# How would you dress for work, given your druthers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227 "2008-10-16T16:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/41 "2008-10-16T22:26:41Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > What’s your beef against New Zealand? It’s beautiful and it doesn’t have nearly as many horrible critters as Australia. You’re not clear on how this “evil” thing works, are you? First, I don’t NEED a reason. Second, the fact that it’s beautiful and filled with innocents IS a reason. Third, reasons are for women, Frenchmen, and Thundercats. Fourth, Kim told me to tell you that you’re cute. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/42 "2008-10-16T22:31:23Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You’re not clear on how this “evil” thing works, are you? First, I don’t NEED a reason. Second, the fact that it’s beautiful and filled with innocents IS a reason. Third, reasons are for women, Frenchmen, and Thundercats. Fourth, Kim told me to tell you that you’re cute. So just kill the people! … and thanks? I think? =^\_^= ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/43 "2008-10-16T22:32:32Z")
How about this? “Dress as if you were going to interview at the company for which you’re currently working?” Would this work, or would it be too formal? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/44 "2008-10-16T22:33:39Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#): > > So just kill the people! … and thanks? I think? =^\_^= Are you trying to get me tossed out of the League of Melodramatic Assholes? We don’t do genocide. We do massive property destruction that incidentally results in millions of innocent people being vaporized but, most importantly, involves really cool explosions and, when possible, anti-matter meteors. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/45 "2008-10-16T22:52:49Z")
My office is all-casual, all the time, except when we have visitors from the main office (which is practically never). But what I’d like: Business casual, ultra-casual Wednesdays, black-tie Fridays. Of course the black-tie Fridays would come with canapes and cocktails at 4. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/46 "2008-10-16T23:32:53Z")
I have a pretty decent dress code right now: jeans, running shoes and some type of collared shirt. I can also wear nice tee shirts. The only thing I’d change is I’d like to wear sandals with no socks and shorts in the summer. Well the sandals year round actually. also I want to wear my old crappy tee shirts. I don’t work with customers so comfort would be king for me. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/47 "2008-10-16T23:48:59Z")
My dress code right now is very specific, but also very lax. It has to be very specific, because the company I work for employees a lot of people with mental disabilities and the rules are very black and white so there is no confusion. Clothing has to be clean and free of holes. No shorts (this one I don’t get, because they refuse to get us air conditioning. It was 87 degrees inside this summer, and we got no special dispensation for shorts, even for one day… and we don’t see customers! But I digress), no open toed or open backed shoes (we work in a warehouse), must wear socks, no political, religious or alcohol t-shirts. Given my druthers (I love that word) I’d wear pretty much what I do, but with shorts in the summer. Jeans or Docker-type slacks, sneakers, t-shirts or button downs. After I graduate next summer, I will stand a very good chance of working from home. But I will probably still wear the same thing, without the “clean and free of holes” restriction. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/48 "2008-10-16T23:59:52Z")
I wish the other librarians dressed up more. I’ve been wearing suits a lot for the past several months and I feel I get more respect from the patrons and as a professional in general. Besides, it makes me feel sharp and like I’m “really working”. It also makes me feel more separation between work and home. A lot of librarians dress like kindergarten teachers - hell, some librarians dress like kindergarteners. If we want to be taken seriously as a profession we ought to start dressing like we belong to one - maybe we wouldn’t get that “you need a masters’ degree to check out books?” thing anymore. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/49 "2008-10-17T00:55:36Z")
Brokerage firm. Our dress code is perfect. We can wear jeans, but collared shirts. A lot of people choose to wear khakis. The dress code is one reason I actually joined this company. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/50 "2008-10-17T01:03:18Z")
I dress for work exactly the way I’d like to: tshirt, jeans, slip-on shoes. If not for my security ID, you wouldn’t really think I worked in an office. We’re a large, high-stress company with many employees, but the culture allows for casual dress. Even when clients tour, we don’t need to dress up, and management wears business casual. I’ve never seen the CEO in anything fancier than jeans. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/51 "2008-10-17T01:10:39Z")
Jeans. T-shirts. Studded bracelets. Sneakers. Fishnets or a long-sleeved layered thing under the t-shirts on really cold days. I work on the phones. Customers don’t see me. I would feel a million times better if I could go to work dressed like that, and I’d probably do a better job. The more comfortable I am, the less stressed I am; the less stressed I am, the less likely I am to screw up. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/52 "2008-10-17T01:11:14Z")
I wouldn’t change, actually. I’m a baker, I get stuff on me, in spite of the apron. So I wear plain, elastic waisted pants, a non-patterened, plain shirt, and really, really good shoes. My shoes are probably the most expensive single item of clothing I wear, except for my good winter coat. I get my pants and shirts at a uniform store, they’re long wearing and easy to clean. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/53 "2008-10-17T01:14:57Z")
I’d wear exactly what I wear to work now. Carpenter style jeans, work boots, tee shirt ( I prefer solid colors, like tan, khaki, olive drab, charcoal) and an insulated flannel shirt in the winter. I wear shorts on the hottest summer days. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/54 "2008-10-17T01:15:49Z")
I work in an alarm monitoring station. No one sees me other than my co-workers. When I started working with this company, we wore “business casual” - no jeans or sneakers, dress pants. Now we wear scrubs. SCRUBS! We are in no way, shape or form medical professionals. Why we are wearing scrubs puzzles the hell out of me. But we can wear sneakers now.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/55 "2008-10-17T01:22:14Z")
I’m a college teacher, so I dress like a college teacher. I wish I didn’t have to watch my necklines quite so much, but other than that I like it. I like dressing up for work and I like dressing in a way that makes me feel like an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227/56 "2008-10-17T01:37:34Z")
I like to look good for work. I always wear coordinated, put together outfit. I look nice. But I am perfectly capable of looking nice without proscribed fabrics, shoe shapes, or pantyhose. I hate working in offices where I’m essentially punished for others’ inability to dress themselves properly. There’s nothing inherently unprofessional about denim, bare legs, or visible heels/toes. My office has no official dress code. It’s not even mentioned. This is not uncommon around here. The formality level fluctuates depending on people’s moods and the weather. Our IT guy wears jeans and t-shirts. Some mostly wear skirts. I wear pants, jeans, and skirts, but the only pair of hose I own are [these](http://www.flickr.com/photos/31466949@N05/2948508124/). I think people should be able to wear what makes them feel most productive. For some it’s sweatpants, for some it’s a suit. I have noticed most casual people don’t care if their coworker wears a suit, but the suit people are usually _adamant_ that everyone dress like them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-dress-for-work-given-your-druthers/468227.md?page=2)