meeting and discuss them like sensible adults whilst remaining open to the fact that it might be one of those tough luck situations or a situation where actually it's better overall to agree to disagree and move forward, leaving a situation where if you have to challenge and raise major issues on other things you've not already made yourself look like an awkward PITA. Whether the outcome is what you want or not, there is a way forward and clarity on a situation in a common sense way.

I work with 'vulnerable groups' and wear cath kidston dresses or similar style dresses so could be perseved as too smart and intimidating however that's what I feel comfortable in and it shows. I behave naturally in what I feel comfortable in.

Its quite patronising for people to decide vulnerable groups can't deal with a smart shirt.

OP do you have a dress code? I wear converse with my dresses to make it a bit more casual and will wear biker boots and tights with dresses when the weather gets colder.

I work with unemployed people at a community centre .and I would never look too smart as it would intimidate some customers. A workmate was told to stop wearing suits because of the kind of customers we get. If it helps to relate to your customers and helps you do the job better dress down, if you work in a closed office maybe it’s jealousy.

If it's about being approachable, surely it has to do more with attitude than what you wear. From what you describe, I think you'd be fine in most situations. I don't understand the problem. I'm disabled, and on a benefit, and I'd prefer to deal with someone dressed like you (semi-smart), than someone in jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, in almost any professional situation. I really don't see the problem. Look at it this way, it projects an image of someone who knows what they are talking about, and takes pride in their job.

LondonJax, I agree completely. In some situations, you want to feel like the people you are dealing with know what they are talking about, have respect for you, and can do the job. In almost every situation I would rather deal with someone who is dressed in a semi-smart way, rather than smart-casual.

So much easier to act all superior and make snide comments and put people down than admit you’re wrong isn’t it?

Well I’m quite comfortable with myself and my track record and if I can help some insecure people feel a bit better about themselves by having a pop at me, I’m happy to oblige.

The Registrar guess is interesting and sounds plausible from what the OP says. However if she is, most people she deals with probably wouldn't even notice if she was wearing a space suit, given that it's going to be tired parents of newborns, excited newly weds and distraught bereaved relatives.

If that's the case, I'd say the OP is NBU providing that the dress and cardigan combo is of a 'workwear' style and not a 'glamorous wedding attendee' style as you can get dresses for many occasions from the shops named.

but I think dressing well shows that I am taking people seriously and that those who use my services can trust me to know what I'm talking about

Yes absolutely agree.

surely it has to do more with attitude than what you wear.

It’s about both.

ownerofdlurcher

I run my own business.
My clients wear casual clothes, as do I.
They, and I, would not feel comfortable with someone in clothes the OP describes- it just wouldn't fit

What business service? And where in the country? Just asking so I can avoid you. I'd hate to buy services from someone so judgemental.

I dress similar to the OP, for work and non- work but at price ranges which make Hobbs look cheap. I'm certainly not going to dress down to please someone I'm buying services from.

When people in public roles dress scruffily* it says two things to me.

1. I'm patronising you by dressing down & 2) I'm disrespecting you

Me too. I would actively avoid any private sector business going out of it's way to be cool and hipster and down with the kids.

Flowery-

“not to assume anyone saying an employer “can’t” do something actually knows what on earth they are talking about...”

Its a bit late to talk about other people’s posts in a derogatory manner when you yourself came out with the above first isn’t it.

How exactly have other posters been proved wrong? More than one poster have quoted the actual law correctly, whilst you seem to be under the impression that employers only have to be non discriminatory, I assume in relation to the EA.

Here we go again Flowery, the statutes relevant to employment law. So tell me, am I wrong-

A claim under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
(A claim for harassment under the Equality Act 2010)
A claim for constructive dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996
A claim for failing to protect your health and safety under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
A claim for negligence under the common law

Oh I forgot Article 10 Of the ECHR

If they're willing to pay for a new wardrobe I'd say go for it ;)

Fact is you have these clothes and you can assure your line manager you will phase them out. In the meantime tell him you are ok with a dress down Friday.

Wardrobe is directly attached to confidence and self esteem and if that is how you need to dress to do your best work I would explain that to him.

You risk alienating him and your team, and being singled out as rebel in your performance review - but frankly this all seems a bit silly if you are good at your job.

Still haven't gathered what you do.
Have I missed something?
Bus driver?

Figamol it wasn’t her line manager.

Monty27 no you haven’t missed anything. Can’t be a bus driver though.

Dress often reflects an attitude of mind. When I was teaching and we had ‘own clothes’ days for charity the level of indiscipline was dreadful. The pupils seemed to think the school was theirs that day and behaved, or tried to behave, as if they were at a party. Obviously, it didn’t work in my classroom but it annoyed me that I had to waste teaching time getting through the message that it was going to be ‘business as normal’.

Clothes matter. I am with the OP on this one. Hobbs dresses signify that you respect your job, your clients and yourself.

Hobbs dresses signify that you respect your job, your clients and yourself.

Very funny.

Picking on female employees for wearing day dresses, skirts and blouses is discriminatory because it leaves them with little alternative clothing other than trousers,

But OP hasn't suggested that she was told not to wear skirts. It's perfectly possible to dress casually by wearing a skirt and an informal top.

It's a pointless thread.

How can anyone know whether your attire is suitable for a task if they don't know what the task is?

But it's always nice to see so many armchair detectives out in force, deciding your employers are discriminating against you based on absolutely nothing.

I'm not sure any of my clients would respond all that well to me rocking up in a Hobbs dress as it would be utterly inappropriate and give off the wrong image completely.

Would it be discriminatory if the dress code/uniform for all employees was trousers?

Skirts are impractical for some jobs, so there's bound to be certain sectors where trousers are required. Eg where protective clothing over all the body is required, such as fire fighter or sewerage worker, or where skirts might cause trip hazards (if long and flowy) or restriction of movement (if quite tight).

I don't know why the shop or price point is relevant. You can probably get some quite nice/expensive looking items from cheaper shops occasionally, and not everything in Hobbs is nice/expensive looking, especially if it is well worn or badly fitting.

Obviously it would depend on who your clients are Stars. If you operate a drain rodding business, yes, turning up to work in a Hobbs dress would raise an eyebrow.