Office fashions No-Nos?

Wear bra! Always!!!
(I mean women here

I dunno what these women are thinking about - it's not comfortable at all when you think about all these sticky looks that you get. I don't think that adds up to your good business-lady image, especially in the eyes of men.

Skin tight anything is a definite NO.

I work for a very casual company, but it's so important not to take advantage, and it's possible to show a little of your personality while maintaining a professional appearance. For example, More magazine has a great feature on mixing some bold prints and accessories into a work appropriate wardrobe. I think that's the key- keeping your wardrobe fairly basic, and spicing it up with accessories- (which don't include fishnets of any color!)

I am taking advantage of beautiful Summer and have recently taken to wearing traditional Indian clothing to work. I have a ton of 'salwar/churidar kurtas' (lose or tight pants (kindof) with long-ish shirts) - very pretty, semi-formal stuff. A couple reasons - they're essentially summer wear, being sleeveless, chiffon-y sort of things. So MUCH more comfortable in the summer than my usual trousers/skirts, etc. Secondly, my size has been doing a weird up/down thing (losing baby weight, less breastfeeding, bye-bye winter weight etc.) - Indian clothes are very forgiving of these size yo-yos. I don't have to spend money that I don't have on buying new clothes. And lastly - I just love wearing them. I love how I feel, how I look (my husband does too!).

Most people in my office are appreciative, complimentary. Several others have stared at me, obviously struggled with what to say, then wisely - not said anything. Their first reactions are telling enough though - they think I'm strange. I'm sure they think my choice of office apparel a definite no-no.

That's interesting. What kind of work do you do? Are you in the U.S.?

Yep, am in the US, working for a pretty prominent non-profit organization in an administrative capacity.

Come to Toronto, Heatwave. Your wardrobe would fit right into the mix.

I pretty much wear whatever I want; so does my colleague Cs, a girl with a, uhm, cutely quirky style.

I can think of only two items I wouldnt ever wear to work: these black goth trousers with flares that have a bunch of metal stufflets in it and a chain-thing going around; and these sorta gold-coloured trousers with a kind of lightblue embroidery in it

(Mind you, I dont think Ive ever worn the latter, period, more than urr, two or three times.)

The techie guy just wears jeans and some kind of non-descript sweater or t-shirt. The office manager type person looks regular-pretty in an unconspicuous way.

Mind you, its really just the four/five of us in our program, anyway. I gotta say, the rest of the floor is another program, and the guys there mostly just wear the pants and shirt thing. No ties, but also only rarely jeans, I think. Women's got a little more leeway.

All depends on the culture of your office/program/etc I guess. We dont do any 'external' work, dont meet clients or the like, plus, we're basically friends anyway, so.. yeah, whatever.

When I have to travel to a meeting or a presentation we organise or the like, I still dont wear a tie and only sometimes a jacket, but I do wear a proper shirt and pants, not jeans or the like. Although again, even when we meet at the London office, its not like anyone cares.. its NGO culture. Well, European NGO culture I guess, I hear that in the New York office theyre pretty corporate in all kinds of way.

Only if you have to actually give a presentation at a launch or a conference or the like its different of course - but - not my job.

But yeah, I mean - you should hear what we chat about, for example. We're well aware that, the way we carry around, if we'd a worked in America we'd all so be fired

Hmmmm... soldiers in camo and fishnets... <sighs wistfully>

EhBeth, really? Do Indians in Canada wear traditional attire to their workplaces? Nice. I don't personally know of another Indian who does that here, 'cept for moi. Hmmm.

nimh - your goth trousers sound way cool. I'd wear them. Maybe not to work, though, you're right.

Hi heatwave.

I see a wide range of office wear on women here in Toronto. All the way from the much-maligned fishnet stockings to very traditional Asian/South-Asian/middle-Eastern garments. Nearly anything goes.

I love salwar kameez (?), and think they look beautiful and professional. I'd love to wear them. I love lots of Indian clothing, including saris, and own a few items, but I never feel quite right wearing them. Too costume-y, somewhat disrespectful, something. (I'm not Indian.)

EhBeth, that's so cool. I wish more Indians would do that in the US as well. (Actually, I wish there were some fishnets here too - we're way too staid!)

Sozobe, I get what you're saying about 'costume-y.' But, I do think that if you live in a place (like New York where I've seen may non-Indian women wear kurtas/kameezes), it may not feel odd. One. Secondly, if you were to wear 'unusual' clothes consistently, people stop reacting to them as strange. 'That's just you,' then.

1. Men, in any sort of shorts / sandals get-up.

2. Anything that gives "camel toe"

Me! Me! Wait, I'm not an Indian. But i'll still wear a kurta or salwar kameez to work every now and then. And blouses that I have, too. It really is more comfortable and I don't give a drat who thinks what. If I feel up to it, I'll even match my mascara with it (say, turquoise or green). Then again, our office is also laid back - all of us are young women and my boss, who can't tell one clothing from another.

Have to agree with the 'camel toe' one, Dorothy.

Dagmaraka, you're probably an 'honorary' Indian by now, methinks. That's cool that you are comfortable wearing Indian clothes. When you say blouses - do you mean sari blouses? Or wear with a pair of jeans kind of blouses?

And, I wish I had the chic to match my mascara to my clothes. (PS: someone once said you resemble Madhubala. I too think that you have more than a passing resemblance.)

It's not a general reaction that I'm worried about -- like, Debbie from Accounting, or whatever -- but reaction of Indian people. "There's another Westerner appropriating our heritage because it's trendy... sigh..."

I know, soz. Sometimes I still feel that, too. Thing is, I tried to explain this feeling in India and they just thought I'm nuts. They really loved seeing me in sarees and took some kind of pride in that or whatnot. I think more then 'them' saying anything it is 'us' feeling awkward. Took me a long while to overcome and I still cannot do it on any day, only when i'm in that certain mood.

Heatwave, I must put some Madhubala movie on my Netflix queue. Which would be the best one to begin with?

You obviously don't work for a software company.

Sozobe, I get you. There'll always be some Indian who do that kind of sighing, but there'll also be some like the ones Dagmaraka is talking about - who'll be appreciative (like I would).

Dagmaraka - Wonder if Netflix would stock old bollywood movies. If you find a movie called 'Chalti Ka Naam Gadi' - I'd start with that. Madhubala was ethereal.