Importance of wardrobe with new job

[W2R]

You two are cracking me up!! As for me, all I have done in that category is realize while sitting at a stoplight, on the way to work, that my polo shirt was inside out.

Hard to tell, that early in the morning! I did turn around and go home, reverse it (making me late for work), and worked late that day to make up the time.

 

[Martha]

My worst was washing my hair and not combing it out when I was done. I fortunately caught it in the review mirror on the way to work.

 

[Moemg]

Having spent most of my working years wearing scrubs and clogs it's hard to mess up and even if you do we always had back up scrubs .

 

[harley]

Back in the olden days before things got casual I was required to have a sports jacket and a tie in case "I had to go to an important meeting". My jacket hung outside my cube for years. I used it to make them think I was there even when I was gone. I had a solid blue tie in my drawer. I actually found it in the bottom of a box when I retired ~ 25 years later. It had moved with me a dozen times without ever being worn.

I once got called in out of hours (again, back in the pre-pager and PC days), and since it was summer and a weekend I came in wearing shorts. I ended up working for about 44 hours straight (maybe a nap on the floor), but I solved the problem by mid-morning Monday. I went home, slept for a wile, got dressed, came back into work on Tuesday expecting attaboys and kudos. The only thing I ever heard was that the big boss was p!ssed that I was at work in shorts. To paraphrase Fernando, it was more important to look good than to be good.

 

[Lusitan]

I once got called in out of hours (again, back in the pre-pager and PC days), and since it was summer and a weekend I came in wearing shorts. I ended up working for about 44 hours straight (maybe a nap on the floor), but I solved the problem by mid-morning Monday. I went home, slept for a wile, got dressed, came back into work on Tuesday expecting attaboys and kudos. The only thing I ever heard was that the big boss was p!ssed that I was at work in shorts. To paraphrase Fernando, it was more important to look good than to be good.

If anyone had any doubts about whether FIRE was a good idea, this reminder should assure all of us ...

 

[Brat]

When I worked at NIKE corporate there was a meeting among the VPs one spring to address what some felt was TOO casual for office wear on campus. As I recall it boiled down to: shoes required (after all that is their primary profit center), no PJs, tights must be warn under running shorts, and apparel must not be revealing. The other admonition was to consider those who you are meeting with... just because it is OK with your colleagues doesn't mean that others will feel it suitable.

 

[FUEGO]

This thread reminds me of my first time ever testifying at a hearing on behalf of one of our clients. I had done all the technical work on the project so I knew the facts inside and out, but I wasn't licensed, so I had not presented at a public hearing before. Well, the bossman couldn't make it to the hearing and none of the other licensed senior staff could either because they had to attend different hearings that same night. So an hour before the hearing I received notice that I would be the one presenting/testifying. Here I was wearing my normal barely business casual khaki's and short sleeve polo. No time to run home and get a jacket or put on a nice shirt and tie.

So the cameras are rolling, news crews are filming, newspaper photographers snapping away, and I'm the only non-suit wearing sucker. Client got full approval for their project though. They were super excited after the hearing because they were going to make a mint on this project.

Sometimes the skillz are more important than the clothes. And no one said anything to me about the relatively slovenly appearance either.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I liked it when I worked for the Army Guard. Just put on a starched set of BDUs and be on my way.

I do think wardrobe is important. If you feel good about how you look, you have a better attitude and are more confident.