Bare shoulders

What I Wore to Work Today: March 25, 2015
Top: Ross
Pants: Goodwill
Belt: Target
Shoes: Payless

My office dress code is business casual Monday-Thursday with more relaxed standards on Friday. Dressing full business is allowed at all times; when interacting with customers, vendors, or business partners outside the office it is expected to meet their minimum standard. Our corporate center has maybe 2,500 people now and will double in size when another two buildings open sometime in the next year. We all work for the same big company, representing a number of different business lines with varying policies and dress codes. I regularly see people in other areas in patterned leggings-as-pants, cargo pants, running shoes, flip-flops, casual t-shirts. Sometimes I see people in suits and the occasional man in a tie.

My group of maybe 150 people covers half of one floor. We have a program in place to “buy” casual days; the proceeds go to the designated charity of the quarter. For $1/day, I could follow casual Friday guidelines instead of business casual Mon-Thu guidelines. I haven’t done this in over a year, though, I like dressing up a little.

Our version of business casual is fairly relaxed, and probably includes some accommodations for the climate. (Climate: surface of the sun.) Bare shoulders are fine in a top like this that doesn’t have spaghetti straps and doesn’t show undergarments. I often wear a cardigan or jacket anyway, and I keep a black cardigan in my desk for air conditioning temperature fluctuations. Bare legs are fine with skirts and dresses, no panythose or tights required. Open-toed shoes are fine; I stick to peep-toes with some coverage rather than full-on strappy sandals.

I don’t remember if the differences in typical men’s and women’s fashions are written into the dress code or not. The company is big on issues of diversity and inclusion and avoiding discrimination, so in some ways I’d be surprised if it said “women are allowed to wear this, men are not”.

Can you show bare shoulders in your office? Even if it isn’t against policy, how do you feel about wearing something sleeveless or open-toed?

April 21, 2015. Tags: clothes, Goodwill, What I Wore to Work Today. Pictures, What I Wore to Work Today, Words.