Overdressing Compared To Your Boss - YouLookFab Forum

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Overdressing Compared To Your Boss

Periwinkle

People often say "dress for the job that you want, not the job that you have." But what happens when one of the apparent perks of seniority is the freedom to wear much more casual clothes to the office?

I've worked in multiple offices where the day-in-day-out dress of my superiors was much more casual than I could get away with. I don't mind dressing more professionally for work, but I do wonder sometimes if there is such a thing as being too formally dressed compared to the person who you report to, especially if I get pulled into a meeting with people outside of our immediate office.

Does anyone else run into this issue? Do you try to harmonize somehow with the casually dressed superiors or just wear what you find comfortable/professional/appropriate?

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from kkards

Adelfa

Veteran

Periwinkle, have you had a chance to observe how this works in other offices in your field? Could it be the norm at meetings to have decently dressed underlings and super casual bosses?

Liz

Veteran

This makes me wonder how your coworkers dress. Do they dress at your same level or are they also more casual than you are?

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I stick out like a well dressed sore thumb. I don't try to harmonize with anyone, I just wear what I like and what I think is appropriate. I have noticed over recent months that some of my co-workers have been wearing nicer/more work appropriate outfits. Hooray for being a positive influence!

kkards

Veteran

does your office have a formal dress code? (by formal i mean written and institutionalized) does your boss dress with in the dress code? do the men and the women in your office dress at the same casualness level? and finally, and i know this question may touch off some controversy, is there a big age difference between you and your boss?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

In my work, it varies what my staff wears - some of them wear suits and ties and other ones wear fishing vests and old rumple jeans. Everyone has responded positively to my level of dressing up, and no one has insisted I wear something at the level of fishing vests and old rumpled jeans (I also do not think I would be able to get away with it).

Like kkards mentions it may be a man vs. woman thing. All my lady staff dress up very nicely.

MuseumGal

Veteran

I got a new boss (Collection Manager of the Archaeology department) several months ago, and at first I was WAY better dressed. But then she upped her game and now dresses the part. She didn't go buy a whole new wardrobe or anything, just started utlizing the funky accessories of which we anthro types always have a vast collection, and wearing slightly less schlubby clothing. Now she looks the part. I don't know if I had anything to do with it or not, but I like to think that I did.

Peri

Veteran

Hi Periwinkle, I didn't know I had a name twin!

ironkurtin

Veteran

My current boss dresses extremely casually, which I love. I don't think she cares much about it as she's been at the company for over a decade and everyone knows her and what she can do. I'm not sure I dress "better" than she does it it's certainly reinforced my own comfort level with my less corporate attire. A coworker was wearing ripped jeans the other day and told me point blank that oh yeah, I could wear whatever I wanted. Hurrah!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I think there are two different situations referenced here: one where the environment is pretty casual but you prefer to dress a little bit more formally, which can be fine or a bit of a bad decision depending on the cultural context of the office. The other is one where boss type people all dress more casually as a perk, whereas the worker bees dress more traditionally in office wear. If the latter, I'd just make sure that I was in line with other people at my level / responsibilities and what they wear.

I worked once at a university where my situation was similar. There were several of us that were professional staff running the various programs of the center, and then there was a big boss who was a tenured professor and the head of the center, even though there were assistant heads that did the day to day managing. He wasn't at the office everyday but when he was he was either dressed less formally than us, because he was dressing for his professorial life, or more formally, because he was doing fundraising or heading up some event. To complicate things there were also graduate students at the center, as well as internal and external professors working there during a sabbatical year. An anthropologist or sociologist would have had a field day observing and unpacking all the subtle status markers in dress and behavior.

Periwinkle

Adelfa--I'm not sure how this works at other offices. On the few occasions I've visited other places, the dressiness level seemed pretty consistent across the board.

Liz--I would say that the other staff are closer to how I dress, or maybe slightly more casual. But I have been there the longest of the people of a comparable rank/position, so there is always the possibility that they are taking their cues from me.

Karie and MuseumGal--Good job being a good fashion influences on your workplaces!

kkards--no formal dress code. The differences in dressiness seem to differ by rank/seniority more than by gender. And yes, I am one of the youngest employees at my office.

lyn*--That's interesting about the wide range of things people wear to work. I haven't ever received any criticism for dressing up either. I'm just interested in the dynamic of being "mismatched" sartorially with someone you work for.

Peri--*waves at name twin*

ironkurtin--That's great that you have such a relaxed work environment. There is another office in my building that has a very casual, hip vibe and I love people watching the fun outfits that come in and out of there!

Laura--that's a very good way of putting it. I think it is mostly a case of the latter. I have generally tried to match the dressiness levels of people comparable to me in level/responsibilities and think that I do that well. It just creates for an interesting fashion mix at meetings sometimes. I agree that an anthropologist or sociologist would have lots to work with unpacking all of the subtle signals!

MRL

Veteran

My boss usually wears jeans/sweaters. I dress up much more, only wear jeans on Fridays (the official day). I just like clothes and like to look a certain way, I'm not dressing to be promoted just to make myself happy.

kkards

Veteran

Periwinkle -are you wanting to dress more casually at work? Is there a way to bring the subject up with your bosses?

Periwinkle

kkards--No, I am just fine with my current work wardrobe! I prefer a business/business casual wardrobe for my line of work, so that's what I wear. I'm just aware of the fact that sometimes my boss shows up to a meeting in shorts and a tee while I'm wearing a blazer, a nice blouse, a dressy skirt and heels. That can seem a little incongruous!

I wondered if anyone else had ever dealt with a similar "mismatch" and, if so, whether they tried to blend in more or just do what made sense for their position and comfort level. The consensus seems to be that people follow their own instincts with respect to what is professional/comfortable for their position regardless of what the superiors are doing, which is pretty much the route I've taken. Glad to know I'm not alone!

Deborah

Veteran

Hi Periwinkley, my General Manager attends meetings in jeans and an untucked shirt. Everyone in my organisation dresses casually and less than casual if that makes sense. Anything goes. For me it's about how I feel. I feel more professional and work ready in certain clothing, so super casual is not an option for me. The interesting thing is that when an external person presents at our office they often address me not my manager;)

rute

Veteran

My boss is a men, so that doesn't applies. I say, it does not matter, stick to your style, its a sign that you are professional and you make an effort every day.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Periwinkle, you bring up a very interesting issue: being well-dressed as a sign of inferiority and higher job insecurity. It makes a lot of sense! Being "casual" and "ugly" becomes an earned right...

That the lower one is on the scale, the more stress they must devote to their appearance.

This said, I think personally that even if you can underdress, it is poor judgement to do so on a regular basis, especially if you have people working under you.

As for wondering about dressing better than your superior, I'd say that if you are feeling something now, there might be some tweaking needed. Maybe it's a question of adding some versality in your outfits. I am thinking more precisely: shoes you can change from heels to flats; a more casual, yet still smart jacket, that can be removed and sleeves rolled up for an impromptu meeting with other casually dressed colleagues. Including more cotton - as opposed to slky materials - and linen to your wardrobe. Or go casual in a more preppy way (khaki skirts with polos that can be topped by a more classic, navy jacket, for instance).

When I see colleagues err, I must say I can't stop myself from judging them. Even my superiors, even guys. Like one colleague is having fun with his hair, adopting extreme facial and head hair styles, and each time I see him I wonder what is going on in his life... then a couple of other mature female colleagues dressing overly sexy. I don't need to wonder what is going on (or rather, not going on) in their lives! I wonder if people judge me for being well dressed.

ironkurtin

Veteran

I'm more concerned about being older than my colleages than out dressing them. I figure age has its privileges, so if I want to spiff up, they can take a lesson.

retailgirl

Veteran

My workplace is business casual, and my boss wears sweaters and pants. A suit if we are having a corporate visit. I used to work where I wore a suit every day, but now I wear pants and jackets or cardis. I probably dress better than she does, but it doesn't bother me, or her, and in fact, she quite often compliments me on what I'm wearing. Plus, we work in retail so I think it's important to have a style signature and not worry about what other people wear.

Anonymous

If the cultural norm at your office is for the supervisors to dress casually while the staff dresses up, I would keep on doing that. In some places, the right to wear more casual attire is definitely earned through position and seniority.

krishnidoux

Veteran

IK, I know the feeling! Good thinking!

Eliza

Veteran

Tricky stuff. I have worked in academia, while simultaneously intersecting with higher-ups in business settings in an academic consulting role. Tricky, because the issue wasn't that I wore things of a completely different nature from what my bosses wore, but that I enjoy fashion and was careful about fit and currentness. I was also willing to have fun with it. My bosses were likely to also be in a blazer for example, but the overall effect was different because they embraced a grab and go haphazardness. I was careful not to over-dress, but in this particular environment, even thinking about how you looked drew attention. In the business settings, my attire was always appropriate, but never remarkable. Just different lenses on the exact same items.

rachylou

Veteran

What an interesting thought. I can see this happening in a university lab setting or something. And it sometimes happens to be the case with me, because I'm a consultant and shouldn't make myself at home. I think *harmonise* is the key. Like, I will continue to wear my suits - but brown ones, not pinstripes or banker's navy and grey. And I'll throw my puffer over, not a wool overcoat.

kkards

Veteran

after reading thru the comments, i quess my outstanding question are you dressed similiarly to your peers? if you are dressed in the same vain, then i wouldn't think any more about it. if you are out of step with both your peers and your superiors, then i might think about tweaking what i wear.