Wearing dresses overdressing for work? - YouLookFab Forum

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Wearing dresses overdressing for work?

elizabeth

Hi everyone,

I need some advice on wearing dresses or nicer clothes for work. I gained some weight and have been wearing really not so great clothes to work like tshirts and jeans for the last couple of years. Recently I decided to put together a few pieces to have a simple work wardrobe. I bought the two dresses below from Ann Taylor. I only wore the wrap one so far and the other employees asked me if I had a date, etc. and I felt a little overdressed. It may have been because they haven't seen me in dresses but I used to wear them all the time. It is a small business and a casual environment, no dress code but business casual and other people often wear jeans, no customer interaction. Now I'm wondering if I should return the striped dress because I may be overdressing for work, which I heard can be bad. I'm the oldest employee there at almost 5 years, and just feel I should dress better for work. I'm an assistant.

What do you think?

http://www.anntaylor.com/ann/c.....;cid=A0001

http://www.anntaylor.com/ann/p.....Color=6600

Dressing

24 replies

Latest reply was from

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I love those dresses, Elizabeth! I think you may be right in that your coworkers are not used to you dressing up - I think these dresses are both appropriate for business casual. If you feel happy and confident in your dresses, then I don't think you should not wear them

I'm tempted to order the wrap dress now :p

Deborah

Veteran

Elizabeth I have very strong feelings about this.

Firstly your colleagues probably commented as they did because as you say they are used to seeing you dressed more casually.

Secondly, can I encourage you to dress for work in a way that makes you feel good:)
Both of these dresses are lovely and IMO very suitable for an office environment.
I work in a small office where there is really no dress code. Even wearing jeans I am overdressed by comparison every day, but I feel good and like how I look and present to both colleagues and clients (I work in a community based organisation). My colleagues are used to how I dress and never bat an eyelid. Once you work mates get used to it, they will just expect you dress well at work:) You never know you may also influence them. For example, my female colleague now dresses much smarter on days when we travel to meet with our city based colleagues.

Please don't return the the other dress. Wear it, enjoy it, feel good and don't mind what anyone says.

Sylvie

Veteran

I work in a casual to smart casual environment and share your fear of being overdressed for work.

I've worn dresses to work with boots and colored tights (brown, black, grey). The tights cover my legs and the boots make them the look less ladylike. Also, I wear a cardigan if the dress is sleeveless, which also helps tone the look down. Pumps or a blazer would make me feel too dressed up.

I know a lot of YLF-ers would be frustrated by my methods - go ahead and defy your environmental norm! But this worked for me as a way to dip my toe into wearing dresses to work. Maybe this would work for you too, or maybe hearing this makes you ready to just wear what you want. The others are right that eventually your coworkers will just get used to it, so long as *you* are comfortable with what you wear.

fashionista

Veteran

Just dress up.......it will build your own confidence. Let others stare at you or gossip. You should dress for yourself and your happiness. Go for it.

Kiwichik

Veteran

I think you should dress in a way that suits you and makes you happy. If you wear those dresses with confidence no one will bat an eye lid. I'm sure you have only drawn comments because they are not used to the "real" you. Get in touch with your inner diva and keep wearing those dresses they look lovely.

jayne

Veteran

I 5th the opinion that you should go ahead and wear what makes you happy. I have struggled to dress down for my office and finally gave up. I am not happy in jeans and Tshirts. I like color and my rubic so I think you should go for it!

Meghan R

I agree that your coworkers are probably just getting used to your new look -- I can't imagine anyone having a problem with those dresses. They don't look overly corporate, which I think can be good to avoid in more low-key work environments. They look like very attractive, practical, casual-but-dialed-up-a-few-notches dresses. I give them a big thumbs up!

rute

Veteran

Lovely dresses and perfect to work! A dress is a perfect choice to everyday life and not only for events!
They'll get used to it!

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Both of those dresses are lovely. I find dresses to be the easiest outfit for work. Just one piece and you are done. It's an easy way to look polished from head to toe. It will take a little time for your coworkers to get used to your changing style. Don't get discouraged. It is worth it to take a little better care of ourselves.

Sara L.

Veteran

I also work in a very small office (6 people) with no dress code. Even my boss occasionally wears jeans so I'm consistently over dressed by everyone else's standards. But since I always dress like this, everyone's used to it now and I don't get any comments. It may just be that you're dressing different than your co-workers are used to. After some time with your more dressy outfits, no one will notice anymore.

Heather

Veteran

Elizabeth, I agree with all of the opinions above. Once your coworkers become accustomed to you and your new office style, it won't be a second thought.

I am always overdressed for every occasion according to my husband and no one else bats an eye. Casual and dressy are relative in my universe.

Adore your new frocks!!

ironkurtin

Veteran

I'm in a similar work environment and I dress "up" all the time. I think so long as you're not in a suit you can wear whatever you like. Shoot, better dressing nicer than dressing overly casual! And I say this having worked at a company where they finally banned shorts for me because of one guy who wore those slit athletic shorts AND REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE.

fern

Veteran

I prefer dresses - I am in dresses or skirts 80% of the time.
This is not work related, but every single time my father sees me in a dress he says, "Wow, you're dressed up." I'm not - I'm normal for me, and my jersey dresses are more comfy than jeans, but I think for some people dress= dressy. (It's there in the word, I guess... hmmm)

Your dresses look perfect for work. If you want to dress them down, maybe you can think more casual shoes / cardigan combos.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I work in a completely casual high tech male-dominant environment (read t-shirts and baggy jeans) and I wear dresses to work - as well as pencil skirts, jackets and silk shirts. If you like to do it go for it and bring up the appearance bar at your office! I don't know who set the rule that if business environment is not formal it should be sloppy and over casual? Persist and they will get used to you dressing nice everyday and who knows, maybe they will change?

Meredith1953

Veteran

I think dresses are lovely for you! I still struggle with them. My brain knows that this should be an easy and polished way to dress but I grew up in jeans and have lived in jeans all my life. It has been hard to even wear TROUSERS!!! I am working on trying to incorporate a few dresses into my wardrobe but they don't feel like ME.

anne

Veteran

Firstly, I agree with what everyone has been saying!

Secondly, I wanted to share an anecdote. Back in the 90's I was working overseas teaching english. I got a job at a school where my colleagues dressed VERY casually. Jeans weren't allowed, but baggy t shirts, casual shorts and tracksuit pants were the order of the day. Well I hated it ( I had come from an office job in Australia) but changed to fit in, even wearing other teacher's cast offs, as I hadn't brought those type of clothes.

Then, after a year or so, we had a new teacher come to the school, She was fashionable and well groomed and she refused to bow to the environmenal norm. She had brought a 3 piece suit and nice cardigans and she wore them! Well the sky did not fall down, the parents loved her and it was all fine. And I smartened up a little and wished I had not bowed down to the norm!

mscooks

The dresses are lovely, so as long as you can get used to wearing them I say go for it! The more you dress up, the less they'll comment on it, except to ask you where you bought stuff from so they can go and stock up themselves!

elizabeth

Thank you everyone for all the advice and support, you have given me a lot to think about!

AJ

Veteran

Why is overdressing for work "bad?"

Patty

Veteran

This is a great thread!
This is something rushing thru my head right this minute with the thoughts of going back to work in and environment that has gussied up since last I was working in the same field.

rachylou

Veteran

Those are great dresses! No doubt people are just noticing that you've kicked up your style. Wear the dresses with sneakers if all else fails - they'd look cute and that would loosen the look up.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Elizabeth, those are lovely dresses. I would wear them with pleasure and pride! You've received some excellent suggestions for "casualizing" them. If denim is allowed you can even add a denim jacket over top.

I think jersey dresses can be very forgiving of weight loss and gain and often are much more comfortable than jeans.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Lovely dresses Elizabeth! I'm often the most dressed up person in my office but I've come to the conclusion that dressing a particular way makes me feel good and that's who I'm primarily dressing for - myself! If you feel good in these dresses, then I say wear them with a smile!

Anonymous

Where I live, anything I wear is overdressing, LOL! I say wear what you want to wear and let them adjust. As long as what you wear is office appropriate, what's it to them? They really shouldn't mind if you dress nicely. Unless, of course, they're jealous.