Do you miss the way we used to dress before everything became so informal?

[strawberrydress]

I was at work today and thinking how much dress codes have changed. Even just five years ago I was wearing pencil skirts, blouse and heels to the office and that was a totally normal outfit. I feel like if I wore that now everyone would think it was really weird! Today I saw people wearing trainers, jeans, t-shirts. I don’t remember the last time I saw a man in a tie. Everyone was so casual.

I feel I notice the same thing everywhere - people don’t seem to dress up for things which used to be seen as quite formal events like going to the theatre or out for dinner.

I used to really enjoy clothes and thinking about what to wear but it doesn’t seem to be as much fun anymore and there aren’t many opportunities to wear nice things without looking out of place. Does anyone feel the same or is it just me?

Heels are positively ruinous for legs, feet and possibly create back problems to boot so their demise is beneficial for everyone.

I agree with the Op. though - for me, I love to dress glamorous when going to a restaurant, theatre or similar - it just doesn’t seem special otherwise.

There are some jobs that need to command a level of respect and authority and this is gained, subconsciously or not, by a smart appearance.
For example, I cannot imagine airline cabin crew in track suits, jeans etc.

My pet hate is seeing ripped jeans - I loathe them!

I remember going to Paris (years before COVID) and packing some nice outfits for evening meals out/drinks bug after the first night, where everyone was in big chunky jumpers and hoodies, I just wore day clothes out.

Felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb going to a bar all dolled up, didn’t even have heels on! I thought Parisians dressed up a bit 😣☺️

No!
im a much more effective worker in comfortable clothing. I’m old enough that I used to have to wear women’s suits to the office. Trying to focus on work without thinking about your uncomfortable clothing is not just miserable, it’s inefficient.

I also had to spend 1000s to be properly dressed for work. My first real job even included a large signing bonus that they knew would just barely get us outfitted with few high enough quality suits to get started.

I used to wear formal office wear and heels every day, then I changed jobs and pretty much wear the same (maybe a bit more casual) but don't wear heels but only because I looked like a right idiot when I turned up on my first day in the NHS in heels (office not clinical) and every single person had flats on.

Our dress code is smart casual which means anything other than jeans/leggings/trainers basically. I've seen the odd person in a hoodie but that's pretty unusual.

Weekends I'm a joggers and leggings person.

I love dressing up though but maybe that's because I have an interest in fashion and clothes. Can't wait to get dressed up for the xnas parties. I'm definitely getting the sparkles out.

I would never choose to wear either a skirt suit and heels or leggings and tracksuit bottoms (not outside home, anyway). Agree with all the PPs saying that the enormous middle ground between those where you can both be comfortable and look good is where I prefer to be, and where the range of choices is far more interesting.

I don't miss high heels, but I would like to go back to the times when making more of an effort was seen as normal

Also, what happened to (faux even) jewellery, handbags, and nice (flat) shoes? Nobody seems to be wearing any of these anymore

We are still smart casual at work which I’m happy with
i like to be comfortable so mainly dresses - this time of year sweater dresses with opaques and low heel or flat boots
I do miss dressing up for meals out etc as I used to enjoy feeling that bit more special and have lots of lovely clothes and shoes that only come out for weddings and more formal occasions

I love clothes and to dress nicely, I agree most people are more casual now.

Yes I used to love tailored clothes for the office, it was like putting on my efficient work persona.
A nice side effect was that I could create a better figure, so suit jackets would hide my sloping shoulders and skim my thickening waist. Heavier fabric is also better for skimming lumps and bumps. it also meant that people always assumed I was the boss as I was in a suit.

I remember the days of walking to the psych wards with my ECG machine and having to guess who was a member of staff to ask where a patient was.

I was in uniform and also had the aforementioned machine so it was obvious why I was there. I swear it was a game for the staff and patients.

I don’t miss heels at all.I walk to work and used to have to take heels with me. But I like nice loafers or pretty flat shoes or nice boots.

im sure it’ll come back round again, there’s no way that’s all gone for good.

Yes I used to love tailored clothes for the office, it was like putting on my efficient work persona

I still have a work wardrobe and and weekend wardrobe.

I cannot physically bring myself to wear work clothes at the weekend even though they are causal.

I used to feel like that in a previous job where there was a lot of pressure and you had to some extent to put on a front and never show any weakness. Could never have worn work clothes at the weekend or vice versa then. Now I have a job that is much more relaxed and a lot more flexible which cuts both ways, and I wear the same clothes for both as I am equally comfortable at home and at work.

Yeah, this. I’m wondering why the tracksuitophiles (new word made up by me) conflate ‘dressing smartly in tailored clothes’ with ‘wearing a bandage dress with shiny platform beige heels like it’s 2010’ or ‘dressing like Mrs Slocombe in a skirt suit, pussy bow and Playtex 18 hour girdle’.

Other smart office clothes were available before the pandemic, you know.

A PP said this:

I was wearing pencil skirts and heels to the office in the '80s, so that seems quite old-fashioned to me.

I was wearing jeans in the 1980s. Do they seem old fashioned to you too? How about socks? T shirts?

A number of posters have said, “oh, just wear what you want”. It’s not that simple though. @Floisme noted upthread that there are unwritten rules in particular environments, especially those dictating how smart you are allowed to be without attracting distrust and suspicion. That’s certainly true, especially in the workplace. Lots of women have experienced colleagues saying, “oh, you’re very glamorous” in a passive aggressive way. That, or “why do you put all that muck on your face?” or “how do you walk in those?”.

Also, it’s quite difficult to buy lovely stylish tailored clothes at the moment. I was in Flannels last week and whereas they used to carry nice, subtle, chic labels alongside the “HAVE YOU SEEN MY LOGOS” gear, now it’s all bloody tracksuits with ‘Balenciaga’ blasted across them. The only tailored and stylish things they had were Max Mara coats. I assume that this is demand led and that demand for more chic, fitted clothes with proper waistbands has been dampened by the pandemic and people having, generally speaking, got fatter. A PP upthread stuck her head above the parapet and acknowledged that, well done her.

Lots of women have experienced colleagues saying, “oh, you’re very glamorous” in a passive aggressive way.
Ah yes I used to get that too. It was why I was so surprised by all the compliments when I left, genuine, not passive aggressive - it's easy to tell the difference when you're on the receiving end. It was like people had admired in secret but hadn't dared say so, let alone try and do anything similar.

And I repeat, I rarely wore full on formal business dress, let alone anything I'd consider glamorous.

I miss wearing suits to work. It was so simple. Smart casual is a flipping nightmare for women.

What surprised me was that when I left I had so many lovely comments about my style, and several colleagues told me they wished they had 'my nerve' - which made me laugh but also made me feel a bit sad, I mean good Lord, it wasn't like I'd done anything heroic - they were only clothes.

@Floisme what on earth we’re you wearing??!?

I feel the same. I miss pencil skirts, blouses and a pair of heels.

I was in London recently - all very casual but I hate dirty white trainers - I mean if you don't have to iron clothes, everything gets chucked in a quick wash, anything goes wiht anything - you have time to pass a cloth over your trainers.

@Floisme what on earth we’re you wearing??!?
Honestly, nothing remotely inappropriate. My go-to outfit for the couple of years before I finished there was (smartish) jeans with a blazer - my favourite was a mannish second hand Margaret Howell jacket - normally over a T shirt or sometimes a silk shirt. Brogues or similar. A couple of finishing touches, e.g. a vintage brooch or a man's paisley scarf or a couple of chunky rings. I think what attracted that frisson of disapproval/interest was that I obviously thought about my clothes a lot, which just wasn't the done thing. But by this stage, I no longer cared.

I think you can dress nearly and with style without being too formal.

Suits for women weren't a huge thing even in the City in the 80s. I wore dresses, skirts and nice blouses with very nice cardigans and a scarf. Towards the late 80s I often wore a bright jacket with a dark or tweedy skirt. Never wore heels.

Since the early 00s have been quasi third sector and it isn't formal but as I've got more senior I tend to wear dresses, not overly smart or fitted, or trousers and a nice top and smart cardigan or unstructured jacket. I do not wear trainers to work; prefer a lace up shoe.

During covid I don't think I'd have coped if I'd let myself go. I wore my usual work clothes and did my hair and make-up. It kept me going through managing a team in sub-optimal conditions. I even had a walk round the block for my commute.

I have never owned track suit bottoms or a hoodie and have no intention of doing so.

I always dress smart casual for work. Occasionally boots with heels and separates. Lots off cardis as they can go off/on. Tend to wear a shirt or long sleeve jersey t shirt - my staples

We're not supposed to wear jeans but I have seen some do so

Wear some make up

We went to the theatre recently and I only noticed one person dressed up. She stuck out like a sore thumb tbh and looked freezing. Plus it was pissing down so most people wore huge winter coats anyway and nobody notices what you wear once you're sitting in your seat.
At work it's now super casual - jeans worn by the big managers etc. I try to avoid jeans but never look as I did before.
Weddings and cruises are the only times I properly dress up now. If we go out somewhere posh for a meal I make more effort but to the pub or gigs not so much.
I actually like it because I have much nicer normal basics/everyday clothes which get worn loads and feel I get my monies worth rather than spending money on barely worn dressy stuff that I never really got enough use from.