# Dressing for work **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255 "2004-08-24T13:13:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/21 "2004-08-24T20:09:20Z")
**Shodan** glances down and sees that he is wearing a white shirt and tie. The dress code here is “be comfortable and professional”. So I wear a suit and tie. People treat you differently. I feel different. Plus it saves me the trouble of picking out my clothes in the morning. White shirt, one of my several suits, the first tie I put my hand on, and then my daughter doesn’t roll her eyes at what I have chosen to dress myself in. Plus then, when I come home and change into my slops, I feel that work and home are \*different]/i]. It’s the same difference between socializing at work functions and socializing with my real friends. I do better when I don’t let people convince me that work and home are the same thing. Then I would never get to go home. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/22 "2004-08-24T21:11:28Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I wear shorts and Birkenstocks every day. Man, do I love my job! That was me last week. This week the weather has gone south, so today I’m in jeans, hiking shoes, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It’s a technology company. Some days we’re lucky if our compatriots shower and put their dongs away. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/23 "2004-08-24T22:41:29Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Some days we’re lucky if our compatriots shower and put their dongs away. :eek: As in 12"DHIBJD?? That’s just wrong. Now if you worked in a courtroom, I could understand. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/24 "2004-08-24T22:46:28Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > :eek: As in 12"DHIBJD?? That’s just wrong. > > Now if you worked in a courtroom, I could understand. correction: 18 inches. Which is how bbig the judge wished it was!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/25 "2004-08-24T23:14:10Z")
Aloha shirt and khaki pants or blue jeans. One of the biggest benefits of my job as a college prof. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/26 "2004-08-25T04:19:52Z")
I’m fortunate to be able to just dress for the particular occasion. If I am seeing patients or just working in the office I wear business casual. If I have a presentation or outside meeting I tend to dress more professionally, whether it is a suit or just a nice jacket over more casual clothes, depending on the situation. I read the other responses in this thread with interest. I agree with the OP, \*\*Johnny LA \*\* , even though it is great to get to dress casually, sometimes it is good to “clean up nice” 🙂 I also really can relate to **Shodan** when he mentions liking to _switch into home-mode_ after work by changing clothes. After a long day it’s so great to get to kick off your shoes, get out of that suit and get really comfy. You know, your’re…_ahhhh home. 🙂_ Sometimes I telework and find that transition hard. Seems like the day just kind of goes on and on. Hard to complain about that though since on those days I can wear my bunny slippers all day if I want :o ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/27 "2004-08-25T05:42:10Z")
Well, the guy who fills the office snack box (“honor snacks”) finally heeded our pleas and put in little white donuts. And I was wearing black! So I’m wearing white tomorrow. Hope there are some li’l white donuts left. Will be wearing white or other light colors until said donuts are gone. ---
**Author:** ![Sharky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sharky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sharky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/28 "2004-08-25T06:16:24Z")
Our offices were recently remodeled, and the place looks very nice now. At first, we looked a little out of place wearing Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and sandals to work, but hell, it’s Florida. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/29 "2004-08-25T06:23:19Z")
I work in the Irish parliament (Dáil). Most people, as you’d expect, wear suits (or at least really _nice_ business casual). But on my floor it’s all the smaller parties and independents, and we pretty much wear whatever we want. Usually when the Dáil’s actually sitting I’ll go a little bit nicer, maybe trousers or a skirt and a nice blouse or sweater, but when it’s not sitting I’m almost always in jeans, runners and whatever top I happen to pull out of the wardrobe, including t-shirts or football jerseys. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/30 "2004-08-25T06:52:53Z")
I work in a lab, so I mostly wear t-shirt and jeans. The only real rules are closed-toe shoes are mandatory and our legs have to be covered, plus we aren’t allowed to wear nylons, which really isn’t a hardship. I’m a recent graduate, so this dress code is fine with me, since I don’t have to invest in a whole new wardrobe, though I’ll probably upgrade it a bit as I have the money. I definitely like to dress up a little occasionally, but I can satisfy that by wearing long skirts to work from time to time. I’m also keeping a bit of a separate “home” wardrobe by keeping aside a few items that I don’t wear to work even though I could almost certainly get away with wearing them there - mostly stuff that’s either a bit lower-cut than I feel comfortable wearing in a professional environment or t-shirts with “funky” logos, since people don’t really seem to wear shirts with much printed on them. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/31 "2004-08-25T14:44:57Z")
Like **Ms Macphisto** and **gfloyd** , I also work in a lab. I can get away with just about anything and I have actually seen people come to work in pajamas. :eek: :smack: However, I agree with the idea that you should dress for the job you want and I don’t want to be a worker bee. So, I do tend to dress nicer than my co-workers. But, inevitably, when I wear something nice, I spill something horrible on myself. I try to plan my wardrobe based on what I plan in lab, but I never know when I might run into a big wig in the field and want to make a good impression. So what tends to happen is that I ping-pong around between jeans, a nice T-shirt (no logos) and good shoes (always 😃 ) and something approximately business casual. I always dress nicely for a presentation or teaching. I think it’s a sign of respect for your work and your audience. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/32 "2004-08-25T16:23:39Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Whatever you do, don’t wear a tie with a short-sleeved shirt. It really screams “Sears Off The Racks”. What? That’s practically a uniform here. Light blue shirt, tie, chinos. Expected dress varies from site to site since the (IT) company I work for has aquired other businesses and their cultures differed from the parent company. For the most part other sites are more casual than this one, we’re expected to wear ties. Full suited battle dress is just for sales and consultants and management but all of us are expected to thread a long thin pointless piece of clothing round our necks. It’s not even like it identifies your house (colour) like it did back at school (hey we could have Trek style colour coding for different departments, bagsie development is _not_ red). I don’t understand how the tie has survived into the 21st century (didn’t Cecil have something to say about ties?). They make as much sense as deely-boppers but I don’t see _them_ becoming required business wear. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/33 "2004-08-25T16:36:23Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > They make as much sense as deely-boppers but I don’t see _them_ becoming required business wear. deely-boppers? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/34 "2004-08-25T18:34:27Z")
> [@Red Stilettos](#): > > deely-boppers? 😕 [deely-boppers.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1982/fashion2.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/35 "2004-08-25T18:41:29Z")
> [@Red Stilettos](#): > > Like **Ms Macphisto** and **gfloyd** , I also work in a lab. I can get away with just about anything and I have actually seen people come to work in pajamas. :eek: :smack: > > However, I agree with the idea that you should dress for the job you want and I don’t want to be a worker bee. So, I do tend to dress nicer than my co-workers. But, inevitably, when I wear something nice, I spill something horrible on myself. I try to plan my wardrobe based on what I plan in lab, but I never know when I might run into a big wig in the field and want to make a good impression. > > So what tends to happen is that I ping-pong around between jeans, a nice T-shirt (no logos) and good shoes (always 😃 ) and something approximately business casual. I always dress nicely for a presentation or teaching. I think it’s a sign of respect for your work and your audience. Busted 😉 L, M ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255/36 "2004-08-25T19:27:34Z")
Considering I’m currently wearing some jeans, a t-shirt, and no socks or shoes, I’d have to say my job is pretty casual about clothing. Hell, a week or two ago, I showed up in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt when I didn’t have anything else clean. I love my job. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dressing-for-work/261255.md?page=1)