I'm going to have to say no, my profession doesn't influence the way I dress. I work in the corporate headquarters of a hospitality company and we have a business casual dress code. Some dress much too casual (hoodies and casual pants) and some dress in a bohemian style. But I've always preferred modern, classic dressing regardless of what I was doing for a living or where I worked. And I prefer to dress that way on weekends, too.

Hi A. I think you hit the nail exactly on the head. I work in an engineering firm and I do believe that every single fashion choice is dictated by how I will be perceived in the work place. It always has been because as a woman I had to dress in a fairly non-sexual manner that indicated I was there to work and not to meet a husband (don't even ask...).

Would I like to expand my fashion choices? Yes. I think that is why i come to this site so often. When I try though I feel uncomfortable and out of place. I return to to the safe formula that has worked so well for so long.

You might suggest that I experiment in my personal life. I have tried that, but I frequently find myself in a similar formula (just different, slightly more relaxed pieces).

I ask myself, has the work environment really dictated my clothing choices or am I really just a classic boring type??? I suddenly feel sad.

Thank you for posting, Henley. I suddenly feel a bit better.

Great topic, and its interesting how many here are in the education profession!

I am very lucky -- I have carte blanche to wear pretty much literally anything I care to wear. I'm self-employed and an artist and sometimes radio announcer. (Trust me when I say that if you show up to a radio job in anything more than jeans and a tee, you are going above and beyond!)

I do see clients and visitors regularly at my studio and in their homes, so most days I make sure to wear something that would be appropriate for an impromptu meeting, but that can be as simple as jeans, top, jacket and booties. Other days I'm just in the mood to wear some of my dressier stuff (a dress or a blazer or heels, etc.) and I just go for it. I worked from home for many years and slipped into a rut of jeans and tees (as well as a lot of loneliness from being so isolated), so I'm having much more fun expressing myself with fashion now.

On days when I'm going out shooting pictures, I dress way down, but still try to keep it presentable. Older jeans, rugged shoes, neutral colored casual tops (I photograph a lot of reflective surfaces and I've discovered colored tops affect my results!), and washable layers because I often end up sitting or laying on the ground to work, or leaning up against dirty or dusty surfaces.

I feel very fortunate that my profession is not just a job, but an integral part of me and my creative life. I have been a designer/artist of some sort for most of my life, and I even feel like fashion might have a role to play in my eventual career path, so I'd have to say that my profession influences my style, and vice versa.

Oh, I meant to add that I totally relate to Gaylene's comments about the sort of "double life" wardrobe! Years ago, I worked in a conservative private school and dressed accordingly during the week. But I was in my early 20s, I worked as a radio DJ on the weekends, and I went to concerts 3-4 nights a week. Every so often I'd run into students or parents while I was out and about, and I took them by surprise -- for one thing, they realized how young I was when I wasn't dressed in my conservative work wear! It was an interesting time.

I'm an accountant, but I work in the trucking industry. We are very casual--flip flops don't get a second look during the summer. I prefer to be dressier, and am so when I have meetings without outside parties. If I dress up too much the rest of the time I find that I invite questions about my motives (Why are you so dressed up? Have a hot date? You don't have a job interview, do you?). Sometimes I just do it anyway because it makes me feel good.

One of the times I make sure I don't dress up is when interviewing possible accounting clerks or customer service reps. While we don't have a lot of turnover, when we do applicants tend to be younger entry level types and the relaxed dress code is generally a positive to them--so I always wear jeans.

Not for me. I prefer a dressy, classic, feminine style most of the time and I've always had office jobs where that style fits in. I'm usually more dressed up and colorful than others, but not in an inappropriate way. Maybe my style influences my job choices. I've never pushed to work from home even though that option is available to some employees - when would I wear all my pretty clothes?

@Mary, classic doesn't have to be boring. At least I *hope* it's not boring, LOL! I do add a few trendy pieces to my wardrobe to keep it current, and that gives a modern spin to classic dressing.

One of the huge perks for my job is that anything goes. Most people are fairly casual but no one really takes it too far.

Oh, absolutely! Like Diana and several others who work in the sciences, I work at a place where dressing up is ... well, it's not forbidden, but the pressure to conform to the environmental norm (ie, to dress casually) is quite strong. For example, I've heard co-workers at my company comment on external visitors behind their backs if they dress up too much.

My ideal style is somewhere in the neighbourhood of "minimalist modern classic". As I've gotten more confident in my time here at YLF, I've started to tiptoe away from the "casual" descriptor. But I can't let go of it entirely because (1) it's a very comfortable look for me (I've worn it my entire career!) and (2) my workplace's environmental norm. In fact, last month one of my co-workers called me out on my increasingly "nice" outfits, and there were definitely a few folks who looked away awkwardly. I guess my Super Sekret Technique for hiding nice blouses (wearing them with jeans) hasn't been as successful as I'd thought it was!

When teaching my style I'd definitely influenced. I need to be able to sit on the floor, be modest, look approachable, but also look confident and in charge. Dressing down too much can actually invite discipline problems. When I first started teaching, many of my sixth grade girls were as big or bigger than I was. I had to dress older than my age.
High heels are also out.

To a certain degree, it does.

I work in the law, which is one of the least bastions of business formal. The men still wear suits every day at my workplace. I am one of the most senior women so I feel like I can be a little more flexible with my clothing than the more junior women. I wear brighter colors, more prints, and more tending-towards-business-casual outfits than is usual for my job site, but that's okay with me. But certainly I always want to appear powerful and businesslike. (In practice that means I wear a jacket almost every day!)

Definitely. I own a a small business (travel agency) and I really can wear what I want, but if I am meeting with a corporate client it will be more conservative then if it a vacation planning session.
I have also found that as I have gotten older, I don't need my clothes to provide the "authority", my gray hair and middle aged face do that. I have earned my stripes and I don't need a jacket to prove that to anyone.

My work like completely changes how I dress but JUST at work. I work in technology, in a very conservative/male dominated office and so my clothing choices have to be more restricted. It's annoying for work but I still try and get creative. I recently decided to wear a patterned pencil skirt to the office and got interesting reactions, for instance.

Yes. I've worked in a business setting where it meant very classic items, trousers or skirts or dresses, simple designs and prints, subdued colors. I'm fortunate now that I can dress a bit more casual at my current job (jeans and boots instead of trousers and pumps) but I never know what the next work place will require. I always try to enjoy my weekend outfits because the only style rules on weekends are my own.