Question about GAP mesh sleeve sweater - would you wear it to work? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Question about GAP mesh sleeve sweater - would you wear it to work?

Makrame

Veteran

I feel like I sometimes have strange preconceived notions about what is work-appropriate so wanted to check with the Fabbers. When I tried the cobalt mesh sleeve sweater on, I decided it was not going to be work-appropriate because of the fairly transparent mesh sleeves/shoulders. Am I completely off-base? I would love to be able to wear it to work if it is acceptable. We are talking casual academic environment here, not business dress code. What are your thoughts?

Dressing

25 replies

Latest reply was from Debbie

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I have the Gap mesh sleeve sweater in both white and grey and have worn both to work. I work in a hospital administrative office and it's appropriate in my work environment.

Anonymous

I work at a university and I have worn all of mine to work!

catgirl

Veteran

This was my concern too. Bare skin is also impractical in my climate. Nevertheless I've ordered one for casual summer wear just to test it out.

cinnamon fern

Veteran

I would say totally appropriate for any environment where it's dressy enough. Do you not wear sleeveless tops to work?

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I would probably wear mine on Fridays (I got the yellow and the navy). But not because of the mesh sleeves, more because of the slouchy look, and what I would wear it with.

catgirl

Veteran

CF, not sure if you mean me - but that's a never! (except under jackets)

Makrame

Veteran

I almost never wear sleeveless tops or dresses without a jacket to work. That's why I will occasionally buy tops or dresses with cap sleeves, even though they are not the most flattering. For whatever reason, I always feel more appropriate with some shoulder coverage.

The slouchiness is not a problem for my since sweatshirts and t-shirts are considered completely appropriate work wear.

Jjsloane

Veteran

It's not the sleeves, it's that I didn't care for the exposed bra straps and felt wearing a tank to cover them defeated the light sweater objective so I returned mine.

Isis

Veteran

I bought a Gap mesh sweater this weekend and am wearing it today! I'm teaching a seminar to boot!

I have the cream sweater, wearing it with black jeans and python booties. All YLF picks.

Seriously, the mesh is tight enough that I don't feel like I am baring too much of my shoulders. I'm wearing a nude bra so the straps don't show.

sarah

Veteran

Yep, with a nude bra.

You can also wear a cami if want, but it's not necessary.

Ariadne

Veteran

Yes, I wear mine to work. My bra straps don't show. I wear a tank under it for warmth but it also doesn't show - it lies under the solid part of the knit.

The mesh is so fine that to my eye it's textural, not revealing.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I am planning to wear an open weave sweater this summer with a tank top underneath.... but I know what you mean. It depends on how "sexy" the top is. I would wear an open weave oversized sweater or a sleeveless dress. But I would not wear a "cold shoulder" top.

I just had an incident last week that is making me think twice about my work clothes though... I never have issues with the students... perhaps they don't see me in this way at all... but I had a dad come in who looked me over from head to toe when I was wearing a form fitting knee length dress. It wasn't sleazy, but not really the response I want at work.

unfrumped

Veteran

It would have to be a more casual dress environment than mine, or my perception of mine.
For me it's not the mesh per se, because the body is not mesh. But the vibe is more of a sweatshirt-type vibe or sport knit vibe with the styling of the raglan sleeves.
But then, I'm also in the no-jeans environment. So it sounds like it would be acceptable in a lot of other work places.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think in an academic environment it would be totally fine. The style makes it a bit casual, but no more casual than lots of things you do wear to work.

My bra straps don't show with mine, either. Interesting that this is a problem for some and not others.

Anonymous

I'm going to diverge from the prevailing YLF opinion and say that I don't think
you're off the mark in choosing to dress more conservatively for work than you would during your personal time.

It's essential to know what's appropriate for YOUR workplace, not somebody else's.

I haven't seen the Gap sweater in person yet, but I would approach mesh with extreme caution at work. If the weave is tight and looks more texture-y than hole-y (I hope that makes sense), I'd consider it. But I'd save it for a day when I don't have meetings with the higher-ups. And definitely make sure all bra straps are concealed!

(For whatever it's worth, sleeveless tops are not okay in my particular office. I wear them under jackets and cardis, of course, but the outer layer doesn't get removed unless I'm out of the building for lunch, walking to my car, etc.)

I know this isn't a popular opinion on YLF, but in most offices, it's useful to exercise some restraint unless you've reached a point in your career when you can get away with doing your own thing without repercussions. (e.g., Hillary Clinton) That doesn't mean your clothing should be frumpy and plain and you can't express yourself whatsoever, but you do need to think carefully about what image your clothing projects. And mesh, which can *hint* at skin that's normally covered, even if it doesn't actually reveal it, may not be a great choice for work wear.

Again, just my opinion. My age (32) and gender influence my thinking on this issue. I regularly get compliments from my bosses on how I know how to dress appropriately and still look fashionable. I don't have many peers who toe the line in terms of appropriateness, but those who do are not viewed in a flattering light by the powers that be. My rule of thumb is that if I'd be embarrassed to wear it in a meeting with the head boss, I probably shouldn't do it.

Nicole D

Veteran

I think if you are in doubt, proceed with caution, although I would find it perfectly fine (work in a health care environment).

Thistle

Veteran

I haven't seen the sweater in person yet, but I would never, ever wear anything to work that shows my bra straps, even if I am wearing a nude bra.

Professional sleeveless is different IMHO than mesh. Mesh just feels sexier, and that just isn't for work.

But then, I am an accountant. In a manufacturing company where I am the only female manager.

Makrame

Veteran

BTW, it does not show bra straps (at least the cobalt version that I have). And yet, mesh somehow feels sexier than simply sleeveless, just like Thistle has said.

Interesting.

cinnamon fern

Veteran

Wearing a racerback bra would prevent bra straps showing, wouldn't it?

Thistle is right that sexier isn't the same as more revealing. (Nude fishnets are perceived as sexier than bare legs.) Because of the color and style of this particular sweater, it reads as sporty rather than sexy to me.

Ariadne

Veteran

My workplace is casual. I wouldn't wear it in a dressier workplace. It's a pretty casual sweater.

I wouldn't wear a sleeveless top at work at all.

I've never gotten the impression that exercising restraint or otherwise dressing appropriately for one's workplace is an unpopular opinion on YLF. I'm surprised to hear that perception!

Mona

Veteran

This is definitely news to me. I never would have thought that mesh is looked at as sexier than sleeveless tops. At my workplace, anything goes. people wear shortest possible skirts, sleeveless tops and fairly low necklines. i have a mesh sweater (not the GAP one) that I have worn several times to work.

Isis

Veteran

I am actually pretty conservative. I wouldn't show bra straps either at work. The mesh on this sweater is pretty tight.

I've also never gotten the impression that dressing appropriately is unpopular on YLF. I'd say we are a pretty staid group in fact....

Makrame, if you look at the pictures that go with the sweater on the GAP site, the yellow option shows the sweater with a collared shirt layered underneath--that might be one way to wear it to work if the mesh feels too bare.

Makrame

Veteran

Oh yes, the layered option would probably work. In fact, this semester I have worn all of my v-neck sweaters layered over thin collared blouses to avoid any potential of accidental exposure when bending over a microscope.

I was hoping to maybe wear the mesh-sleeved sweater on its own in the summer (would work well for the air-conditioned office) but somehow the look of bare skin under the mesh gave me pause.

I am assuming that Stacey meant varying degrees of sartorial restraint for different workplaces. As an example, on a different forum I mentioned how I was wearing a cobalt blouse with a grey riding jacket that day at work, and someone (working in IT) said "Oh, well, I would never wear something like that!" (meaning, I think, that she would typically not wear something very bright or something that would make her stand out visually at work). I think that most people on YLF would wear cobalt at work without blinking an eye but apparently that is not a universal reaction. So I don't think Stacey was suggesting that we like to dress inappropriately, only that YLFabbers may sometimes be more adventurous (instead of wearing black or khaki slacks and a buttondown shirt every day ).

Anonymous

Yes, I was not trying to imply that YLFers dress inappropriately, in terms of showing skin. YLFers, as a whole, dress trendier and prioritize fashion more than most office workers. And that's fine, but what I was getting at is that one must be careful when deciding *which* trends to incorporate into work wear. I stand by my (poorly expressed) opinion that some fabrics and silhouettes don't come across as serious office wear. A loose-weave mesh may a) at best, look too casual for more formal environments, or b) hint at sexiness, which Thistle articulated much better than I did.

Debbie

Veteran

I would definitely wear this to work. It is not revealing in any way.