Question for jacket required office

[Mrs. Dinero]

We are required to wear a jacket/suit everyday. No casual Friday here. I'm fine with that. I understand the level of professionalism that this office needs to uphold.
The question is what do you think of open toed shoes? I could understand pumps with a small opening but not sandals.
I'm not a fan and think it looks unprofessional. Just wanted to take a quick poll. I could be way out of touch.
What do you think about open toed shoes in a jacket only office?

[midjd]

IMO peep-toes are OK, flip flops or strappy sandals probably not OK.

We have casual Fridays here and the "flop...flop...flop" of flip flops in the hallway drives me INSANE! Though I do see where they get their name

[dancinmama]

May 12, 2011 13:07:51 GMT -5 Mrs. Dinero said:

We are required to wear a suit everyday. No casual Friday here. I'm fine with that. I understand the level of professionalism that this office needs to uphold.
The question is what do you think of open toed shoes? I could understand pumps with a small opening but not sandals.
I'm not a fan and think it looks unprofessional. Just wanted to take a quick poll. I could be way out of touch.
What do you think about open toed shoes in a suit only office?

Sandals with a business suit doesn't compute for me. Back in the day I wore business suits. Some of my pumps were opened toe some were not, but the opening was usually so small that you couldn't even see any toes.

[Deleted]

Sandals with a suit? Only Jesus could pull that look off.

[wodehouse]

bada-bing Archie. Karma for you.

[chiver78]

I concur that peep-toe pumps are OK. everything else would look odd with a suit, whether it technically fits the "business attire" rules or not.

[Mrs. Dinero]

I just can't bring myself to do it. I love to wear sandals outside the office but something in me tells me it's a no. An administrative assistant here wears sandals all the time. She is constantly complaining of how cold it is in our office. The head honcho likes it arctic in here. I said it's probably feels more cold because of her sandals and had to fight back saying, "and it's unprofessional". Wow. I'm growing up. So is it unprofessional? Just so I can justify it in my head.

[Opti]

Might want to check to see if you have a dress code. I've seen open toed shoes for women listed as not to be worn in the office in dress codes in the past.

[Mrs. Dinero]

She's wearing a skirt, shirt, and jacket, with sandals. Ok so she's not wearing a suit. Jacket only office? I'll change it.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I couldn't do sandals no matter how "nice", I'd consider them unprofessional too. Peep toes are hard for me as well but I work in an environment where it is closed toed shoes only. In an office setting I think peep toes would be all right.

[Mrs. Dinero]

That's just the thing. I'm not her direct supervisor and to tell you the truth I hated when a past supervisor told me I had to wear stockings with pumps/pants. i wanted to tell him to get a life. I don't like looking at peoples feet is all, especially at work.

[swamp]

I'm an attorney and wear suits all the time. Peep toe pumps are perfectly acceptable, but don't do the panty hose with the line on the toes with them. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

[illinicheme]

This kind of thing is so far off my radar that I have no idea what my answer is. I'd probably have to see the outfit to tell you whether I thought it was professional or not.

(I thank my lucky stars every day that I work at a big company that is proud of its casual dress code. I'd have a hard time wearing dress shoes everyday, whether regular pumps, peep-toed pumps, or dressy sandals!)

[Mrs. Dinero]

That brings me to another question. Do you have to wear hose with skirts? BTW the dress code is very vague. It says dress professional. The head guy requires us to wear jackets/suits.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

but don't do the panty hose with the line on the toes with them. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

I had a hell of a time finding hose without seams once, my mom taught me in a pinch that you can pull the toe out a little and then fold it under to hide the seam.

Isn't ideal, but it does work if you need hose right now and don't have a pair on hand that is seamless.



Do you have to wear hose with skirts?

I do for job interviews and any time I am wearing a suit. I don't know if you HAVE to but it was drilled into me that I need to wear hose in a "professional" environment from a very early age so it's just habit. I feel awkward if I am not wearing them.

I don't wear them with slacks anymore after getting a heat rash during the summer, that was miserable. If my pants are tailored properly no one is going to see a flash of my naked leg anyhow.

[swamp]

May 12, 2011 13:28:50 GMT -5 Mrs. Dinero said:

That brings me to another question. Do you have to wear hose with skirts? BTW the dress code is very vague. It says dress professional. The head guy requires us to wear jackets/suits.

I do not wear hose. I think it makes you look old.

[Mrs. Dinero]

1000% agree Swamp!

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

but don't do the panty hose with the line on the toes with them. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

You do the fish-net stockings?

[illinicheme]

If I worked in that environment, I'd probably avoid the hose question altogether by wearing only pants suits.

I almost never wear hose when I'm dressed up in a skirt outside of work (weddings or whatever), but it seems like hose would still be expected in a work environment. But I'd definitely wear closed-toed shoes then.

[chiver78]

dramaq, you are in a lab IIRC? just curious. personally, I split time between office/mechanical spaces/clean rooms. I've lost count as to how many times I've come in "dressed up" in slacks, a button-down shirt, and heels of some sort - only to get a crisis call that I need to climb around in the mezzanine of the mechanical space in a manufacturing site. I've gotten in the habit of leaving a pair of sneakers in my car, and a change of clothes in my desk at the office in case I don't want to mess up my "nice" clothes.

today, I'm verifying HVAC drawings at a new site and am quite comfortable in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Yep. It's a casual environment I mainly wear jeans because I'd be PISSED if I spilled some of the stuff I worked with on my good slacks!

The habits carry over though when I have to dress professionally and I feel awkward now in open toed shoes.

[midjd]

I wear hose nearly every day (I'm 27) but it's mostly because my legs are fish-belly white and I don't want to scare people

[swamp]

May 12, 2011 13:30:36 GMT -5 Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ said:

but don't do the panty hose with the line on the toes with them. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

You do the fish-net stockings?

Yes. Does anyone have any suggestions how to keep the line down the back straight?

[Mrs. Dinero]

I very rarely wear skirts for that reason illinicheme. Definitely not when there are meetings. At least I can hide in my office and move fast enough that the head guy can't focus on if I have hose on or not.

[muttleynfelix]

Peep-toed shoes are fine, sandels?? Not sure. If is a jacket and skirt I could see sandels being appropriate.

[muttleynfelix]

Oh and it depends on the skirt or dress if I wear hose and the weather.

[bean29]

Ms. Dinero

I used to work in an office where you could wear a miniskirt but not capris. I figured the dress code was written by dirty old men who wanted to see that cute young thing wearing a mini skirt.

I don't recall any restrictions on shoes re: pumps vs. sandals however I do remember being told no filp flops.

Current office has no dress code any day of the week. We are all professionals and they rely on us to decide what is on our calandar/how we should dress. Couse almost everyone we deal with is invited to a game or a golf outing so we have seen them in casual wear frequently. Having them catch us in jeans is not the end of the world.

[tskeeter]

The interesting thing about dress codes that require "professional" dress is that opinions of what is professional vary dramatically. To some, professional might be clean jeans and a shirt or top that is more dressy than a t-shirt. I work in the office of a machine shop and metal fabrication company. For me, professional attire is Dockers and a Polo shirt.

So why would a dress code prohibit open toe shoes? Because some people are incapable of exercising good judgment. So rather than having to say yay or nay to each pair of shoes an employee may want to wear to work, it's easier to prohibit a style of shoe that would include flip flops and any type of sandal, regardless of whether the sandals may be appropriate with that particular outfit or not.

[CarolinaKat]

May 12, 2011 13:31:47 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

dramaq, you are in a lab IIRC? just curious. personally, I split time between office/mechanical spaces/clean rooms. I've lost count as to how many times I've come in "dressed up" in slacks, a button-down shirt, and heels of some sort - only to get a crisis call that I need to climb around in the mezzanine of the mechanical space in a manufacturing site. I've gotten in the habit of leaving a pair of sneakers in my car, and a change of clothes in my desk at the office in case I don't want to mess up my "nice" clothes.

We can actually go to our locker rooms and change into scrubs if we're not dressed properly for lab work. It's not a big deal. We also get money every year to buy process shoes/lab shoes. Every woman I work with has at least 1 pair of steel toes and 1 pair of soft toed non slip lab shoes sitting under her desk.

If you're going to be in lab all day and KNOW it, jeans/sneakers/tshirts are completely alright.

ETA: the men usually keep their spare shoes in their lockers.

[sil]

I think they only recently came out with a design of pantyhose that are meant to wear with open toe shoes. So if your office does require pantyhose with skirts, then you've either gotta go closed-toe, or sport with 'hose with toes look...which is tacky.

I've never worked in an office that didn't allow sandals and bare legs. I did have one new supervisor try to tell me that he required me to wear pantyhose, even though it wasnt a part of our company dress code. I refused and I was laid off shortly thereafter. Honestly, I didn't really care - it was an easier time to find work, and I considered that job to be disposable. But it does make me wonder - are pantyhose considered undergarments, and how much authority does an employer have over if/what type of undergarments you choose to wear to work anyways?