Thursday, February 11th, 2010

What is inappropriate office attire for a business woman?

I work in a professional financial office. We have external clients that do business with us. I’m in my late 20’s, college degree, and an analyst. I wear skirts that come to just above my knees. Nothing tight or see through. But I sometimes wear tops that are sleeveless. Again, nothing tight or see through. They cover below the belt and don’t expose my midsection. Its been hinted to me that those tops may not be appropriate attire in the workplace. I have to admit that at least one man that I work with has the tendency to be staring down at my arms and body when I’m interacting with him, but he seems to do that to other women as well.

I consider myself to be just average. I do not have a large bust either (a B cup) with a thin build that many people would consider too skinny. Is a sleeveless top unprofessional? Or is it my age (most of the office is in their late 30’s on up to their 50’s? I want to be professional, but without looking like a nun or librarian.

Appropriate office attire is whatever is accepted in your office by your supervisors. A good piece of advice, especially to someone just starting their career is to look at what others in the same office and in similar positions wear, and dress accordingly. In my own dealings in the professional and business world, a sleeveless top would be considered a little "under-dressed" - a little too casual.

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10 Responses to “What is inappropriate office attire for a business woman?”

jarofjill Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 9:33 pm

Sleeveless tops might be inappropriate in an office environment. I would think that you would be chilled by the air conditioning if you were sleeveless also.
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parsonsel Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 10:19 pm

I don’t consider sleeveless unprofessional unless the armholes are huge and you get a good view or the neckline is low and shows your breasts if you’re sitting down and someone is standing next to you.

It may be his bad and you can tell him to stop checking you out. Harrassment can take all sorts of forms these days.
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Imaka Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 10:37 pm

Appropriate office attire is whatever is accepted in your office by your supervisors. A good piece of advice, especially to someone just starting their career is to look at what others in the same office and in similar positions wear, and dress accordingly. In my own dealings in the professional and business world, a sleeveless top would be considered a little "under-dressed" - a little too casual.
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beloved771 Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 11:27 pm

Sleeveless is not unprofessional. If it were, Jones New York wouldn’t make it. I think the man has a problem and not you. Clarify with your boss and don’t mind anybody else commenting on your attire. If it was indeed your boss that had hinted you, then maybe your boss is more of traditional, uptight kind, and you should follow since he’s the boss.
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Tapestry6 Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 11:43 pm

Inappropriate office attire, includes, see through blouses, midriff showing shortie blouses, skirts so high that you can’t sit down without pulling them down and tight clothing. I never heard of a sleeveless blouse causing commotion unless the v is so deep that is showing cleavage. Unless the manger has asked you not to dress that way I wouldn’t worry about it.
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Elaine T Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 11:58 pm

First of all, when you were hired, was there anything you may have read or signed about appropriate office attire? Perhaps a boss or someone in charge of hiring or human resources has an official dress code you can review.

Sleeveless tops can be comfortable, but if you work in a very professional office, they may not be the best choice for that environment, unless your shoulders and upper arms are covered by a jacket or a sweater. Try maybe a short sleeve blouse or 3/4 length sleeves instead. Make sure you stick with things that are not too tight/clingy, nothing see-through, and nothing too low cut at the neckline. Perhaps you could try a pretty silk scarf decoratively tied around your neck to cover any potential cleavage?

For a particularly conservative office, you may also try the test they have in some high-schools: kneel on the floor, and if the skirt doesn’t touch the floor, it may be too short. Mostly, make sure you can squat or bend over to pick up something down low without exposing anything to anyone. Also, some form of shoes with a small heel (no more than 2 inches), like a pump, are more professional than flats, sneakers, or high heels.

Last but not least, keep the makeup natural, not too dark or flamboyant. And as far as jewelery goes, not too much as far as quantity or anything too large/heavy. Usually for makeup and jewelery simpler is better in the workplace.

Good luck!
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dsd0487 Says:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:43 am

I’ve worked in financial services for the past 33 years, the past 7 as a professional development trainer. The best advice I have ever heard about office attire is to watch what your supervisors and managers wear for cues about what is appropriate. After all, they have the experience dealing with your customers (who are the people you ultimately want to please!) and know what they expect. If you are aspiring to management, try to dress in the same manner management does (you can vary the color a bit to make it more appropriate to your age). If you are not gunning for the corner office, you can dress one step below management, a bit more colorful, casual and trendy (e.g., slacks instead of skirts, sweaters/tops without jackets).

As old fashioned as it sounds, I have found that bare arms and legs are still frowned upon in a conservative office setting, such as you find in professional financial services (consider who your customers are!), especially if you are sporting "body art."
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angling_cyclist Says:
February 12th, 2010 at 12:57 am

I work for a medium sized accounting firm. All of the female staff in professional positions (accountants on up to managers) tend to wear shirts with sleeves either long or short. Most shirts have collars. Skirts tend to be at or below the knee. Heels aren’t more than two inches.

Our clerical staff tend to be temps. For them, they tend to get away with looser dress standards.

I think it really depends on your office individually, and also your career aspirations. Personally, I’ve noticed that the guys in my office that don’t wear ties or wear short sleeved shirts, are the ones that are stuck without any upward mobility. I make it a point to be dressed in a long sleeve dress shirt with a tie every day. Even on Fridays which are supposed to be business casual. Your credibility and how professionally you are viewed by your peers, clients, and managers is not only measured by how you conduct yourself and what you say, but also on how you present yourself physically.

As for the guy with the wandering eyes, regardless of what you wear. The eyeballing is not appropriate. You have every right to tell him so too.
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Kraftee Says:
February 12th, 2010 at 1:47 am

If you’re getting "hints" about your clothing, it might be a good time to assess things. If making sure your arms are covered is all that’s required, that seems like an easy solution. If you want an honest assessment, choose someone who has dropped these "hints" and ask them about it. Don’t be defensive. They know you’re young and are still learning.

PS. Where do you get this stuff about librarians? Geez. I thought this stereotype was dead and gone. Actually a couple of librarians that I know are pretty snappy dressers. And one of them is a guy!
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Dominic Cozier Says:
March 10th, 2010 at 9:09 am

Great post. Thanks, mate!

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