Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dresscode

Business dress for the casual girl?

Metroid Baby — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:17:31 -0800

After a few years of hoodies and flip-flops, I'm re-entering a business-casual work environment - slightly clueless and very reluctant about dressing up. Help me adhere to the dress code and look good while maximizing comfort and minimizing effort. Corporate dress codes aren't completely foreign to me: my first few jobs were in business-casual offices. However, I guess they were foreign enough to me that I was approached by two different bosses at two different jobs about needing to dress better. (On both occasions, I asked for ideas/examples of how to improve, and both times I heard "You know that suit you wore to your interview? You looked really great then.") I amassed a collection of twinsets and crinkly dry-clean-only skirts, but I felt dowdy and uncomfortable in them. And I got really, really tired of having to think about putting together work outfits. All in all, not a pleasant experience for me, and it's left me with a vague dread of dress codes in general.

The last time anyone cared what I wore to work was early 2006. Since then, my work environments have become increasingly relaxed: from unenforced business-casual, to casual, to working at home. I love having the freedom to wear what I want to work, and I love working for people who are more interested in my ideas than my wardrobe.

It probably goes without saying that my wardrobe has gotten more and more casual over the past couple of years, too. I've given away a lot of my old work clothes, and I haven't needed to replace them with similar pieces. My typical daily outfit is a t-shirt/tank top, a knit skirt or yoga pants, a track-ish jacket or hoodie, and flip-flops or sporty flats.

In a few weeks, however, I'll be back in an office with a business-casual dress code. I can't very well roll up to work in a tracksuit, as much as I wish I could. I have a few nice skirts and sweaters from my old office days, but for the most part I'm starting from scratch.

Trouble is, I don't particularly like styles that are suit-y or dressy. I've gone window-shopping with the intent of getting ideas for what I could wear to work, and every time I find myself getting shrugging at the career clothing and drifting into the juniors' or sportswear departments. I'm also not into wearing clothes or shoes that I can't walk a mile in. And I prefer my clothes to be as low-maintenance as possible – in the past, anything that's required ironing or dry-cleaning has stayed wadded in a stale wrinkly ball in the back of my closet.

Ideally, I'd like to throw on an outfit in under a minute, walk to work, and look awesome. Too unrealistic? I'd settle for not feeling like I'm wearing a uniform and not wanting to change into pajamas the second I get home.

And if that weren't picky enough, I'd like to get my work wardrobe together without spending very much money or adding too much stuff. I know I'll need to buy a few things (I have only one pair of dressy pants, for example) but I'd really rather not get a whole ton of new clothes.

I've never found a resource that has been particularly helpful. Most advice seems to fall either into "you'll know what's appropriate when you see it" or "you should wear whatever upper management is wearing."

So I'm looking for advice on what to wear, what to look for in work clothes, how to plan outfits, etc. I'm not completely new to dressing up for work, but I feel like I could stand to learn a lot, so even the most basic Garanimals-level tips are fine by me.

Could somebody please tell me...just what exactly is the dress code here?

simplethings — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:54:14 -0800

I was invited to a restaurant with a "Smart Casual" dress code and in my attempt to find out what that was I ran across this chart. I thought it was very clever and helpful and now I'd like to see more graphical representations comparing the various levels of dress codes. Have you seen any? Or do you know where I can find others?

What is Islamic dress code (for non-Muslims)?

feelinggood — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:33:58 -0800

What should my wife wear to an occasion that requests "please observe Islamic dress code?" We are non-Muslims. My wife teaches at a school whose teachers have been invited to the ceremonial opening of a (Shiite) Islamic center nearby. The invitation posted on the bulletin board says, "Please observe Islamic dress code." Does this mean she has to wear a hijab or some other face/hair covering?
Anything special for men?

Premiere Attire?

peachykeen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:30:39 -0800

What should one wear to an L.A. movie premiere? I've scored tickets for a movie premiere tonight and am clueless as to what I should wear. I'll be attending as a member of the general public, not walking the red carpet or anything.

The catch- I'm leaving in an hour! And what's more, my wardrobe is pretty limited. Jeans, some cute tops, sundresses, and one LBD. Will the LBD be too fancy? Jeans and a dressy top too casual?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Fun in Paris?

disillusioned — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:24:27 -0800

TypicalTravelFilter: What are the must-sees, tips and tricks, and off-the-beaten paths whilst in Paris for 3 days? I'm visiting Paris later this month for three days, down from London.

I know the Museum Pass is supposed to be fantastic, but what other absolutely amazing things are proximate/accessible without a car service (public trans, walking, or bus okay)? (I'm staying at the Arc de Triomphe Hilton.)

I'm very into food, but my typical garb is t-shirts and jeans. What do I need to pack in case I'd like to eat at a very nice restaurant? Moreover, what very nice restaurants would you recommend? I'd also love for feedback all along the economic strata, from dirt cheap (if such a non-McDonalds thing exists) bites to what I might expect to pay for a much nicer restaurant. Also, will I have trouble getting in some place great? Can I make reservations once I'm there, or is it already too late for some of the better places?

I like photography as well, and people watching. I'm not terribly into wine, which itself is a crime in France anyway, or fashion, or shopping, but I do love art, museums, off-the-beaten path demonstrations or activities, and everything else... any other tips and tricks would fantastic as well, including faux pas, etc.

(And of course I'm eating up other threads as well, but please feel free to link to any I absolutely must not miss.)

Merci.

Dress code for male Doms?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:21:47 -0800

What is the minimum acceptable dress code for male Doms who want to go public? There's been a lot of D/s questions on AskMe lately and it's drawing out all the kinksters, old and new alike. Awesome!

My question is this: having just recently self-identified as a straight male Dom, I've yet to mould myself to the 'scene', and am doubtful if I ever will (i.e., it will most likely remain a private indulgence, though not necessarily closeted).

However, I'm interested in attending clubs and fet-friendly gatherings- not for public play (necessarily), but simply to meet more people in the scene and just generally soak up the atmosphere.

Problem: most clubs require a strict dress code, and even public events encourage it. I'm NOT into dressing up (e.g., leather, PVC, goth, punk, TV, nude, etc.), but at the same time I want to show that I've made an effort (and actually be allowed in).

What can I possibly wear??? I can look good in a suit, and don't mind shelling out for a new outfit, but how would that go over? Tuxes seem a bit overdone, and costume?? Like... army & navy stuff? This could work, but, again, it's not my style, so I'd risk looking idiotic or phony.

Help this newbie out, please! If it helps in any way, I'm slim, 5'8", and dress 'street casual' in my vanilla life.

Meeting w/ IT recruiter -- dress code?

tremolo1970 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:56:24 -0800

I have an initial meeting with an IT recruiter today and was wondering what I could wear since it is hot... Today I am going to meet a recruiter for half-hour at his office to go over my resume and narrow down what type of position I'm looking for, etc. What is the dress code for something like this? Can I get away with a black tshirt and shorts? Or is that too casual?

thanks

How to tell a new employee her clothes are too sloppy?

mygothlaundry — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:36:30 -0800

How do I gently inform a new employee that she needs to dress better? We recently hired a new part time person for our (very) small staff. She's wonderful; we love her; she's already great - work-wise. Appearance-wise, however, she leaves something to be desired. She's sloppy; her clothes don't fit well or match and they're just inappropriate for her position, which is very much in the public eye. She's also in her mid thirties, so you would think that she would know dressing like a college student is no longer appropriate. Her clothing style is what we here in Asheville call "crunchy" btw: messed up old Ugg boots, corduroy jeans that don't fit, a not quite clean shirt that clashes horribly with the much too small cardigan over it, striped kneesocks with a plaid skirt and so on. We do have a dress code but it doesn't cover this kind of thing: it just says no jeans & no logo T-shirts & please be neat.

She doesn't have to get all corporated out - noone expects her to wear a suit every day or anything - but she should look like an adult, have clothes that are basically business to business casual and are clean, match and fit. This whole thing is hard for me because I certainly don't dress like a corporate clone: I mostly just wear black and try to make sure that everything looks at least kind of "officey." So I have no idea how to approach this entire conversation and, as I hate confronting people for anything at all, much less something personal like this, I am turning to the hive mind.

What is the standard dress for a company Christmas party?

moira — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 12:57:31 -0800

What's the standard dress code for a company Christmas party? It was unspecified in the invitation. The company is a relatively small technology start-up. 60-some-odd will be attending, including some of the (wealthy) founders. Help a clueless non-girly girl who comes from very little money. Could I get away with nice slacks and a dressy shirt? A skirt with a top? Or would I be safest in a dress (which, by the way, no longer fits as perfectly as it did before I got mommy-boobs)?

The company has apparently gone to some expense to throw the party, including hiring caterers.

Golf casual?

Sweetie Darling — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 18:53:23 -0800

At a "golf casual" event, can a woman wear (tailored) jeans?

Boston nightlife primer?

synapse — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 15:00:32 -0800

Advice on the Boston nightlife? Where to go? What to wear? I'm meeting two friends in Boston on the weekend of the 15th for a two day hedonistic vacation. Bars, funky lounges, and dance clubs rate highly on our to-do list. Advice or recommendations of favorite places would be very much appreciated, particularly for Sunday. We're open to a reasonably eclectic range - goth/industrial, dive-y, electronica, techno, salsa, 80's, top-40... On the "no" list is probably anything that's exclusively hip-hop, reggae or rap unless the place has some other outstanding element that rates a visit.

Also, we're used to California rules (or lack thereof.) How dressy do we need to be? Should we expect velvet ropes and lines?

What did you wear to your wedding (mefi men) ?

zpousman — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 13:54:09 -0800

WeddingFilter: I'm getting married. I'm a 27 year old, of the male persuasion. What did you wear to your wedding? Tux? Suit? Something in between (is there such a thing?) Help?! I'm thinking of maybe doing the "Albert Einstein" (photo here), which would be a 2 or three piece suit, a tux shirt and a regular tie (not an ascot). I want to look classy and unique, but also a bit understated. Do you think I can pull this off? Anybody seen something like this in a photo not from 1910?

More Information: Wedding is evening, in the springtime. Dress is not picked yet, but will be um, white--and kinda modern probably. We're shooting for a feel with a lot more Ray and Charles Eames and a lot less Cinderella. I want to put "semi-formal" on the invites, though this word might not have any meaning anymore (outside of fraternity events)... I don't want guests in tuxes. Suits with no ties would be great.