Dressing for work in an American corporation

[CloserToFiftyThanTwenty]

Just that - what is essential to look professional in a US blue chip company? I'm assuming a suit / day dress is standard wear, along with decent shoes and bag. But what about the subtle stuff: manicure / hair / make up / tights?

Any advice much appreciated!

I have a Jaeger coat but their suit jackets look like hell on me (think male weather presenter chic) and they have rather a lot of double breasted jackets and not much choice in terms of black suits that I am mandated to wear. Nice dresses though and the quality is very good. They have had a bit of a revamp of late.

Good to know my idea is a good one. Do you think it would work if it was online only to start with? My idea was to approach Ocado and use their delivery network for distribution. The other supermarkets already have clothes so I expect they would be more resistant to my idea.

Jaeger is good for knitwear. Their suits make me look 80. Espirit can have good suits if you are size 16 and under. It's very hit or miss though.

jessie it's that I would look different. It's all about zero risk on appearances here. Also they would question why I can't organize myself to get my hair done!

I'm with you on Jaeger, Basket. I think most people would be looking to around £60 for a skirt, rather than £160 though? It's always worth buying wool classics when you can - in the sale or when you've had a bonus - as they last forever (but need dry cleaning.)

The weirdest part of this thread, to me, is the diamonds! YY to the moissanite cake, squoosh I also baulk at the repeated (across this thread and the linked sites) assertion that super-coiffed hair, for instance, shows attention to detail and respect. It shows detailed attention to your appearance, yes, and 'respect' for those who value immobile hair as a personal quality - but no more. A standard British/European view would tend towards the idea that, if you put extraordinary effort into your hair, your focus might not be altogether professional. The NY ethos being described here is incredibly superficial: I'm not saying Europeans aren't superficial (as if!) but we strive to be more subtle about it.

Is short, curly hair still deemed non-U in Manhattan offices? To me, it looks fantastically professional & dynamic. (I have girly wavy hair that needs 'interpreting' for a professional look, dammit.)

Like some others here, I'm reviewing my complete lack of polish so a big thanks to all the posters! Mine's a personal health situation, but you have made me think about my pre-sickness look. While never "corporate grey" I was fully buffed, polished & co-ordinated. Perhaps not all of that was a waste of energy; I'm going to have a think!

Jaeger did a diffusion line (Jaeger London) a while back that was good, but haven't seen it recently

Laura Ashley have come up trumps before

It often seems to be more about presenting yourselves and your life in a certain way than actually living that life

You've put that perfectly, Nicki. It's what gives me the sense of unease.

For low-budget apparatchicks, don't forget Dorothy Perkins - particularly since everyone else does forget them, so aren't likely to know your outfit was only £35

I've often thought that a big part of being a certain kind of American is putting on an act. That is getting the right grades, into the right college, getting the right partner, the right ring, the perfect wedding venue. It often seems to be more about presenting yourselves and your life in a certain way than actually living that life and going off point and just enjoying it. Everything described on here confirms that to me.

I'd just like to point out, as others have, that we are talking about a very small percentage of the American population in this thread. Many of us Americans do, in fact, manage to live very authentic lives.

It is increadibly superficial here within certain circles. We went out to Seattle for my sisters wedding and one of guests asked where we lived. I told her New Jersey and she had a look of disgust on her face, asked why we lived in such a smelly state and walked away. She was sober too! DH and I just laughed but it shows you just how superficial people are.

Another thing is how many people are leasing cars they can't afford to buy. I have colleagues who live with their parents and drive a Lexus. Truthfully the starting wages do require a supplement but a $5000 car would be far more sensible. I was laughed at for driving my 10yr old golf. Nothing wrong with helga and she was just as good a car as the others in the lot. Someone once made a comment and I told them that if they didn't like my car they could buy me a new one!

Someone once made a comment and I told them that if they didn't like my car they could buy me a new one! [like] I like that it was called Helga, too!

What about the trainers supermum?

Jessie, I've no idea what the right size diamond is for NYC but when we bought my engagement diamond on 47th Street, the jeweller quite honestly told my other half that one carat would look too small on me. He wasn't trying it on, either.

My UK American friends (& I have a lot due to my job) typically have 1.5 to 2 carats, all with diamond halos. A few really big ones (2.5 carat+), thankfully left as solitaires.

Oh yes. In winter I wear snow boots most days. I have a really nice pair from Canada. They have cleats in them so I don't fall over on the ice. Came in very handy this winter.

In spring and autumn I have plain black trainers. They look like the prada ones but they are from clarks. In summer I wear sandals. Nice leather ones from timberland. In my bag I have cole Haan heels and switch into them around the corner. If raining I wear wellies. I have French riding boots from 15 years ago that are still going strong. They were about 75 francs.

DH goes nuts with the shoes. We have two ikea shoe storage cupboards by the door. One for me and one for the kids!

The one thing I notice culturally about Americans is the total lack of dissent/criticism in group situations. Everything is SO GREAT even when it's not. Positivity is key. It's quite a weird variety of group-think, even when a turd is being heavily polished, everyone's a cheerleader for it then bitches privately to you afterwards.

The one thing I notice culturally about Americans is the total lack of dissent/criticism in group situations.

You obviously have never sat in on a group discussion at my workplace.

My colleagues are lawyers, and the lunchtime conversations are just so incredibly dull. No bitching and gossiping. Nothing potentially controversial is ever mentioned. All so politically correct (politics never mentioned either). It's a small team that has mostly worked together for years, and the conversation is something you might have with random stranger - read any good books recently? What did you do over the weekend, wasn't the weather glorious?

Nothing wrong with those questions, but that's as deep as it goes.

I always thought office gossip was a universal given.

Ha, my ring was ordered online from the US (Blue Nile). I am now imagining the staff there packaging it up and pitying the poor girl who was about to receive a mere 1 carat with no halo..

The one thing I notice culturally about Americans is the total lack of dissent/criticism in group situations.

I do work in a progressive, academic setting - but I've not noticed this. Very snarky funny bunch, they/we are.

The positive/bland chat is the American version of reserve. Gushing/effusing/it's so awesome is, oddly-to-us, an American version of politely withholding their true selves.

I've met more British people who are casual acquaintance oversharers, swearers, shockers-for-the-sake-of-it. With Americans they certainly DO those things, but you have to know them a bit better, I think.

Hi claraschu, glad I'm not the only one! Its a strange move to make isn't it. I've lived in the same little mountain village on and off for the past 14 years but still get incredulous faces when people hear where I'm from. "why'd you move here??" Is something I'm asked quite a bit.

People have such clear images of what it means to be from New York, most of it wrong!! It does gain me some instant ground with the teenagers I work with. They think I'm exciting (ha!!) and want to talk all about it

ruby I think you and I work with similar people. Nothing drives me more nuts than some of the meetings I have to attend. Its all be positive and congratulate ourselves.

Im on one of them now and the HR director just suggested a bagel breakfast for everyone as an effort to allow people to network. I'm like we are all at clients. Who is going to leave their beds 45mins earlier so they can stop into the office? So dumb. Its NYC, lets do a booze cruise on Friday at 3pm.

I used to work in a place that had organized "team-building" activities. Do UK companies do that? I was not a fan. Let's just build the team by doing the work, people.

Uk companies used to do that Seneca, but a lot less (or a lot more modestly) since the recession

Thanks Closer. This firm also had a big "retreat" once a year in a nice resort. During one of the past recessions, that got cut.