Does anyone still dress for the job they want, or even dress up a little for the office?

[NotOneMoreLunge]

The idea for discussion is prompted by my current job hunt.

I have always loved clothes and style (follow fashion to keep in the loop, but value my own style over trends). I have mostly WFH since COViD, on camera daily, so ended up with two work wardrobes - small, more formal for office events, and different for WFH, sort of personal uniform that makes me feel great. People at my work were mixed, some loved to dress up, some wore corporate kit, but everyone looked smart.

Job hunting now, and it’s a very different look than before 202. One office in Birmingham, everyone looked they slept in their clothes, MD wore pull up trousers and scuffed shoes. Not that there is anything wrong with them, but I thought I would just look pretentious in this environment, as interview clothes were my usual office wear. I wore black Autograph trousers, blue and black Jigsaw blazer, white silk cami, LKB kitten heel pumps, Bayswater classic by for laptop, black belt. Very simple, not fashion, but just put together with a bit of care.

I hear in cities there is a slow return to dressing up but I am not seeing it in the Midlands…

I was pregnant all summer last year and ended up wearing patterned maxi dresses and flip flops to the office by the end… I was so large and overheated, nothing else would work for the heatwaves! And my feet swelled so much none of my shoes went on my feet.

If anyone commented at all it was with great sympathy!

I work in an office environment and all senior leaders dress smartly and well… I’m often shocked at how casual other people are, though. Like ripped jeans, tee shirts, trainers etc. There’s one guy who wears band t-shirts every day (he works in IT/data, for some reason they seem to get a free pass).

Re dressing for the job you want… when people look scruffy (in my view, and yes it does make me feel very old that I think this) it genuinely does make me think they don’t want to be promoted.

I like looking well put together and it’s never done me any harm to ensure that my clothes are a similar register to those senior to me. The chief exec is a very stylish woman - I’d love to dress like her! (And maybe have her job one day).

No I don’t make a huge effort any more. I stopped wearing makeup because it annoys me (also no time to do that with the school run and all the morning craziness). I go to the office in jeans, trainers and hoodies. I prefer to be comfortable more than anything. I tidy up my hair, that’s pretty much it.
I am a head of department in a charity, the office dress code is casual.

I've been in the same type of work for 15 years, when I first started 2011-2015, I dressed very smart, pencil skirts, shirts, heels. 2016-2019 still smart but not as polished, maybe a dress with cardi and heels or ballet flats. 2020-2022 mostly WFH, lived in leggings and sweatshirts. 2023-now, wide legs, trainers (which I gave into). Past few months however, I am trying to look a bit more put together, barrel leg trousers, ballet flats. There's a real divide in my office of people still super casual, or those like me trying to dress smarter. I feel like this divide can be seen anywhere you go.

The only consistent thing for me in 15 years is I have always done my hair and makeup!

I like to look smart at work, I have a senior role (mostly office based) and it makes me feel more confident. I also like to have clothes that I only wear for work. I am 54 and I have done this for so long now that I am never going to change.

That said I wouldn't wear anything that I didn't feel comfortable in so I wouldn't do heels anymore and I put a bit of thought into styles and fabrics that I can wear all day and still feel good.

I have worked hybrid for about 20 years in various roles. I love getting dressed to go in to work and wear stylish but not corporate clothes. Big thing for me is that I have terrible problems due to flat feet so footwear is very restricted and at the moment having a flare up so can only really tolerate platform converse or trainers. But I always look good / smart for work.

At home if I don't have morning meetings I go to work in coffee shops and also dress well for that but more casually. But definitely smarter than if I was just at home. I like clothes and putting outfits together then wearing them 'out'.

I dress in smart casual but good quality stylish clothes for office days. I do sometimes wear trainers. What I see at the office is a bit shocking sometimes. I saw a young woman in a gorgeous knitted dress and boots, but when she turned round the dress was completely bare to the waist. Another day someone was in a completely see through lace catsuit thing with underwear and bare skin visible to all. So they dress up, but I wouldn’t call it corporate. At the other end of the scale is the large cohort who have somehow been convinced that they don’t need an iron. Anything goes apparently.

I don’t go into the office very often these days, but when I do I tend to dress up at bit.

Last time I was in I saw a couple of people wearing trainers, and one person was wearing jeans 😮. I definitely clutched my pearls.

probably irrelevant because it was years ago, but I worked in a job where we all started at the bottom and all promotions were internal. Being dressed down was the norm at the lower levels where the work was hands on, and it was smarter up the ranks where there was more of a desk and management component.

When I started dressing a level up, there was a notable difference in how I was perceived, and I got promoted quite rapidly. I was also bloody good at my job, so there’s that too 🤣 but it was a very easy way to get noticed and taken seriously.

If you wear a white silk cami under blazer, I'd tou got hot and take blazer off do you feel a bit exposed in the office ?

I was a trainee and wore officewear once in a smart casual place and it was uncomfortable. Outsiders assumed I was more senior and staff were catty and patronising but it could just be them. I think fitting in matters so I wouldn't try to alienate myself or show them up. If it's a casual place, dress casual. My work induction did have a dresscode for work clause so that's useful to know the expectations. I think standing out for yoyr outfits can be negative, make you look arrogant or intimidating.

I WFH now but in my previous job I absolutely loved dressing up for work. I was only in the office 3 days but always wore a dress or smart trousers and blouse. But I was in the minority. Lots of jeans, t shirts and even joggers!

I still dress up for work now to an extent as I still have the clothes in my wardrobe so still wear them to WFH if I have meetings. I always do hair and make up regardless but I am a manager so have lots of meetings I don’t expect my team to dress up.

I work in a large primary school but in senior leadership. I've always had 'work clothes' though since the pandemic there's more of a cross over with my casual clothes. I'm not much into dresses and skirts, so it's mostly tailored trousers (which I don't wear out of work or very rarely) and smartish tops - neat jumpers, button up shirts. Colour matching is important to me. All my shoes are now lace ups - conventional or smart trainers. (I do a lot of walking on an average day).

Most of the staff are probably less smartly dressed - jeans, casual trousers, chunky trainers, hoodies - but "respectable".

Few wear dresses and if they do, they are fairly casual in style.

I'm glad flat shoes are in as I never liked heels, court shoes etc which I used to feel obligated to wear. We did have a staff member who wore pencil skirts and very high heels every day but that seemed like a throwback to a different era.

In my organisation, since COVID when the vast majority of us started working from home, we no longer have a culture of strict office wear. People are now able to wear jeans and casual shirts, so everyone is clean and tidy but not stuffy.

I tend to wear my own style of dresses and skirts which are a bit retro, not really something I could have worn to work pre-COVID but still a little dressed up.

For interviews, best to remember that first impressions count for a lot.

There’s no dress code where I work (small company, mostly male) and most people wear jeans/chino’s.

I like to look smart/well turned out so I’ll dress up jeans for example or dress down smarter dresses-eg a whistles dress with trainers. Always wear some makeup.

Casual is way more ‘fashionable’ and the norm for work these days.

I struggled with the transition but now love it. 39 so when starting in my career it was very smart office attire. I still have a few weird rules - when people wear jeans, I can’t physically bring myself to wear blue jeans. I will still only wear black jeans, just feel blue are a bit toooo casual.

I work in Tech and it’s a ‘cool’ tech company. Nobody wears suits. CEO defo wouldn’t be seen in a suit.

I work in social services. We all dress very casual, the reason is when we are going out to do home visits, we want people to feel comfortable around us, and not like we are ‘better’ than them, I just wear my normal clothes. Jeans, converse etc. I am enjoying being able to wear sandals and summer dresses as I worked in care for years and wasn’t able to. Or I’m working from home, I do always make sure I’m properly dressed though, don’t really like wearing joggers

I love dressing well for work. I’ve definitely found more of a style that works for me as I’ve got older. In my 20s it was very much Next suits and a shirt, the odd shift dress with jacket. I now have a wardrobe of blazers/jackets (far more than I need, they are my weakness and I’m obsessed with Veronica Beard), silk tops, well cut shirts, blouses, a wide variety of trousers (all tailored but various cuts and colours), dresses tend to be shirt dresses, midi skirts. I don’t wear heels as much as I used to but I love a smart flat and look forward to wearing my extensive knee high boot collection in winter.

I would say I’m on the edgier side of corporate. Two of my favourite outfits are smart black leather trousers with a blouse and blazer and a camel suede midi pencil skirt with short and cropped jacket.

For interviews, remember no one lost a job for looking too smart, but plenty of scruffy looking people won’t have got the offer.

Our office (in the Midlands/) is on the smarter side of smart casual… and I still love to dress up! It’s very male dominated so I tend ro
wear dresses, colours and patterns to stand out from the suits and chinos..in the office but especially if I’m at a conference or event.

The main chsnge for us is trainers - which I have embraced (coordinated to my outfit!) but I still always have a pair of heels in my bag…

I dress in what I consider "smart". Dresses, skirt & top, black jeans and a blazer. Sometimes I'll wear heels, sometimes smart trainers.

I'm glad we're out of the "pencil skirt and blouse" era, so we can wear smart clothes that we also like and feel good in ☺️

Middle manager in an investment bank but not client facing.

Some people in our office are pretty casual, jeans, trainers etc. Generally everyone from middle management upwards makes an effort. It might still involve jeans but generally with a smart top/blouse/blazer. Big trend for wide leg trousers which I enjoy with nice knitwear.

I like to wear smarter clothes for work but hardly anyone else in my office does. Men will wear suits for important external meetings and presentations but generally most people are in jeans and trainers.
I wear smart trousers with flats, blouses, nice knitwear in the winter, sometimes a little jacket/blazer, sometimes a shirt dress.
In summer I wear shirt dresses and smart sandals.

I love clothes and dressing up. I usually go into the office 2-3 times a week. I have a senior role in a large US financial services firm, but I’m not client facing. Nearly everyone is smartly dressed.

I wear dresses, usually midi length, and jackets. Something with a waist as I’m hour glass shaped. I like Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera and Max Mara for work. I change my bag and jewellery every day to match my outfit. I wear medium heels usually Ferragamo, Gucci or Louboutin as these brands are the most comfortable for me. I’ve got lots of beautiful high heels but unfortunately, I don’t wear them anymore.