Office Fashion Thread Forum

[Aeroplane]

I would love to hear all about style and fashion in everyone's workplaces. As someone who is not very stylish by nature, I dress conservatively to avoid making any major mistakes, but I would like to branch out and be more adventurous.

What kinds of things do you personally wear to the office? What do most of your coworkers wear? Clothes, shoes, bags, hairstyles? I'm curious about everything from general impressions to specific brands and styles. How do you feel your style affects your career, if at all?

I'll eventually post and contribute my impressions too, but anonymously and later, after some posts have built up.

[Anonymous User]

I am a woman who works in a federal litigation position and generally we need to be court-ready, so basically suits and separates, not very interesting. I have a (woman) colleague with an amazing collection of suits in different patterns (including a Christmas stocking knit pattern one), but she’s more of an exception (and no, she doesn’t wear the crazy ones to court). Hair also fairly conservative. Frankly, most government attorneys I know stick to lawyer uniform-ish clothes, as there’s little advantage to sticking out for your clothes/appearance. Men in standard suits/ties. Some of my older colleagues do khakis/navy blazer for standard stuff (full suits for trial/major hearings). The most creative guy I know wore 3 piece suits. (There’s a guy in main Justice who wears super chic like plaid and purple suits, slim cut and all, but I don’t think he goes to court anymore.)

If it really is your personal style to be more cutting edge I think there’s room for that, but my experience of law is that it’s fashion-conservative. But this may be different in the private sector, I have no idea. (Oh, bags are pretty conservative/ordinary, but that’s a function of salary and just needed to haul stuff around.)

[notinbiglaw]

I had a lot more written up but basically watch

Suits
Korean legal dramas (especially for ladies)

Or you could just google for their outfits.

Truth be told, men don’t have much room for flare.

[Anonymous User]

Woman in Boston biglaw. Boston is, by nature, not the most fashionable city (i.e. cobblestones will break your ankles if you wear stilettos), but I am someone who likes to dress up for work. I never wear jeans to work, though I do have colleagues who do and no one has really made a fuss (though, once, an older partner told my female colleague they shouldn't dress like that (to which my colleague basically gave the partner a big FU behind their back, which was totally warranted because no man in our firm gets that comment)). My group is 90% older male partners, so I try not to dress too much like a child/student. I wear mostly cinched/tailored dresses, so it's easy for me to throw a cardigan or suit jacket over to look more formal. I like to wear heels around, but I'm in the minority. Go-to brands that are more affordable for me are Tahari, Calvin Klein and the like. I don't necessarily go crazy with being stylish, like I don't wear outrageous patterns or power clash patterns/colors or wear very low cut things, but I'm definitely not uber conservative in my dress (I wear big bright earrings, colorful work dresses, jumpsuits, etc.).

I mostly curl or style my hair every day for work, but that's because I have an especially difficult hair type and I look crazy without some styling. I don't work too hard on it, though--just something to get me through 15 hour days.

As far as how I think my look affects my career, I do actually think it impacts it to some extent. I think it can help (or hurt) in developing my image, especially in a group with mostly older men, fortunately or unfortunately. I have it in my head that it makes me look less like a I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing junior, and more like a I'm-still-learning associate, if that makes sense? On the other hand, sometimes I may look less approachable or laid back than my slacks and sneaker clad counterparts, which can hurt in the sense that as a minority woman in the group, I already don't get casually invited out for coffee to chat with partners while all the other men in my group have (not to say that dress is the only factor, but it may make a slight difference).