Do you have a separate work wardrobe?

[pestothepenguin]

I don't mean physical wardrobe but do you have specific work and non work clothes? Do you include coats and shoes?

I'm teacher and have an exclusive work clothes shoes and coats . I never want to put my work stuff on out of work even though the coat and shoes are nice!

Sort of, I have a couple of pairs of shoes that are comfy and practical for office days that I would never wear any other time. Same for some dresses, eg longer or higher necklines than I would wear on days off.
Same coat for all though but would only be worn while commuting anyway

Yes - I have a definite distinction between my work wardrobe and my 'normal clothes'. Work is in an office so smartish, my normal clothes are VERY casual; I live in lots of layers, holey socks, jodphurs, muddy boots, coats covered in mud and/or animal slobber.

I do have a separate work wardrobe although this doesn’t include coats.

I’m a hairdresser so all my work clothing is black but I never wear black outside of work. Also the clothes get bleach or other stains so my work stuff is all cheap from George/Matalan etc.

Not really. I don’t tend to wear jeans to the office (though I easily could) but that’s the only thing that wouldn’t cross over. My whole wardrobe is smart casual and can be worn pretty much anywhere (except a v formal occasion)

Yes. But they’re sort of interchangeable. I have work dresses and blazer jackets which are both smarter and work shoes.

I do now. I go into the office 1 day per week and I have a pair of trousers, 2 shirts and 2 dresses. My shoes live in my office drawer.

Pre covid everything was very fluid. The thinking was I spend so much time at work my clothes should reflect my taste and personality and I should get as much wear out of things as I could. Plus I did a lot of socialising after work, went to the theatre etc so it was important that things were versatile.

I got rid of almost everything a couple of years ago before things were starting to look dated and I'd gotten fat so it was a fresh start for me.

However, I don't have dedicated coats.

I kind of mix and match mine. For instance I have a number of trousers which are work only and would never wear them out socially but tops I can mix and match to an extent. Also, jeans and leggings I would never wear to work. So half n half.

Nope. I've probably only been to the office 3 or 4 times this year so no way is it getting special clothes.

When i did 5 days in the office yes i did, i hated wearing "work" clothes at home!
Not coats or shoes though.
Now that i WFH a lot the outfits are more blurred, have changed jobs too so can be more casual when I do go in to the office, so mostly wear the same stuff for work & home.

I used to. But a few years ago, I made a conscious choice not to. I try never to buy something thinking "that will do for work" as it tended to result in quite dull choices. I now try to only buy things for work that I would also enjoy to wearing out with friends etc. I do of course have some very causal or very dressy clothes that I wouldn't wear for work, though as an academic almost anything goes! I've found it's given me a nicer, wider choice of clothes to wear both for work and outside work.

Yes - wear suits and dresses for work and casual stuff at home

Yes. I work in psychiatric units and so while I still wear dresses, they are much longer and completely non booby. I also like them a bit looser so that they’re easier to run in-plus have belt loops for my keys (!). I also find that the dresses I wear for work are a bit “nicer” than my home clothes. Due to my client group I have to be completely non threatening, so anything even slightly edgy/sexy is out and cute patterns are in. This means I don’t really want to wear my work dresses at home anyway, I spend enough time in them as is.

Yes …

Old career - expensive black or grey suits in London. They took me out to dinner / theatre / drinks in the evenings. It would have been unthinkable to wear any of those for rural weekends. I scarcely owned anything ‘in between’ the two.

Second career - entirely self ordained dress code; in practice I wore lovely, new things for meetings, conferences etc, and the less extravagant things gradually became home wear as they got shabbier. Nicest clothes still reserved for being seen in.

But in general aren’t these habits formed in childhood? I’m always gobsmacked when I see children (in other peoples houses or on TV) arrive home from school and throw themselves straight down on the sofa - in my world you change out of school uniform into something old and scruffy as soon as you’re through the door.

I think I need to just wear what I want where I want and not worry too much!

@BeetledBrow I'm not sure about the childhood comment. I get in every day and put my comfies on - I didn't mean those kind of clothes I meant going out the house clothes. As for habits instilled in childhood I think it depends on parents. I don't think I have any habits from my chaotic childhood thankfully!

I wear semi smart clothes - no denim or trainers- and modest. It's very hot and can be messy too! I have some nice tops coats and shoes though.

Yes, I did get what you meant! My (inadequately expressed) point was that perhaps if you grow up with the habit of different clothes for different activities / environments you’re more likely to keep separate wardrobes for work and going ‘out’.

But there’s nothing to stop you wearing your nice shoes for fun too.

I still quite often change into something soft and comfortable when I come in, or at least after dinner, depending on how comfortable my work clothes are. So my work clothes are different from my slobbing about clothes. But recently I have merged my work clothes with my general smart-causal out of the house clothes for meeting friends etc.

I think this is the approach h I need to adopt plus comfies and sports wear!

Yes and no. I have a main job and a second job as a PT/gym coach. What I wear at my main job wouldn’t be appropriate at the gym and vice versa. What I wear at my main job is more or less the same as I wear elsewhere. The dress code is very relaxed/non-existent. I only wear gym clothes at or on my way to/from the gym.

No.

I work as a support worker so anything goes.

I avoid anything low cut at work and I have a couple of band t-shirts with inappropriate wording on them (looking at you, Nivana) which I wouldn’t wear.

Otherwise it’s all the same stuff.

I have an office wardrobe, a wfh wardrobe and a school run wardrobe.

If I ever go out socially (hardly ever) I'm completely stuck.

Im a nurse so its def seperate work and home wear!
I do have a work cardie and 2 work coats I never wear anywhere else. But I hate spending money on anything workwear related so its a 34 yr old regatta fleece and a £5 vinted regatta puffa and an old size 22/24 cardie (Im an 8/10 now!).

Yes - teacher as well.

We have a branded coat and I wear basics like long sleeve tees and winter boots for both but I buy clothes for work. l spend the same sort of money as I spend on other clothes; it's half my life!

@Cyclingmummy1 yeah it's such a big part of life

When I was younger I had a really extra work wardrobe.

Now is practical with a few nice bits

Never understood the "hate standing money on work clothes" brigade bit getting there now!

Secondary we don't have the luxury of a work coat unless PE or SLT

@pestothepenguin we all got a coat in 2020 - more duties/time outside - but yes, PE and SLT seem to have loads of branded stuff at our SS. Oh, and marketing dept 😆

I used to. That ended with the pandemic. My non work clothes were dull, and suddenly I was in them 24/7. Also my work clothes were just fine, but a bit meh. So I did a massive overhaul when i had time to be really interested in clothes. Now my whole wardrobe is nice, right down to pjs and things I like wearing on sofa days, I'm equally well dressed sitting in the sofa or going to work or seeing a friend. I'm also not long off retirement so it means I won't be left with things to be got rid of. Sometimes I feel a little too fancy, but that's a price in willing to pay!