Wide leg trousers with trainers - office appropriate?

[QuentinQuarantino]

Clean, naice trainers. Not the manky asics you shuffle out to the bins in at bedtime.

Is it an office appropriate look?

This kind of thing but probably no jacket on an everyday basis. Love the look with a neat fitting Breton, white cotton shirt or fine knit, tucked in.

Am (hopefully 👏🤞) starting a new role (NHS) and just can't do formal office wear/heels. Dress code is not strict, just don't want to push it too far with the trainers.

If inappropriate, what other shoes would be good with this type of trouser?

I would choose black plain trainers . Maybe slip on instead of lace ups . I think it would be ok then. It would make the look less casual but also less fun and a less cool vibe .

I also didn’t realise they still sold ballet flats. They are hideous and frumpy. If trainers aren’t allowed, try brogues it’s loafers OP!

I am a teacher and this is one of my staple looks : modern, minimal and completely practical. I never wear them with a skirt though as it doesn’t suit me at all. Ballet flats are murder on the plantar fascia and make most wearers waddle after a while.

Brogue trainers are great. I have these from Karen Millen that go with almost everything.

I like those brogue trainers.

So do I.
Sadly, most of my nice clothes and shoes aren't being worn at the moment because I am working from home until at least after Christmas, and not going out anywhere other than shopping or walks.

@QuentinQuarantino

Ballet flats are just so depressing aren't they.

They always look like they came from Primark. Even the expensive ones.

God yes. I don’t know how they became so popular.

@evilharpy

Brogue trainers are great. I have these from Karen Millen that go with almost everything.

Ooh, I like them!

Not that I need any. I spent £££ buying lovely new office wear for when I returned from maternity leave at the beginning of the year. Haven’t had a single bloody bit of it on as WFH until at least the end of the year 😏

Those brogue trainers are fab but I just looked at the Karen Millen website and they don’t seem to have any shoes at all. They do have 40% off everything though so wish I hadn’t looked!

I came searching for just this question!

Do you think that these www.schuh.co.uk/womens/dr-martens-dante-6-eye-patent-black-flat-shoes/1349257040/

Would be a compromise?
Or is that what teenagers wear to school?

(I simply cannot keep white shoes clean enough to keep this outfit 'crisp'. I walk too much!)

Really like those postitnot and yes would definitely wear with wide legged trousers in the autumn/winter

@ouch321

Woah what's with the ballet flats hate?

If wearing jeans /trousers with a nice ish top it's my, and I'd say most people's go to. What else would you put with that bar sandals?

For loose t shirt and jeans maybe plimsolls or trainers.

Obviously this is in warm or hot weather. I'm in boots Oct/Nov to March/Apr.

I’ve never owned ballet flats and honestly I don’t know anyone who does wear them. A friend of mine used to wear them to work but stopped several years ago. I can see from mumsnet that people do still wear them but they’re nowhere near as prevalent as they used to be. They’re certainly not everyone’s go to shoe. I don’t even see them in the shops anymore.

Great look. What about these? They aren’t trainers, but look really cool with trousers
www.vans.co.uk/shop/en-gb/vans-gb/classic-slip-on-shoes-vn000eyebww

I'm sorry, I really don't like those. They are OK with jeans, but look far too casual with a smarter outfit.

Or maybe I'm not edgy enough
and they remind me of DD's lying, cheating ex boyfriend

Sorry but I really dislike those checked Vans.

I like the DMs but would be nicer in matt, rather than patent.

Has anybody seen any nice, wide-legged trousers for short people? The M&S ones were too wide on the thighs for me.

I find it ironic that the NHS has such a strict dress code on footwear. Perhaps they should allow their staff to wear footwear that is good for health instead? I have issues on both feet and I made it clear when I joined my new (corporate) employer that they would have to tolerate my choice of footwear as a reasonable adjustment. Fortunately the only things we aren’t allowed is slogan tops and flip flops. Although I’ve seen the slogan tops go uncommented, even when it said the offensive words “Joy Division” on it.

The M&S ones were too wide on the thighs for me

In the nicest possible way, that’s kind of the entire point of wide legged trousers! I’m 5’2” and M&S short worked perfectly for me.

I find it ironic that the NHS has such a strict dress code on footwear

It doesn’t per se. Trusts have individual dress codes. I successfully overturned one employer’s policy that no staff should have unnaturally coloured hair, backed by a consultant who loved her blue or scarlet streaks.

We argued that there was no reason for such a ridiculous rule for staff in non patient facing roles and a hcp with pink or purple hair would probably cheer patients as long as they did a good job. When there’s a huge staff shortage, people would just vote with their feet and work for a less draconian employer.

Also - I've had plenty of pairs in the past that have worked well on me. The M&A ones didn't. In the nicest possible way, thanks for nothing.

S not A

I’m surprised at the amount of NHS staff that wouldn’t be able to gat away with it.

I’m an 8b in the NHS, middle management? I could and do get away with that look. Sometimes with dresses too, I think it looks cool.

Disclaimer: I work in IT so maybe a bit of a different culture.

I used to work for the nhs and the nearer you are to a ward environment the worse it is. Plenty of matrons and ward managers going bonkers over stupid stuff (plenty of lovely ones too). So yes in IT you’d get away with more than some other depts.

In my job we had to wear plain black ankle socks, not grey, not blue, not navy. As a woman in my 40s I was subjected to random sock inspections.

Oh and they wrote a new uniform policy which said you had to have natural hair colour. And then sacked anyone who had unnatural colour hair even if their hair had been that colour when interviewed and they’d worked there for ten years no problem. I left.

@JacobReesMogadishu

Oh and they wrote a new uniform policy which said you had to have natural hair colour. And then sacked anyone who had unnatural colour hair even if their hair had been that colour when interviewed and they’d worked there for ten years no problem. I left.

Even people who were covering up grey?

It had to be natuL not necessarily your natural if that makes sense. The policy said your hair has to be the natural colour of a horse! So blonde was ok, pink or blue not. Though I’d argue you get blue Roans and strawberry roans.