Work requires expensive tailored clothes

[PriscillaPartridge]

I work at a very traditional law firm. I earn very little compared to the partners who impose this policy. Work clothes must be of good quality fabrics and preferably fitted by a tailor/adjusted to fit. I asked if M&S was ok, but was directed to more suitable brands such… some places are £300 a skirt. Any ideas on where to shop for expensive looking but not big ££ clothes?

An employer dictating what I wore and exactly where to buy it would be a major red flag for me.

Do people actually go into the office regularly enough to need so many formal outfits these days?

I do and if shoes are polished and smart.

Buy an M&S suit or similar, get local alterations. Buy a bunch of personal sew in labels from Etsy replace M&S labels.
Just create your own fashion line.

Also look for a saner job.

I would look for another job, this company is awful, get the hell out.

If I wanted cheap tailored clothes I'd look secondhand. We have a dress agency in our town that sells top brands for other people. Also charity shops and eBay/vinted.

But seriously, leave. Wankers.

Is this legit? 20 years of lawyering (including magic circle) and have never come across this.....

Cream pearls are just cream pearls - not necessarily old. They are the cheaper option compared to whiter pearls with rose undertones which are much more flattering to anybody who has "colder" colouring. In other words, if you have blue eyes, dark hair and light skin you will look much better in a pearl necklace that is whiter with rose overtones than a cheaper cream string.

high street is fine.
find something that fits you well and buy a couple of things that you can use as uniform.
if you have a 'difficult' shape buy slightly bigger and have it altered by a seemstress.

I have plain black trousers. plain well fitting t-shirts and a couple of cardigans for desk work and a jacket for regular meetings.
one 'power suit' for important meetings.

When I first started work at a law firm hundreds of years ago we were given a clothing allowance so that we could turn up on the first day looking like we fitted it. I would say go to m&s / next and just try on hundreds of things until you get something that fits really well. And I know it has been mentioned a lot but do try Vinted. All my lawyer friends are jettisoning their tailored suits worth thousands for £10 a pop. They’re just delighted to clear the cupboard space and are happy if it goes to a good home.

Ignore them OP. They cannot insist on expensive tailored suits without paying for it. M&S will be perfectly fine.

I think the Vardags lady sounds charmingly bonkers! That email is funny, not offensive.

I asked if M&S was ok, but was directed to more suitable brands such…

What can they do - they can hardly demand that you undress so they can check the labels.

Suggest the firm comes into the 21st century. It's never going to retain good staff with attitudes like this.

Or I’d move firm! The world has moved on!! These Partners don’t see what others earn cos they earn such ridiculous amounts of money. Many law firms would not suggest this in this day and age.

but that wasn’t your question lol! So yes Vinted is fab!

Next Outlet is worth a look too.

This can't be true, surely?

For all those saying Vardags, this isn't my idea of ultra-smart tailoring Primark-esque cleavage for starters.

Get another job where they don't dictate where you have to buy clothes .

What will they do if you turn up in M&S stuff anyway ?

I would just go to m and s and get it tailored, or any of the higher high steer brands mentioned above.

Don’t ask and they won’t know.

I’d be putting it back on them. If they want you to wear certain clothes they can either a) pay you more or b) give you a clothing allowance.

To all those saying that this isn’t real, it very much can be.

A relative deals with private client HNWIs and this is exactly the sort of training they get. Where to go, what to wear etc.

I had another friend who worked at a boutique media practice and they had to ‘look cool’. Looking cool doesn’t necessarily come naturally to lawyers - so yeah, some instruction involved!

Well yeah they do.

But the PP isn’t suggesting anything fancy, just high st.

Next have formal work clothes (online has more options) the key is that you choose clothes that fit well - £300 skirts will look cheap if they don't fit properly.

Otherwise look at independent or small brands eg bought a wool skirt (they had matching jackets) in Scotland, £74 in the sale but full price was in the £130 range, they custom tailor if required. Shop was central Edinburgh.

If you are required to have specific clothes for work you may be able to get a tax allowance i or really they should pay

I have a couple of work things from Jaeger that are beautifully tailored, but they are a few years older. I got my Jaeger interview dress brand new in a charity shop for £30. M&S now stock Jaeger online so there are some good prices during the sales.

Just focus on looking as smart as you can with the budget you have. The pearl jewellery is a good idea, looking classy and elegant can be done on a lower budget.

Unfortunately M&S is pretty rubbish for formal workwear now - dd found nothing this spring when she was about to start work, Next did come up trumps

Vardags is notorious for batshittery in dress codes.

www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/vardags-relaxed-its-notorious-dress-code-because-partner-looked-fantastic-leather