Are all these waistcoats work appropriate?

[Goroshek]

There are hundreds of tailored waistcoats in the shops.
Some are obviously too sexy, strappy, cropped, gaping at the navel. Some are smart looking, crew neck, high arm holes, long line. But somehow bare arms put me off. Nothing to do with arms, I am pretty toned, but I would not want a male colleague rocking up in a muscle vest, and these somehow feel disrespectful. What are your opinions on these? One example - Whistles Molly.

I feel exactly the same. Different styles look better on different figures. Very slim, younger women can look more professional in shorter skirts than curvier chubbier women wearing skirts of the same length.

women with smaller chests can get away with lower cut tops than women with larger breasts showing lots of cleavage.

I view is similarly to different colours look better on different complexions?

I wear sleeveless tops to work all the time, and also out of work, and I am corporate, bit stunned anyone thinks arms are inappropriate, what next ankles 😂

for me anything too short or showing cleavage, anything too tight isn’t ok but arms, yup them ans ankles are fine

I work somewhere with a strict dress code (court) but am very surprised that arms are a problem anywhere else!! What on earth is wrong with arms?!

I think they're only truly work appropriate with something underneath - similarly to how a man would wear a waistcoat.

In a more casual or fashion forward environment, sure - in our place back office people wear tank tops and shorts when it's hot - but client-facing/formal, I'd say no.

I am going to do the waistcoat look but with a classic white tee. Similarly how models in campaigns wear suits with nothing underneath, whereas IRL I would always wear a top underneath.

Not a fan of bare arms in the office - it’s generally too casual or too dressy.

additionally, there’s just not much need for it in the UK

This.

It’s like a parallel universe on here, bare arms not ok at work 😂

The only people I know who wear these do so casually, with jeans and flat loafers. And they're also quite small busted. If I got one that fit my chest in it there'd be major armpit gape.

Why does a slimmer person look more professional than a larger person wearing the same outfit in your mind? That's incredibly discriminating and I'd be examining my ingrained prejudice if I felt that way.

Workplaces with dress codes do still exist. Some will be anachronistic throw backs, others might be for health/safety reasons.

Sleeveless doesn't really work for me at work. If in a meeting, I never see a man in a vest top and rarely in shorts. It's hard to carry off and definitely not compatible with air con

I think they are perfectly fine and lovely to wear especially in summer when it's hot although I am 26 so..!

Yeah sorry OP I think sleeveless in an office looks tacky. Why when there are so many other things available to wear?

I’m sure you very seldom see one in a dress or skirt either, it doesn’t mean women can’t do it,

I’ve not tried these waistcoats because I wouldn’t be convinced tailoring would take well to washing every time you wore it. And as for dry cleaning every time - yikes!

Bit confused that people find sleeveless quite so inappropriate for work though!

No it doesn't mean we can't. Sleeveless can be quite casual, not for everyone in a work situation.

It can also be very smart in tailored clothing.

That's true and when I say 'it's not for everyone' it follows that it 'is for some people' obvs

I’m not keen on strappy tops in work because you then have a lot of bare skin generally on show. Generally though a sleeveless top or dress could be much more covered and conservative if that’s the requirement. I personally would not be buying a waistcoat now though because that trend has been around for a few years and feels a bit done to me. ( nothing to do with arms on show )

I agree. A waistcoat is something to wear over something. Not alone. You cant take it off if it gets warm and some of the material theyre made from feels uncomfortable if worn next to the skin. Having said that I do wear sleeveless tops but they are work wear, not tight etc...

The current trend is without anything and you can’t take most tops off if you get warm if you’re not wearing anything underneath , it’s really not the done thing.

If a workplace has a dress code for EHS reasons then they provide the safety clothing (and for some things the laundering as well). Nobody is buying their own labcoat /safety specs /steel toe caps /neon coat /tyvex suits. Our manufacturing staff even get work issued socks, tshirts, trousers and sweatshirts.