What should you wear to work?

What you should wear to work will totally depend on the job you are doing. Some jobs require a certain formality, others ask that you wear a uniform, while others provide you with the opportunity to express yourself and your individuality. Here is a guide to what you should wear to work.

Formal office jobs

Many formal office jobs will require that you wear a suit to work each day, accompanied by dress shoes and a tie (for men). These kinds of job requirements are becoming less common as the move to more comfortable clothing is preferred, with many companies at least removing the need to wear a tie for men. In the past, some companies required that women wore heels, but that is now considered gender discrimination in most western countries, although still an unspoken rule in some companies.
 

Informal office jobs

If you are not having any contact with the general public, perhaps working in a call center or civil service role, you will probably find that rules on what you can wear to work are more casual, with the onus being on feeling comfortable. In many companies, employees will still require a certain standard and may prohibit the use of shorts, vests, mini-skirts, flip-flop etc. Tennis shoes may be permitted in some informal office jobs, but is not something you should wear on your first day, just to be sure.
 

Retail and Sales

Most retail and sales positions will require a certain level of formally in the way you dress, with the focus being on looking presentable and attractive. There maybe clear rules about the clothes you can or cannot wear, but generally, if you look professional and presentable, anything goes. In some cases, stores or businesses will provide employees with a uniform, which might be a simple T-shirt with the company logo or some kind of badge which identifies the member of staff to clients. Sometimes, it is very confusing in a store if the staff is wearing their own clothes as you never know if they are a shopper or an employee.
 

Dirty work

Jobs where you will get dirty like construction, cleaning services etc will generally allow you to wear what you want, knowing that you will not want to ruin good clothes. In some cases, you may be given overalls to wear to protect your clothes.
 

Public Services

Public services like nurses, doctors, police, army etc are expected to wear a uniform to identify their roles. 
 

Creative jobs

Jobs which rely on your personal individuality usually allow you to wear whatever you like, sometimes with the expectation that you are somewhat fashion conscious or original in your presentation. Jobs in the public eye like presenters or performers will most likely have a stylist to guide them to choose the best type of clothing for them.

 

What do you wear to work? Leave us a comment.