"Weighing in" on untucked shirttail hems for Business Casual

At the risk of going round about the range of Biz Cas itself....
I've been on the more conservative edge of BC. Usually don't wear button- ( ups/downs/fronts at work too much but in the past , when I did , any shirttail hems would be tucked in.
Though an untucked silky or drapey shirttail hem is one of my
favorite looks for casual or smart casual-- the scalloped hem being
figure- flattering and flaw- friendly.

Lately I am feeling the need for mostly untucking and for longer tops. Usually I've managed this mostly with knits, including some with finished shirttail hems or high- low hems. But, I have a few silky shirts I wish I could make use of, untucked, with slim pants and a polished bootie or dressy shoe.
But, I can't quite decide whether to indulge or to hold the hard line. I really don't have a lot of examples to follow so am using my own compass.
Part of my interest is I have these stand- ruffled collars as in the Find, which look a little dressier than usual collared blouses ( when buttoned up a bit higher, the collar stays up more ) and the blouse gives a forgiving, slight tunic look over slim pants ( not as long and big as a true tunic, though). I have 2 neutral colors for tonal- looking outfits.

The other thing is that I've been annoyed by a lot of the knitwear shirttail hems being overly extra- long in back, which to me gives a weird diaper look. So I've had trouble refreshing my sweater capsule.

I've read debates on Corporettte, which usually skews , of course, more corporate.

Any thoughts on the shirttail debate , both for appropriateness and for modern style aspects ( such as, " that is SO 2004!" ) or whatever!
Does "it depend " on too many factors to even discuss? Maybe it could only be a version of Casual Friday ( the shirttail, not jeans or other casualized elements), if at all.

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7 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I like this blouse, but of course the hem is not visible in the photo. I would say tucking depends on a few things: 1) how very corporate your setting is (like I would say no in a large law firm context); 2) what the fabric of the blouse is (crisp v. drapy); and 3) what the hemline looks like (straight across v. something more interesting).

If you determine that tucking is not suited for your environment, I would suggest that if you are looking for a little extra coverage without going the full jacket route, perhaps a longer vest over a tucked blouse would be a good alternative.

unfrumped

UmmLila, thanks!
Yes, a vest would be a good "security " 3rd piece! I loved vests. I have looked a little, but not diligently. The really long ones are too much. Interestingly, I could use a hem that is not straight across at the wrong length with those, also!

Anonymous

I pretty much tuck almost nothing and was fine as long as accessories and rest of outfit was put together. Mostly I purchased things that looked ok untucked. YMMV of course.

L'Abeille

I think my workwear is Business Casual (never jeans, never suits), and I wear shirts untucked all the time. My style is more gentlemanly than ladylike though (I wear crisp shirts, not silk blouses) and I am decidedly RATE. Also there is no one to tell me what I can wear; the hospital recently Introduced a dress code that says no jeans, no denim anything else, and no pants that are really just jeans in a non denim fabric. But as I'm not an employee, all they can do is suggest.

Ledonna N.

I lime button downs unturned and like the idea of vest.

annagybe

(website)

Did some image searching. These appealed to me or found interesting.
Especially the first two, though the bow tie may not work for you.

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Thanks for input!

Anna, great street photos- thank you. I suppose I might look mock like #4, though not quite as much" big shirt", mostly because of the pants, which seem to be neither jeans nor leggings, and footwear options.
I had also wondered whether a narrow silky scarf-- tonally coordinated-- sort if emulating the re- treaded bow blouses trend-- would make it look more formal.

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