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Original poster

Work requires expensive tailored clothes

289 replies

PriscillaPartridge · 04/09/2023 22:02

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?

OP posts:
gogomoto · 05/09/2023 07:59

Oh and for a handbag, forget brands, there's an artisan leather bag maker in Greenwich market who makes amazing bags, obviously not cheap but a fraction of the cost of a designer bag plus you know you are supporting a local person! I lot of putting an outfit together is about carrying it off plus simple well made components used in rotation not quantity

Bellyblueboy · 05/09/2023 08:11

LaurieFairyCake · 04/09/2023 22:29

It's really easy, EBay.

Hawkes and Curtis shirts - all £20
At the moment brand new from their sale

And aquascutum skirts off EBay - for about £20 as well

It's so easy to dress in fancy designer brands for buttons

Alternatively buy one amazing suit for £300
Off M and S and get it tailored and wear it every day like the men do

WAAMD - he would wear the same suit every day with a different shirt

NO ONE NOTICES - all suits look the same in a navy or dark grey

In fairness this is only easy if you can get your size!

getting things tailored isn’t cheap - and it takes time. I have a pair of trousers I need altered - they have been in the wardrobe for a year!

NeunundneunzigHorseBallonz · 05/09/2023 08:12

Uniqlo has some very conservative clothing also. Look to their Ines de La Fressange (IDLF) range for lovely suits and silk shirts. You could get a suit there and mix and match skirts with the blazer, add a vest to break it up a bit, etc. They’re always having sales, so check out the website.

Mummybud · 05/09/2023 08:15

I’m wondering if it’s Macs or similar. I don’t think it’s Vardags but if it is, poor you.

OP I’m a partner at a global top 10 firm and this is nonsense. A couple of good pieces from Hobbs, LK Bennet when you can afford them. Check out the Boden sales. A relatively casual dress can be elevated by a nice jacket which lives on the back of your chair or wardrobe (if your office has one) until you need it. As someone said above, being “polished” is far more important than the label in your clothes.

Batalax · 05/09/2023 08:19

Have you asked them how they think you can afford it on your salary?

LaGiaconda · 05/09/2023 08:24

I don't think this is about busting a gut and spending lots of time to fit in with their requirements.

Their requirements are discriminatory against women as the criteria for women - shoes, blouses, skirts, jackets will cost more than a suit/shirt/tie. Women are also more likely to be in lower paid positions as paralegals. Even the female partners are likely to be paid less.

Perhaps point this out in the light of whatever EDI policy your workplace have.

Meanwhile wear the smart, conservative clothing you can afford on the salary they pay you.

Angliski · 05/09/2023 08:28

EBay. Find a posh brand you love and buy on eBay. I love Nicole Fargo and Vivienne Westwood. I pay around 20 quid for a dress or coat :)

to save you having to monitor eBay, join a bidding site like gixen.com

for £5 a year they do the bidding for you - you set a maximum and they bid at the last minute. I’ve bought sofas, tables, kids toys, all sorts with minimum effort.

PetiteNasturtium · 05/09/2023 08:30

I fell foul of the way I dressed but it was because I was a bit outlandish, personally I see nothing wrong with camouflage and hiking boots. They can have a dress code but not a brand. I would ring ACAS but guess as it’s a law firm they should know what’s allowed as a request.

Go to a well off area and go to the charity shops in that area.

Hillcrest2022 · 05/09/2023 08:30

I'm so glad I left the law. Now I can wear jeans and trainers to work.. sorry that's not helpful but think about moving in house for a better life!

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 05/09/2023 08:32

LaurieFairyCake · 04/09/2023 22:29

It's really easy, EBay.

Hawkes and Curtis shirts - all £20
At the moment brand new from their sale

And aquascutum skirts off EBay - for about £20 as well

It's so easy to dress in fancy designer brands for buttons

Alternatively buy one amazing suit for £300
Off M and S and get it tailored and wear it every day like the men do

WAAMD - he would wear the same suit every day with a different shirt

NO ONE NOTICES - all suits look the same in a navy or dark grey

agree with eBay or vinted but ask if the firm has a clothing allowance as most magic circle firms do.

To be honest when I’ve worked in law firms large and small (ex legal PA) I’ve worn Reiss suits with TM Lewin shirts and Next directory work dresses and blazers and no one can tell really.

I was very lucky when I was 18 that a friend who was older than me gave me a grey wool handmade skirt suit by a tailor that I got compliments on from upper middle classes.

I used to sell or buy my posh suits on eBay.

A female partner in a big accountancy firm where I worked did buy expensive suits but she had the salary for it.

If you do want to invest then wait for sales or sample sales. The big law firm outfitters I’m sure must do offers…

ChocolateCinderToffee · 05/09/2023 08:33

Buy cheaply and cut the labels out. Replace them with labels from expensive brands.

MarkWithaC · 05/09/2023 08:33

RhymesWithTangerine · 04/09/2023 22:14

Sympathies, OP, that is tough. If you are a partner at a traditional law firm then you will be paid reasonably - but it is still frustrating that a woman’s wardrobe is so many times more costly to achieve the same result.

A man’s outfit might be £1k from head to toe and he’ll look good. And he can wear it 5days a week - give or take a few shirts and socks. If we want to turn up in £1k outfit every day it would cost ££££s.

I think the OP is saying she ISN’T a partner; that’s the point.

I wouldn’t waste time at this stage trawling shops and websites for the ‘right’ clothes. I’d check my contract and see if there’s anything in there about being required to wear certain labels/price points. Presumably there isn’t, in which case I think the next step would be to ask for written confirmation of how this ‘rule’ will be policed.
It might not hurt to talk to an employment lawyer as well (ironic, I know!).

fgswhywouldIdothat · 05/09/2023 08:34

Charity shop in posh area. Seriously. Filled with suitable jackets - if too big take it to a seamstress. Bottom half might be harder due to sizing but always buy bigger as it can be taken down a few sizes.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 05/09/2023 08:36

Suits don’t need to be expensive. They should be made from breathable fabrics and fit. The latter can be done via tailoring.

I would second other commenters: how would they know?

buying no-name items and styling them in an “appropriate” manner (tailoring, making sure they aren’t wrinkled etc) should be enough.

Summerishere123 · 05/09/2023 08:36

They aren't allowed to specify this. I own a business and was advised that I cannot stipulate anything that I am not paying for!

hdbs17 · 05/09/2023 08:37

Are they checking your labels everyday?

If you were to wear a £30 M&S skirt instead of a £300 one, would they really know?

fgswhywouldIdothat · 05/09/2023 08:39

If you are in London I suggest FARA somewhere like Notting Hill or the Kings Road. Last weekend I bought an unworn pair of Tod's loafers for £42. Retail at £630.

Erdinger · 05/09/2023 08:43

Massimo Dutti do suits and blouses in lovely fabrics. I must say that high quality suit jackets last.Look for when they have sales.

elephantandorchid · 05/09/2023 08:44

I'd ask local seamstresses how much it would cost to make a few basic machine washable shift dresses in good fabric. Something that would fit and hang well and look expensive but go through the washing machine time after time. Then team these with more expensive jackets.

TheWayOfTheWorld · 05/09/2023 08:46

friskybivalves · 05/09/2023 07:36

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

Oh I certainly don't think she's epitome of good style, just that's the only law firm I can think of that would have that bonkers requirement.

Seychal · 05/09/2023 08:46

CopperLion · 04/09/2023 22:47

Bonkers. You can do all of the things suggested by pp but my main concern would be what this says about the broader culture.

Exactly. I presume next no staff will be allowed to be fat.

Hardly the meritocracy that professional service firms need to be these days.

AnIndianWoman · 05/09/2023 08:49

Back when I worked in the City I just went to Leicester, picked some fabric, and asked an Indian tailor to make me some suits. They were premium fabrics (Leicester is where a lot of Saville Row tailors buy fabric) and you had to have an idea of what you want to look like because most Indian tailors are only experienced in men’s suiting but I got 5 suits for £500 that were indistinguisable from high end designer brands.

Anxioys · 05/09/2023 08:51

Being honest this can be a way of saying your face doesn't fit. You will never change a firm's unspoken culture so think carefully if you want to be there. Not all firms are like this but there are certainly old English law firms who take careful note of this. Should it happen, no. Does it happen? Yes.

Naunet · 05/09/2023 08:52

Great, a law firm that doesn’t understand the law! Forget the expensive suits, find a better company to work for.

Notcontent · 05/09/2023 08:52

Another lawyer here and I have never come across anything like this! Firstly, it’s all pretty casual now and as long as you look presentable then that’s all that counts. Secondly, even if you are required to wear more formal clothes (which seems really unusual) then I don’t see how anyone can police where the clothes come from….