Hate my new work dress code

[Pandora79]

Hi

So I worked in one part of my company where the dress code was business dress. I loved it. It's really my thing.

I moved department and the dress code here is casual. I mean casual. Jeans, Tracksuit bottoms, hoodies. Generally alot of people look like they are in their Pjs. Everyone else loves it. I don't. I like dressing up for work. But my old business dress look is really put of place.

I am struggling to find a happy medium. Where I look smart, but not over dressed.

Can anyone make any suggestions?

Just wear the clothes you love. You might find some people start copying you and smarten up.

Get some really smart chinos (like Uniqlo's satin ones) and wear them with a fitted shirt, not tucked in, or some dark jeans and adrapey tee. I hate that jeans and trainers look in an office too, but you do stick out if you walk in in a business suit and heels.

I think you should just wear what makes you feel appropriately dressed. So maybe nothing overly formal, but just reasonably smart. Tbh, I can’t really imagine any work environment where I would wear tracksuit bottoms, etc. Ok, maybe if I worked as a cleaner.

My work place is very casual so we're mostly in jeans but a new girl joined and she just wears business clothes. At first I thought it was because she didn't realise she could dress down but then she said it's just what she prefers. We're all just used to it now, in fact the odd few times she's come in in jeans it stands out more than her being smart every day. It's entirely your choice and everyone will soon get used to however you choose to dress. The good thing about a dress down code is that you can choose to dress however you want, up or down so suits everyone.

Casual top worn with wide leg trousers, capris, chinos. Or add in converse/vans or any other sneakers. You could wear knee length wide shorts

I tried wearing the clothes I love. But I stuck out like a sore thumb and people clearly were uncomfortable around me. Being in a new department was hard enough. Even in the business dress department, I was the smartest dressed. I dressed very formal because I was in and out of meetings with clients all day. In this department, the client prides itself on dressing casual. They believe it makes people feel more comfortable. They really love this dress code.

Thanks for the suggestions, I am going to Google now.

Why don't you try some smart dark jeans, with a nice shirt/blouse tucked in and some low heels.

That’s very irritating. What kind of clothes do you wear on your time off?

When I worked in a v casual office I used to wear a lot of denim shirts with rolled-up chinos and shirtdresses with flats. I agree it’s annoying though, if you can’t really separate your work wardrobe from your usual one.

Chinos or black jeans, blouse / top, light jacket in summer / leather jacket in winter.
Boots / trainers / sandals / smart flats.
Job done !

Yes, utility-type shirts with dark jeans are a good option (I like the Boden silk shirts but theyre a bit of a bugger to wash and iron).

Different to your situation, but I work in a ‘casual’ dress code workplace but due to my job need to be a bit smarter than most of my colleagues, I usually wear nice jeans with a blouse or smart trousers with a t-shirt, or unstructured shirt or shift dresses with brogues, flats or sandals and manage not to feel too disjointed from the hoodie-wearers. Can you mix and match smart and casual?

I found it disconcerting at first when I moved from a more corporate environment, but now it feels far more economical to choose clothes which are suitable for both work and weekends.

What kind of clothes do you wear on your time off?

Jeans And t shirts. Or tracksuit bottoms and sports leggings.

I really like having a work wardrobe and a home wardrobe. A work wardrobe always make me feel like the 'work me. I know it sounds weird. But I feel like dressing up makes me feel like a different person, my life has been a mess outside work recently. And feeling like someone new at work makes me feel better at work. Like a different person who has it all together.

It's all so complicated, lol.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I have never worn chinos. Need to give them a try

I hated it when I first moved to a casual office. Id worked in a very formal place for years so It felt very wrong to not be wearing a suit.
Im usually ‘smartish’ I’m currently wear a tailored TM Lewin shirt with my jeans and converse! When we have new customers in we are usually asked to smarten up a bit (ie no jeans).
It now feels really odd when I have to put a proper jacket on.

I'd suggest a mix and match approach too - that way you still get to wear your current work clothes, but dressed down a little. So a shirt/blouse and smart jacket, but worn with jeans. Or a smart pair or trousers or skirt, with a T shirt or casual top.

May not work so well if you used to wear a lot of dresses, but for separates it could look really good.

I would second the idea of wearing smart Capri pants and a nice blouse or top. Then in winter you could wear the trousers with a jumper or more casual jacket or a cardigan jacket - which sounds awful but I bought one recently in Massimo Dutti and it is fab, and so comfy and can look dressy or casual.

Also, wear nice trainers such as Addidas Stan Smiths (see Phoebe Philo for ideas) and then you will look casual but still smart and in "uniform"

I wear skinny trousers, fairly casual tops so v neck type patterned jersey ones and flats. Seems to work quite well. Often a blazer or long cardigan over the top

I keep my work and not-work wardrobes totally separate, but they are essentially made up of the same types of clothes. I teach in a creative subject, so tend to buy things for not-work, then switch them into workwear once I am fed up of them.

I don’t wear super-casual stuff like jeans and hoodies for either, but I would wear smart black jeans to work with a nice blouse. Similarly, I don’t tend to dress up particularly fancy outside work either, so it’s easy to transition something like a nice dress or pair of culottes. The exceptions are staple things I buy just for work, more in winter, like black polo necks, for example, and things I wear out of work in summer, like a t-shirt with something (slogan/print) on it that I would wear with a midi skirt. The skirt could cross over though. I only wear black jeans, but if I found blue ones I liked they would probably never be worn to work.

Once I have worn something for work, it doesn’t move back into my not-work wardrobe. (Coats and shoes don’t count in my system.)

Dresses? Wrap and shirt dresses are both casual but can be dressed up.

My office is smart / casual and I wear light coloured jeans and a blouse most days 😊

Just buy some causal day dresses and wear with black ankle boots. As in flowy summer dresses, just something from Topshop etc.

You can still wear blazers with trousers, skirts and even jeans if you want.

I might not be the best person to give advice because I work in fashion (where any style goes), but my office is also casual/no uniform. If I were you, I go would go for one casual item and one smarter item. For example:

Nice blouse / jeans / smart flats
Casual dress / trainers (or flats. But trainers do dress it down.)
T-shirt / skirt / flats

Would something like that work for you?

I would wear chino type trousers with loafers and a shirt, maybe a casual cotton blazer in cooler weather. Wool trousers in winter or a dress with opaque tights, then brogues, loafers or ankle boots.

I wouldn't wear jeans as I like to wear jeans with trainers and probably couldn't get used to trainers in the office. Like OP, I like a work wardrobe and a play wardrobe and to keep them separate!

There is a young pharmacist near me who wears Ralph Lauren women’s shirts, pullovers and trousers together with loafers she really rocks the smart casual look and also looks really professional.

I'd say just wear what you want to.

Where I work it's business casual (I think) basically no jeans or or slogans in tips but anything else goes.

One ( not at all senior) colleague wearers heels and a business suit every day. It's her thing. I wear cropped trousers, ballet flats and a usually very crumpled linen shirt. That's my thing.

In tips = on tops