Working in the City - what is the dress code now?

[posyhairdresser]

I'm asking this for a friend - can anyone who works in the City or in a conservative accountancy/ legal office help me out?

The question is, what are the current dos and don'ts for what to wear at the office in this kind of environment if you are a woman?

Eg Must you wear a MATCHING suit?
Are coloured suits OK?
Can you ever wear bright patterns?
Must you wear tights always?
Are sandals OK?
Can you wear a stretchy t-shirt under a suit?
Are there concessions made in very hot weather, or is there no need because everywhere has air con anyhow?
Are low necklines an absolute no no?
Are dresses other than plain navy shift dresses worn?

Also, have things loosened up a bit over the last few years, or not really?

?

its a while since I've worked in a decent law firm!! so I don't have a clue

I'm inhouse myself, but in terms of what I see/expect in Big 4/Magic Circle:

Usually dark suit (trouser suit fine), possibly neutral linen colour in summer. Tops can be more casual, though would tend to expect shoulders to be covered. Everywhere has air-con. Tights in my view not essential, but sandals still a no-no. Anything bright, plunging or loud is not a good idea, but if you want someting different then choose the top as this can at least be covered up if necessary...

It's loosened a bit, but not much (much more relaxed for those firms with a casual dress code when not with clients, and for those of us in house = I can get away with co-ordinating separates...)

Gosh - top 12 law firm and I wear trouser suits for clients otherwise smart trousers, non matching jacket, bright tops, sandals in the summer. But then I have stopped trying to impress anyone a long time ago.

But saying that we have at least one female assistant who is still on the greasy pole and has worn things that wouldn't be that out of place in Kings Cross ie: very high stilletos, short tight skirt without tights and plunging tops. Has been found sitting on desk next too partner so that his best view is her legs....

Maybe I got it wrong all that time.

But seriously, play it safe but you will probably find that it is much more relaxed behind closed doors and really depends how much client facing work your friend does.

? Many thanks for replies so far - just thougth I would bump this up during the working week for any more opinions!
Is a jacket essential at all times? Or could you wear a very smart cardigan instead?
Are stretchy tops OK or must it be woven cotton?
Are dresses ever acceptable, and if so, what kind?
Are low mecklines OK if done in a tasteful not tarty style?

I am getting the impression that there is still a pretty strict uniform though!

I worked until recently in a fairly conservative provincial law firm.

Re suits: trouser suits are now accepted everywhere, and I think are preferable than skirt suits - you don't have the tights problem or the am I showing too much leg problem. Coloured suits - stick to black/brown/grey/navy. Pin stripes always look nice. Can't see any problem with a smart cardigan - twin set maybe - but you would need to have a jacket with in case you had to go to Court/see a client/or even meet with someone senior within the firm. Low necklines are best avoided - though if your friend is not very well endowed she will obviously be able to get away with more!!!. A stretchy t-shirt under a suit was fine at my place - but obviously not anything too t-shirty! Offices should be air-conned - you would bring a jacket in to work just in case, but would not wear it at your desk. Re:dresses - if in black/brown/grey etc should be fine, but again tend to be plain shift style. A very tasteful conservative patterned dark dress should be OK. As particular foibles vary from place to place, I would suggest that your friend play it very conservative at first, and then get a feel for what everyone else is wearing. Jacket and trousers don't need to match as long as they look smart and don't clash. Things have loosened up in last few years - when i started some girls weren't comfortable wearing trouser suits! but law firms do tend to be on the conservative side nevertheless. I always found camisole style tops useful - you know the sort that are concertina style - look smart and tend not to need ironing.

Good luck to your friend. BTW I am assuming that your questions relate to a fee-earner/solicitor rather than support staff. Dress codes for support staff can be significantly more relaxed but will vary from place to place. At my firm a few of the secretaries wore suits/smart clothing, but most didn't. As long as secretaries did not wear anything too outrageous - i.e. no jeans, t-shirts, short skirts, revealing tops, trainers, anything else was pretty much OK.

when I worked for a top 5 firm the dress code was "smart". However I didn't have to see clients. Obviously those who did tended to wear suits (one lawyer actually wore a red suit - and it wasn't even nice) and dressed conservatively. Can't remember ever looking as far as client facing footwear but presume "fashion" items to be out. Is your friend working as a lawyer or more in a support/background role? I would say as a general rule that if one is seeing the general public/clients - conservative everything : background/support - conservative but slightly relaxed ie. cardigan would be okay in place of jacket, no tits or legs out (unless at office party!!) and no fashiony articles.

Haven't read through everything so sorry if this repeats (or in fact contradicts).

Have been in same firm (with reputation for being stuffy) for 10 years. When we started, for lawyers it was definitely dark matching conservative suits, tights, no trousers AT ALL, court shoes. Velvet hairbands.

Trousers started creeping in around 1994. There was one very smart French girl who wore culotte shorts, she stood out and got away with it only because of innate style. She wore opaque tights with them though, bare legs still no-no.

Today: bare legs, t-shirts, so long as poshish material (I'm wearing one of those silk ribbed ones from M&S), stylish cardigans, shift dresses (again on the dark/non-plunging kind of line), trousers everywhere - and so long as dark-ish don't need to be part of a suit. Someone in the lift in flipflops this morning, no hairs turned. And so much more style altogether - lots of Zara-type suits and trendy hairdos. I think it's all lovely and trainees especially look so much happier than in my day.

So black leather flip flops may be possble then?
And even bare shoulders?
Or are sleeveless tops, however smart, a step too far?

I suspect, posyhd, that you have a particular outfit in mind.

Personally I would feel self-conscious in flipflops, even black leather ones. However only very slightly smarter flatties (eg those French Sole ones that look like ballet slippers) would be fine. Bare shoulders/sleeveless tops really are OK, but agree with others always keep a jackety thing handy.

I'm at a top 4 accountancy firm, where they have a casual policy - however over the years people seemed to have got smarter - especially those who are client facing.

If client facing:
Normally dark matching suits mainly trousers nowadays - although any colour goes as long as it is smart/ matches.
can wear T-shirts under suits.
tights unless amazing brown and hair free legs
no sandals
no lunging necklines

Non client facing:
anything really that fits in the smart casual range - no jeans/ trainers/ etc
haven't seen anyone wearing a dress for years

We used to have a rule of no bare arms, [brown shoes or green suits (for the men]- thank god that changed.

loads of people are in Zara/ mango/ next etc suits which aren't too expensive either and can be relatively up todate.