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Original poster

Dressing for work in an American corporation

390 replies

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 02/04/2015 16:31

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
BossWitch · 10/04/2015 17:31

The old money comment is interesting. To me, and I suspect many Brits and Europeans, old money is eccentric and can do what the fuck it likes, and will bloody well wear mint green socks and a fuscia tie if it jolly well wants to, dammit. New money is scared of getting it wrong so is more likely to be conservatively dressed - the well groomed but not stylish mentioned a few times. What's really interesting is that this was exactly how the differences between American and European style (and manners/culture) were seen around the turn of the 19th/20th century - read Edith Wharton type stuff and you'll see the exact same attitudes, minus the pant suits.

I worked in Lloyds of London back in the day, one of the underwriters in my company was a viscount. In winter, he wore a CAPE.

squoosh · 10/04/2015 17:35

A viscount in a cape. He sounds bloody amazing BossWitch!

I'm all for Tom from Milton Keynes wearing a cape too though if the fancy takes him.

ElizabethHoover · 10/04/2015 17:37

My dad had a cloak for work. He wasn't a viscount.

Lol at strings of pearls. To clutch of course.

BossWitch · 10/04/2015 17:41

I was 18 and a bit terrified of him everyone so we never spoke, but he used to swoosh about wonderfully. He may have had a cane as well but I can't remember that as clearly.

squoosh · 10/04/2015 17:43

Ahhh. The aristos have a confidence that only centuries of feasting on the flesh of plebs can give you.

I doff my hat to anyone working a cape and cane at the office on a Monday morning.

squoosh · 10/04/2015 17:44

Was he a magician Elizabeth? Or did he just like a bit of a vampirical swish. Nothing wrong with that.

mousmous · 10/04/2015 17:48

where do you find the time for all that grooming?

I guess I would just stick to a pant suit immature snigger as my 'uniform'

Want2bSupermum · 10/04/2015 17:50

To answer the question about enjoying the dress thing. I actually hate it. I find it dull and takes up far too much time. I'm all about efficiency and I have been looking for a new job at a European company for the past year where face time isn't a necessity and I can have another baby without worrying about greys. I'm fortunate to be married to someone who has the income to buy these stupidly expensive gifts. I see most others are making through my job and the majority can't afford it. It's their pensions that suffer the most.

It's funny that as soon as you move out of NYC things change very quickly. Walk around jersey city and people are wearing much more normal clothes and actually eat. Grooming is the same though. I do most of my own grooming.

The thinness does bother me because it's so stupid. As you move out of Manhattan the emphasis is on being healthy and very few people are rake thin. I refuse to conform to that and risk my health.

There are other fields that dress down but in Manhattan you will find that men and women dress up to go to the gym. It's one of the many reasons I am happy not to live there. While the scene in SATC where Carrie realizes she has spent her deposit on shoes is far fetched it does portray what quite a few of my peer group are doing. Its men and women doing this which is scary. To think that this only affect women is misguided. Men are also subject to manicures and hair has to be groomed. Boris Johnson wouldn't last a hot minute here.

If this offended anyone I apologize as that wasn't my intention. I wish I had known what I was getting into when moving over here because it is a whole different beast and I would have done a couple of things differently. This is why I wrote down on here what my experience has been.

SenecaFalls · 10/04/2015 17:51

mousmous I admit I do less of it as I get older. I mainly aim for clean. I do always wear pants for work; can't remember the last time I wore a skirt.

Original poster
CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 10/04/2015 17:52

Venus I am an avid tea drinker already The problem with a Hermes scarf would be if anyone mentioned it, as the way Americans say French words beginning with an H (eg "erbs") sets my teeth on edge!

I wish I could pull off a cape though...

OP posts:
motherinferior · 10/04/2015 17:53

Is there a different arty/creative uniform? Or do people in those fields also have to look groomed and conservative?

holmessweetholmes · 10/04/2015 17:55

Exactly - the time and the money! I've only had a manicure once, for my wedding. I've always thought newsreaders looked pretty smart. Off to Google some American ones...

squoosh · 10/04/2015 17:55

But isn't Hermès pronounced air-mez? That's how I always say it.

Want2bSupermum · 10/04/2015 17:55

mous I am up at 530 to get myself and two kids out the door. There are better services here though. Dry cleaners all do pick up/ drop off and it seems there are at least two nail bars on any block. It's also a lot cheaper compared to the UK.

We don't have a cleaner and the only thing I outsource is getting my eyebrows threaded. This is highly unusual.

blackcurrent good to see you over here. Hope your family are well. I remember when you had your baby! Time flies eh!

BossWitch · 10/04/2015 17:56

Hijacking the thread somewhat massively here, but can we start a Campaign for Capes?!

FibonacciSeries · 10/04/2015 17:56

My friend who is a garment designer goes to work in her yoga clothes.

Floisme · 10/04/2015 17:57

I do always wear pants for work Oh so do I. What's more I even change them every day Grin

Sorry Seneca that was very immature but I couldn't resist!

squoosh · 10/04/2015 17:58

Yes let's!

Dressing for work in an American corporation
holmessweetholmes · 10/04/2015 17:58

Hmm - the main difference as far as I can see is the hair (bigger) and the teeth (whiter and seemingly shown more in photos). Not sure the clothes look much different.

squoosh · 10/04/2015 18:00

American news people chat to each other more too. Lots of 'thanks Kathy' and 'now let's go back to Bob'.

holmessweetholmes · 10/04/2015 18:00

Sorry - I was referring to newsreaders with the hair and teeth remark, not people in general.

Eastpoint · 10/04/2015 18:12

One of my friends used to leave his gym kit at the gym & it would be washed & returned to his locker by the next day. I don't think any of the fancy London gyms offer that level of service but apartments here tend to have their own washing machines.

SenecaFalls · 10/04/2015 18:14

Floisme I have a fanny pack, too. Grin But only for the odd trip to Disney.

Want2bSupermum · 10/04/2015 18:20

east Holmes place in Kensington and their city location used to offer the service but the monthly membership was £250 ten years ago! Here gym membership with that service is $100 with corporate discounts.

Oh and I am being sent on a training program by my employer and no joke they are going to do a whole workshop on weight control. It's called the reality of your image. If the resort was near a McDonald's I'd rock up with a coffee and oatmeal cup just to see the horror on their faces of someone walking in with a non Starbucks coffee!

I had a manager make a comment about me bringing in my own lunch. I was like hey you want to eat something?!? The guy was about 175lb and 6'. He needed a pulled pork sandwich badly!

Saurus72 · 10/04/2015 18:28

Was it that you were eating lunch at all, or the faux pas of bringing in your own food?