People no longer have pride In how they drsss.

[Welliesandtweed]

I've increasingly noticed that people are getting scruffier and scruffier in how they dress.

Some of the secretaries where I work come in, In trainers, band t shirts, coloured hair, loose fitting, cheap tops. I wouldn't do the garden in some of the outfits I see. They aren't typically patient facing but on occasion are. I think it really lacks professionalism to turn up scruffy to work.

Same for people out for an evening meal in jogging bottoms.

On Saturday we had sports day at school and every woman was in a nice dress and men in chinos / short chinos and shirts. Children all in proper PE uniform. It was so refreshing to see.

Not true. I don't come from money. I came from a very normal 3 bed semi house in a village, parents didn't have professional jobs but worked hard.

I made a point of not mentioning it was an independent school. That was deduced apparently from sports day being on Saturday. I didn't realise that was a give away.

I don't understand why no one considers a mid ground for work attire, between pearls and pencil suit or looking like you are a student at a gig.

Mmm, but you can bet the sort of person who doesn't like trainers will also have non-health related, cosmetic concerns about visible feet. Nail varnish, toe hair and the like.

I have to admit my default these days is 'slob'. I do feel better when I make a little effort though. Small changes such as tops with built-in bras and linen blend trousers have made a bit of a difference.

Not wrong necessarily but maybe judgemental and in the minority here.

If I wanted to be bitchy I'd say I hope you manage to get the grass stains out of your husbands red trousers..... 😉

Honestly darling, that’s painfully obvious. It’s excrucitingly bourgeois to be so concerned with what others are wearing. Do be careful. You seem like the type who might accidentally say serviette instead of napkin and then whole Sports Day picnic could be ruined.

If you turn up at work looking like an unmade bed, then it indicates you don't have pride in your job and your standards

I'm a bit of a stickler regarding making an effort to be reasonably dressed, but the above quote is a step up from your description of your colleagues having coloured hair, band t-shirt, trainers, etc. Casual clothes can look as smart as a nice dress and far from being an 'unmade bed'.

Are you saying, @Welliesandtweed, that my pink hair makes me unsuitable to be an EA? May I ask why?

I'm also wearing skinny jeans, pink trainers and a cheap (though lovely) t-shirt from Shein.... AND I've got tattoos and stretched ears (the horror!) shall I hand my notice in now or wait till Friday?

DOFD and stop judging people on their appearance

You need a job in a secondary school OP. Or maybe you already have one? They love monitoring what other people wear! Perfect for you.

I'm guessing you haven't been to many gigs in the last ten years...

Yes, it's all a bit Hyacinth isn't it?

Literally my entire point. It’s not about money, it’s about being the ‘right’ type of person.

To your other point: of course people have sense of professional attire. But you should your prejudices by connecting this to pride and citing things like cheap clothes or coloured hair and by comparing a non customer facing office job versus a ‘posh’ event where people generally dress up.

Omg you are such a dull bore.

fashion changes.
Idea of ‘professional attire’ also changes
i work in a very prestigious field (tech) and there is no dress code.

I don't understand why no one considers a mid ground for work attire, between pearls and pencil suit or looking like you are a student at a gig.

It very much depends on your job, your sector, and your company. My company is quite relaxed about dress code, providing you aren't client facing or it's not one of the days all the execs are in / you're presenting.

So because I'm not client facing, 90% of the time I'm in the office I'm in jeans, t-shirt and trainers with no makeup. If I'm presenting I'll be more dressed in "business" clothes but that's rare. If the execs are in and I've nothing to present it'll still be jeans but probably just a plain top and boots rather than trainers.

But some don't have the same rules. So why do people need to be dressed in business dress rather than something more comfortable, particularly in weather like we've recently had?

As if school sports day wasnt bad enough, you have it on a Saturday?! If that is standard, then that alone is reason to not send my kids to private school!

I'm not sure I understand your point at all. I don't like trainers, I don't wear toenail varnish and I'm not a hairy person so no major issues there. I'm fairly obsessive about foot care, however - removing dead skin, moisturising, going bare foot as much as possible and wearing shoes and sandals that don't compress my feet. Doing a few foot exercises when I remember.

The original post is someone making a stupid complaint about the general public wearing trainers instead of sandals, and saying feet should be out more, basically because they prefer seeing that. This is obviously idiotic.

I pointed out that the sort of person with Strong Opinions about the sight of trainers is also liable to see things they don't like if the general public accedes to their request for more sandals when dress wearing. These things are not necessarily going to have anything to do with foot health.

These are general points, rather than about your feet specifically.

It actually shows. The person I know from a very privileged background (old money) is absolutely the soul of courtesy, is so good at putting people at their ease. Would never ever judge people on what they are wearing or hair colour. Of course their boarding school didn't have sports days like this as too many parents were abroad doing important things so weren't able to attend.

There is a limit to what is acceptable. Wearing a different colour strapped bra to the strapless dress or top isn’t acceptable. Especially seeing the bra sits higher on the chest than the top. If women can’t find a strapless bra that fits, don’t buy strapless clothing then!!

When I go for interviews (currently unemployed) I always glance at the staff’s clothes and think to myself that if Im successful, I can wear that top, those shoes etc.

Wow, the hatred for private schools is intense on this thread. The number of people triumphantly exclaiming “Ha! Sports day on SATURDAY - must be a PRIVATE SCHOOL”. As if that explains why OP is being a judgemental nob. It doesn't, that’s really just an OP thing.

On the actual subject - I stopped dressing up during Covid and never really got back to it. I also got fat in that time which I think had something to do with it… as someone said earlier when you’re living in tracksuit bottoms etc you can kind of ignore how much weight you’ve put on. I’ve recently started trying to make a bit more effort - bought a few nice wide trousers and loose linen shirts from Vinted that make me feel a bit more elegant at work, and it has definitely been good for my confidence in how I see myself.

That said, I wouldn’t want to return to the days of having to wear suits and heels. It’s so nice now to be able to choose.

You obviously move in very different circles to me! Sports day at my child’s school would have a few of the parents in what were obviously their work clothes - and everyone else in jogging bottoms/shorts (weather dependent) and training shoes in case they got dragged into the parents’ race!

I agree that workplaces have got more casual in general. There was a time I would have worn a suit and court shoes, more recently I would have worn a jersey dress with boots or sandals or smart jeans - which I think is a comfortable, happy medium. I certainly wouldn’t want to return to the rigid dress codes around when I first started work, but likewise I don’t think I would feel right going into work in joggers or sports leggings, although for other people it does depend on the general environment/ethos of the individual workplace.

I can't personally think of any item of clothing that isn't suitable for sitting on a lawn or a sports field.

Actually, for a sports day where there were races for the parents, I'd hazard the opinion that pretty frocks and sandals, chinos and smart shirts were ridiculously inappropriate. The parents should have worn more sporty clothing and footwear. Leggings or running attire would have been far more appropriate.

Innit? Language changes also😂

Our sports days were harassed parents rushing from jobs in work clothes.

No ‘pretty dresses’

"Sports day at my child’s school would have a few of the parents in what were obviously their work clothes - and everyone else in jogging bottoms/shorts (weather dependent) and training shoes in case they got dragged into the parents’ race!"

Good heavens to Betsy! Really? I mean, when one attends the Sporting Gala of our third youngest it's nothing but ballgowns and tiaras.

Indeed, the only people of the class you suggest that are allowed near the field of youthful sporting prowess are flunkys.
I myself am of modest breeding and tend toward keeping hassle to a minimum by only bringing one butler, one chauffeur, and an under-footman to carry my hat boxes.

That's not nearly as funny as you think it is.

I'll oblige, and refer you to frequent sartorial choices of the late Queen.