Author Topic: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)  (Read 11093 times)

gatortator

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #50 on: March 29, 2019, 05:09:08 PM »
this website really helped me narrow down a versatile capsule wardrobe, where almost everything matches and I really don't have to think about what to wear in the morning

https://www.theviviennefiles.com/start-here/

To take the capsule office wardrobe down to a more basic level,  this post was interesting in concept (though the prices are way too high for me).  It was linked last weekend on becomingminimalist

https://mmlafleur.com/mdash/professional-wardrobe-womens-5-piece




lexde

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #51 on: March 29, 2019, 06:38:36 PM »
I'd say look at websites for business-appropriate clothing and try to emulate those looks.
Loft, Banana Republic, and White House Black Market are my general go-tos for this sort of thing.

secondchance

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #52 on: April 05, 2019, 09:25:54 PM »
As someone with an alt/artist background I found dressing for work very difficult. I wanted to believe it could be a subset of my existing wardrobe. It cannot.

I work in a "casual" workplace (really business casual for women, although the men in my department are casual) and it made me believe the lie for a long time.

Business casual is business plus a casual thing or two. So leather shoes, a stretchy blazer, a tee and white sneaks. Or slacks with a tee. Buying things that you would call "slacks" or "blouses" is key.  Just make sure they're machine washable because ain't nobody got time or money for dry cleaning.  Keep an eye out for knitted or stretchy blazers/cardigans you love.

It's tough when you are a woman in a man's field, because looking at the men's clothes doesn't help you calibrate. Wearing the female equivalent of what the men do, makes you look like their sloppy younger brother.  I've learned this the hard way :(

So far I really like Everlane and Athleta for synthetic options that wash and wear well.  I fit well in Banana Republic dresses, so if you know your size, it can be worthwhile to shop them on secondhand sites like Poshmark. But honestly slacks, leather shoes, and blouses are the safest bet.

Good luck and please give me tips when you figure it out.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2019, 09:34:46 PM by secondchance »

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #53 on: April 06, 2019, 11:25:27 AM »
I've made a little bit of progress! After looking around in both new shops and thrift stores I couldn't really find what I needed, so in the end I went online. I discovered that a lot of brands *do* actually sell business clothes, but don't let them take up valuable retail space in shops. What you see in shops is just what the typical shopper (i.e. teenage/college age girls) will buy.  There are separate shops targeting older women who typically don't shop online. Working women don't have time to go shopping. If you don't want to look like a teenager or your mum you may need to look online.

A big example of this is Benetton, I brand whose basic items I've worn for years but I never knew they did blouses and pencil skirts. I've ordered two different black pencil skirts and two different white blouses from them to see which ones fit best. I've also ordered a beige trench coat and a light coloured dress. I already bought a pair of super comfortable light coloured loafers that match with the new dress and some other outfits I already have. Fingers crossed that those items are what I'm looking for.

I'm having more meetings with people from outside the company than I've had so far. Most of them were with men, one was with a woman who wore white sneakers... Not a good look. I've worn some items to work that were slightly too casual, but never white sneakers (actually never owned a pair of sneakers in my life). I know it's really fashionable to wear big chuncky white sneakers underneath a skirt, but not in our type of work.

brunetteUK

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #54 on: April 06, 2019, 01:52:41 PM »
Hi Imma!

I had some difficulties too in dressing for work. I always thought I look fine in the mirror but my honest friends were not always impressed. The best tool ever for me was...

Taking pictures of myself!

Take a picture of yourself in the morning before work for a few days (preferably a nice spot with good lighting and not too much mess in the back), like the one in the attachment.

Once you have a few photos, you can see yourself a bit from a stranger's perspective, as if you are looking at magazine shoots. You can see which outfit matched your shape better, which colour makes you look alive or tired, and whether you look "professional" or "prudish". This also helped me see how I actually looked without makeup (=very young, a bit plain) which was very different from the image in my head.

Also, I have an honest friend and my mum, whom I share pictures with, and they give me honest feedback. You can share with us on the forum if you want, we are honest but not brutal hehe.

Before I started my current job I took some time during a weekend and start trying outfits and shoes combinations. Again, taking pictures in the same place, same pose, and it helped me immensely to decide on go-to outfits. It may seem like a lot of work but it saved on a lot of thinking later on.

Regarding jewelry, I cannot be bothered with necklaces! I wear one of these earrings most days. They are big enough to be noticeable and yet very classic so can be worn for decades.


Good luck!
« Last Edit: April 06, 2019, 01:58:22 PM by leroleroUK »

NowClear

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #55 on: April 08, 2019, 03:11:56 PM »

A big example of this is Benetton, I brand whose basic items I've worn for years but I never knew they did blouses and pencil skirts. I've ordered two different black pencil skirts and two different white blouses from them to see which ones fit best. I've also ordered a beige trench coat and a light coloured dress. I already bought a pair of super comfortable light coloured loafers that match with the new dress and some other outfits I already have. Fingers crossed that those items are what I'm looking for.


This sounds great! I'm glad you're making progress. You may want to also consider other colored blouses as you add to your wardrobe--a consistent uniform of white on top of black can sometimes skew waitstaff, at least on me!--but everything you mention here sounds really nice. It also sounds like you're buying things that will mix and match well with each other, which I think is key to keeping the whole thing mustachian.

Finally--brilliant insight about online shopping. So so many more options open up that way.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #56 on: April 09, 2019, 08:45:07 AM »
I have a few bright coloured blouses and jumpers so I started off with a white blouse because I don't have any light coloured tops right now. I don't think I'm going to wear it a lot with the black skirts but I can wear it underneath a jumper so it looks a bit more formal.

I don't like wearing black next to my face because I have very light skin and hair so I'm planning to get maybe a blue/navy jacket and matching trousers that I can wear with the blouse too. I wear skirts most of the time but it's always good to have a classic pair of trousers, especially when it's cold. I could wear it as a suit when going to HQ. (I'm not buying everything at once, just keeping my eyes open.)

As a mustachian I already make do with very little clothes, so I always make sure everything is mix and match. Buying more work clothes will mean I'll have much more clothes than I used to have, but it's an investment in my career. And I think one good thing about working with mostly men is that once I have a professional wardrobe no one is going to care about fashion so I will likely only have to replace a few items a year.

pbkmaine

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Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #57 on: April 09, 2019, 08:50:34 AM »
Get your pantsuit in a royal or lighter blue than navy, or grey or taupe, so that you can wear the jacket with your black pencil skirts as well.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2019, 07:16:09 PM by pbkmaine »

Juslookin

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #58 on: April 09, 2019, 07:04:23 PM »
I learned long ago that business casual meant the men could be comfortable, but for women we are still over dressed. It just doesn’t seem to be as easy to go business casual for us.

I would also highly recommend the old tv show “What Not To Wear”. It is a few years old now, but that demonstrates how easy it is to choose classic clothes that stand the test of time. Many of their outfits and rules are still stylish today.

You have received a lot of advice. My tips are that you always need a third completer piece. Whether you wear pants or a skirt, choose a nice top and add a blazer, soft structured blazer, sweater, some type of completer piece. Top that off with a dangly necklace or a scarf and you have yourself a very stylish put together outfit. Create a uniform of sorts. Mine is always pants, typically black or navy that I liven up with mix and match tops, blazers and accessories.

Good luck.

StarBright

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #59 on: April 09, 2019, 08:01:21 PM »


Regarding jewelry, I cannot be bothered with necklaces! I wear one of these earrings most days. They are big enough to be noticeable and yet very classic so can be worn for decades.


Good luck!

Big Yes on simple jewelry to polish an outfit. When at my actual office I always have either diamond studs or smallish gold or silver hoops. If I'm meeting with a artsier customer I might might wear medium size hoops but that is as funky as my jewelry gets.

My office tends to run to casual if we aren't having customer meetings, but I agree with others here that women still need to dress a rung (or two) above the men. I've had male coworkers who wore the same nasty t-shirt and tevas for a week, but that wouldn't fly for a non-programmer woman. My casual, but work appropriate, inspiration tends to be Liz Lemon :) 

Metalcat

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #60 on: April 10, 2019, 07:16:36 AM »
I learned long ago that business casual meant the men could be comfortable, but for women we are still over dressed. It just doesn’t seem to be as easy to go business casual for us.

I would also highly recommend the old tv show “What Not To Wear”. It is a few years old now, but that demonstrates how easy it is to choose classic clothes that stand the test of time. Many of their outfits and rules are still stylish today.

You have received a lot of advice. My tips are that you always need a third completer piece. Whether you wear pants or a skirt, choose a nice top and add a blazer, soft structured blazer, sweater, some type of completer piece. Top that off with a dangly necklace or a scarf and you have yourself a very stylish put together outfit. Create a uniform of sorts. Mine is always pants, typically black or navy that I liven up with mix and match tops, blazers and accessories.

Good luck.

I don't necessarily agree.
Although I wear athleisure most of the time for work, I do occasionally have corporate meetings where I choose to fit in with the business attire crowd and I have found ways to be totally comfortable.

There's so much stretch jersey office wear out there now. Even really nice blazers come in stretch jersey material these days. And for business casual you don't even need a blazer. A sweater vest/cardigan/twin set is perfectly suitable for business casual.

My go to for a more formal corporate meeting is stretch Ponte pants in either black or a neutral geometric pattern, a stretch jersey or drapey top, and a stretch jersey blazer. In terms of comfort, it's not much different than wearing leggings, a t-shirt and a sweater, and I fit right in with the executives.

I have a single formal custom tailored wool suit for when I really want to have a visual impact, but that's reserved for when I host major events and I hate every second of wearing it.

For women there are countless options that are soft and comfortable. Men don't have nearly the flexibility in terms of fabrics available for office wear.

If we're talking shoes though.
Yeah, we totally get the shaft on shoes.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #61 on: April 10, 2019, 07:26:42 AM »
IMO during the summer us women have it easier clothes-wise.  During the stinking hot summer I'm wearing a nice day or shift dress (linen or cotton) with short or no sleeves and summer shoes/sandals plus a necklace to add a bit of formality.  My male colleagues are often in wool suits, completely closed shoes and sweating like pigs.  I don't wear heels so I don't feel too unlucky in the shoe department.  You don't have to wear heels in a business casual office or even a formal office.

Metalcat

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #62 on: April 10, 2019, 07:34:46 AM »
IMO during the summer us women have it easier clothes-wise.  During the stinking hot summer I'm wearing a nice day or shift dress (linen or cotton) with short or no sleeves and summer shoes/sandals plus a necklace to add a bit of formality.  My male colleagues are often in wool suits, completely closed shoes and sweating like pigs.  I don't wear heels so I don't feel too unlucky in the shoe department.  You don't have to wear heels in a business casual office or even a formal office.

I wear thick orthotics, so I have pretty intense envy of the big, flat, supportive shoes that men can wear and look very stylish. The thin orthotics for dress shoes don't work as well for me.

However, you are right that we have more flexibility in terms of footwear. Most men can't wear sandals on a hot day.

So yeah, it's all relative.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #63 on: April 10, 2019, 08:13:53 AM »
It would absolutely not occur to me to wear sandals or no sleeves at all to work, even in summer.

 I do wear summer dresses a lot l during the summer, but I always make sure to have short sleeves, a knee length skirt, thin thights and closed shoes. Men usually wear short sleeved shirts during the summer over here. I have been told my new workplace gets extremely hot in summer (no A/C) so I'm not looking forward to that.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #64 on: April 10, 2019, 08:45:18 AM »
It's a lot hotter here in Italy than in the Netherlands so well aerated shoes such as sandals and light summer dresses are a godsend.  It would be torture to wear tights in summer and tights aren't very fashionable here anymore.  I hardly ever see women wearing tights in summer.

With the no-sleeves thing - I go for a Michelle Obama kind of shift dress look.  I avoid sundresses or other casual summer dresses at work even when it's 40 degrees C.  I walk to work every day so I have to stay cool even in the extreme heat.  We have air conditioning at work though.  Otherwise, it would be impossible to get any work done.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #65 on: April 10, 2019, 09:43:17 AM »
I worked as a receptionist for a few years when I was younger so maybe that's a rule that was drilled into but isn't really common anymore. In my case as I'm pale that would involve fake tan/bronzing body lotion so maybe I prefer tights anyway. My legs aren't any more pale than my arms or face but pale legs are such a massive taboo for some reason.

Thankfully it doesn't get hotter than about 35 degrees in here. At my previous workplace when it was really hot I'd get into work really early when it was still cool, sit in the A/C so I wouldn't get sweaty until I went home. It's supposed to go up to 25-30 in my new workplace. I may need bare legs and open shoes to tolerante that.

Metalcat

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #66 on: April 10, 2019, 09:58:29 AM »
I worked as a receptionist for a few years when I was younger so maybe that's a rule that was drilled into but isn't really common anymore. In my case as I'm pale that would involve fake tan/bronzing body lotion so maybe I prefer tights anyway. My legs aren't any more pale than my arms or face but pale legs are such a massive taboo for some reason.

Thankfully it doesn't get hotter than about 35 degrees in here. At my previous workplace when it was really hot I'd get into work really early when it was still cool, sit in the A/C so I wouldn't get sweaty until I went home. It's supposed to go up to 25-30 in my new workplace. I may need bare legs and open shoes to tolerante that.

Yeah, the whole tights and closed toed shoes rule went out the window a loooooooong time ago where I live. I remember it well 20 years ago, but it died off soon after that in my corporate environment.

Pale is also super acceptable here because no one's skin sees daylight for 6+ months of the year. All white people up here are pale. People here only have tans for a week or two after they come back from a winter vacation in Cuba, lol.

I'm about one shade darker than printer paper and have never been made to feel conscious about my legs. Funny how these things vary so much culturally.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #67 on: April 10, 2019, 02:54:07 PM »
Same here - I have extremely white legs as I stay out of the sun year round thanks to having had a bunch of pre-cancerous moles dug out of my skin as a teenager.  I've never felt that having pale legs was taboo.  It would look kind of weird, actually, if your legs were tan and the rest of you was pale.

I'm in my 40s and I remember that back in the 80s professional women were forced to wear pantyhose even in the summer.  But that was a long time ago.

Kwill

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #68 on: April 10, 2019, 03:20:19 PM »
I wrote a long reply yesterday that got eaten by the server maintenance, but the short version is that all this advice seems great.

Between finishing grad school and starting my first job after that, I paid for one introductory session with a personal shopper. We met at a mall, and we spent maybe half an hour talking through what I had and what I expected to need at work. Then she walked around with me, showing me things and getting me to try things on at a few different places. I bought a few things but ended up going back to return the expensive shoes she talked me into buying. Mainly I treated it like an educational experience, took lots of notes, and asked a ton of questions. I wouldn't do it again, but for me it was worthwhile to do once. I'd had a friend talk me through things in general the same summer, but she didn't have time to actually go around with me and explain things in stores. It was easier with someone I didn't know. One of the useful things she said was to do neutrals with just one extra colour at a time. It's probably totally obvious, but I hadn't thought about it before.

The other thing I did that summer was to do a colour analysis and order swatches. The swatches themselves aren't essential, but it's useful to think about the colours if you are going to keep your wardrobe relatively small. Something like this or this.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #69 on: April 11, 2019, 07:26:42 AM »
I'm pretty average looking in every single way (at least since I have my natural hair colour back) so I hardly ever get any kind of comments on my appearance from anyone, positive or negative. I don't stand out at all. If I step outside with bare legs, which I do all the time in summer, I can almost guarantee that people will comment every single time. Always the same old jokes about if they glow in the dark or reflect the sun back. So I guess that means it does stand out. I'm sure my coworkers wouldn't be so rude but I guess the point of officewear is to avoid standing out.

Of course no one wants the deep mahogany look these days but most women I know well seem get fake tan, a very light sunkissed shade, if you don't know it's there you wouldn't have guessed. I hate any kind of beauty treatment so I've never had it.

Metalcat

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #70 on: April 12, 2019, 04:06:47 AM »
I'm pretty average looking in every single way (at least since I have my natural hair colour back) so I hardly ever get any kind of comments on my appearance from anyone, positive or negative. I don't stand out at all. If I step outside with bare legs, which I do all the time in summer, I can almost guarantee that people will comment every single time. Always the same old jokes about if they glow in the dark or reflect the sun back. So I guess that means it does stand out. I'm sure my coworkers wouldn't be so rude but I guess the point of officewear is to avoid standing out.

Of course no one wants the deep mahogany look these days but most women I know well seem get fake tan, a very light sunkissed shade, if you don't know it's there you wouldn't have guessed. I hate any kind of beauty treatment so I've never had it.

That sounds unpleasant

herbgeek

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #71 on: April 12, 2019, 04:25:19 AM »
Quote
I paid for one introductory session with a personal shopper.

Mid-career, I did 4 sessions with an image consultant with some friends.  The image consultant was looking for people to test out the curriculum on, so it was a win win (we got this service for very cheap).  I was launching a consulting business at this time, and really wanted to look the part.

It was really beneficial to me to learn the colors and shapes that work well with me- its saved me a lot of money not buying the wrong things that just sit in my closet, and made shopping quicker too when I could narrow things down so easily.  She also helped me to be aware of some of the smaller details that make all the difference in looking well put together.

Ironically, I closed the business and went back to software engineering where jeans are the norm.  But I still find those sessions useful, even when selecting leisure clothes.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #72 on: April 12, 2019, 04:29:20 AM »
I feel like I'm completely unaware of all these beauty treatments that other women do.  I've never heard anyone talk about getting a fake tan. 

Most Italians are a lot darker skinned than me and they seem completely unaware of skin cancer risks here so I get plenty of comments when I go to the beach with my kids though.  At the beach, I'm usually wearing a broad-brimmed hat, SPF50 and a long sleeved SPF sun shirt.  My kids usually wear SPF shirts too but refuse the hats.  I really don't care what they think.  I'd rather that my kids and I not get premature wrinkles and skin cancer. 

Metalcat

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #73 on: April 12, 2019, 04:40:06 AM »
I feel like I'm completely unaware of all these beauty treatments that other women do.  I've never heard anyone talk about getting a fake tan. 

Most Italians are a lot darker skinned than me and they seem completely unaware of skin cancer risks here so I get plenty of comments when I go to the beach with my kids though.  At the beach, I'm usually wearing a broad-brimmed hat, SPF50 and a long sleeved SPF sun shirt.  My kids usually wear SPF shirts too but refuse the hats.  I really don't care what they think.  I'd rather that my kids and I not get premature wrinkles and skin cancer.

Yeah, both DH and I have had skin cancer, that tends to shut people up pretty quickly when we get a rare comment about being extremely pale or wearing long sleeve UV shirts.


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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #74 on: April 12, 2019, 05:27:30 AM »
What a women wears seems always to be fair game to men in the workplace. You may be right that your men are giving you honest and appropriate feedback, but ask yourself if they would do the same to each other, as a mechanism to double check. If you think your clothing is worn, then it needs to be out of your workplace if you are trying to look professional.

My natural style is not corporate, but I quickly figured out that it made life easier to dress for my role. Figure out what you would need to buy to elevate and maintain your status, then after you are comfortable with that, figure out some mustachian hacks. Its better also to buy a quality capsule wardrobe than many cheap pieces. That includes hair, makeup, shoes and accessories.

There is some latitude to develop your own personal style, within a corporate framework. Once you figure that out it can become your signature look. For example necklaces always suited my particular body type, so I wore statement necklaces and no other jewellery.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #75 on: April 14, 2019, 04:58:03 AM »
It's true a woman's appearance is always fair game - can you imagine that instead of random men commenting on my legs in public, I'd joke about their baldness or beer bellies? That would be extremely absurd, but men commenting on women's appearance is somehow pretty much accepted. I have heard my coworkers being critical towards each other as well and none of them have ever said anything inappropriate so for now I'll just assume they're right.

I too always avoid the sun because I'm so light skinned. We went to the beach once a year when I was a kid and I was always the only one in the long dress wearing a big hat with my towel draped around me instead of sitting on it. I have a bit of Spanish heritage and a few members of the family were much darker and used to laugh at me. Many of them have extensive sun damage now. Some have switched to fake tan now but the damage is done. I was btw also never aware of those beauty treatments, but then I befriended a beautician... I also never knew how many women wear hair extensions. I thought that only happened in Hollywood.

The clothes I ordered arrived and almost all of them were sent back. One shirt and the dress turned out to be semi-transparant and I want sturdy fabrics. One skirt was really nice but too big so I've ordered it in a smaller size. I ordered a few shirts that are more expensive than I've bought before to see if the quality really gets better. I hate all this sending clothes back and forth but I still haven't found a good physical store yet. At least the shipping is free.

Catbert

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #76 on: April 14, 2019, 01:35:51 PM »
IIRC you ordered the clothes from a website that also has physical stores but doesn't carry the clothes you were interested in in the stores.  See if they have a "ship to store" option.  That way you can try on the clothes and not take them if they don't work.  Some shops in the US allow this.  Of coursed, I have no idea about the Netherlands.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #77 on: April 22, 2019, 01:42:55 AM »
I should totally do that next time, @Catbert . I kind of forgot about that.

So far I've kept a classic beige trenchcoat, a simple black pencil skirt and a classic navy knee-length etui dress with short sleeves. I've had positive reactions to that dress and I like the colour. Navy looks much better on me than black. It's not a colour I'd wear privately but it's perfect for work. I haven't tried wearing it with bare legs yet but as it's getting quite warm already (25C+)  I'll probably try that out soon.

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #78 on: April 22, 2019, 02:34:15 PM »
So far I've kept a classic beige trenchcoat, a simple black pencil skirt and a classic navy knee-length etui dress with short sleeves. I've had positive reactions to that dress and I like the colour. Navy looks much better on me than black. It's not a colour I'd wear privately but it's perfect for work. I haven't tried wearing it with bare legs yet but as it's getting quite warm already (25C+)  I'll probably try that out soon.

This is true for me too.  I wear black pants and skirts, but not dresses or shirts.  For a dark neutral to wear near my face, navy is much more flattering.  Dark forest green also works well, although it's not quite as neutral. 

better late

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #79 on: April 22, 2019, 05:36:18 PM »
So far I've kept a classic beige trenchcoat, a simple black pencil skirt and a classic navy knee-length etui dress with short sleeves. I've had positive reactions to that dress and I like the colour. Navy looks much better on me than black. It's not a colour I'd wear privately but it's perfect for work. I haven't tried wearing it with bare legs yet but as it's getting quite warm already (25C+)  I'll probably try that out soon.

This is true for me too.  I wear black pants and skirts, but not dresses or shirts.  For a dark neutral to wear near my face, navy is much more flattering.  Dark forest green also works well, although it's not quite as neutral.

Ditto.  I wear very little black - it just looks flat to me and does nothing for my coloring.

Navy, ink, cream, grey, tan and cognac are much better neutrals for me. They pair well with the current colors in my closet- olive, wine, teal, light blue, pink, blush, magenta.

The navy dress sounds great. I have one and wear it weekly in the spring/summer - and after 3 years still get compliments lol.

MsPeacock

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #80 on: April 23, 2019, 07:28:46 AM »
I started a thread about work wardrobes and pairing down a couple years ago. I'll try to find it and post a link.

I switched to a "uniform" process 4 or so years ago now. I wear the same pants (specifically, from the store Express) and shirt (also from Express) and men's style flat comfortable shoes. I have suit jackets that I can put on as needed. Everything is machine washable, professional, comfortable, and affordable. I also spent next to nothing on clothing in the past 2 years as a result. I do not wear skirts or dresses because I find them uncomfortable and not warm enough.

MsPeacock

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #81 on: April 23, 2019, 07:33:53 AM »
I started a thread about work wardrobes and pairing down a couple years ago. I'll try to find it and post a link.

I switched to a "uniform" process 4 or so years ago now. I wear the same pants (specifically, from the store Express) and shirt (also from Express) and men's style flat comfortable shoes. I have suit jackets that I can put on as needed. Everything is machine washable, professional, comfortable, and affordable. I also spent next to nothing on clothing in the past 2 years as a result. I do not wear skirts or dresses because I find them uncomfortable and not warm enough.

Here is the thread: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/spin-off-creating-a-minimalistcapsule-wardrobe-most-recent-update-page-15/

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #82 on: June 11, 2019, 11:45:42 PM »
So far I've kept a classic beige trenchcoat, a simple black pencil skirt and a classic navy knee-length etui dress with short sleeves. I've had positive reactions to that dress and I like the colour. Navy looks much better on me than black. It's not a colour I'd wear privately but it's perfect for work. I haven't tried wearing it with bare legs yet but as it's getting quite warm already (25C+)  I'll probably try that out soon.

This is true for me too.  I wear black pants and skirts, but not dresses or shirts.  For a dark neutral to wear near my face, navy is much more flattering.  Dark forest green also works well, although it's not quite as neutral.

Ditto.  I wear very little black - it just looks flat to me and does nothing for my coloring.

Navy, ink, cream, grey, tan and cognac are much better neutrals for me. They pair well with the current colors in my closet- olive, wine, teal, light blue, pink, blush, magenta.

The navy dress sounds great. I have one and wear it weekly in the spring/summer - and after 3 years still get compliments lol.

We had a meeting with an important visitor last Friday and I was wearing the navy dress + thin thights. My boss said something like "sorry, we are dressed a bit casually, except for Imma who always looks very representative" so I guess my efforts have been noticed.

Zo far, it's quite cold for the time of the year so I'm still wearing thights. It's also the time of the year that the "what is appropriate summerwear in the office" articles start to appear in the media and this year I figured I should read some of them. They all say bare legs are off limits, so I guess I'm not the only one thinking that. We don't really have a lot of other women in the office but I'll keep an eye on what professionally dressed women at the train station and in our business park do. I guess if a lot of women have bare legs it's probably fine.

Kwill

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #83 on: June 12, 2019, 11:44:55 AM »
Congratulations! That sounds like the response you were going for.

Hula Hoop

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #84 on: June 17, 2019, 03:46:20 AM »
It's boiling hot (as usual) where I am so I'm wearing my usual summer uniform to work.  Cotton, no sleeved shift dress, bare legs and flat shoes.  Getting dressed is so easy in summer.  I just grab a dress from the closet and throw it on.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #85 on: June 17, 2019, 04:38:28 AM »
A new person just plainly asked my boss whether bare legs were acceptable. He said he'd rather not have that at work, but as we don't have a/c, he's ok with bare legs from the knee down if the temperature is tropical, aka 30+ outside. So I guess my dilemma is solved. He said this rule applies to both men and women, which is fair. I don't think men are allowed shorts in a lot of places but they get hot in summer as well.
 

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #86 on: June 17, 2019, 06:53:54 AM »
Wearing a dress or skirt in summer to work is one of the few advantages of being female though.  Here it's over 30 degrees every single day in summer.  Often approaches 40 celcius.

afterthedark

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #87 on: June 17, 2019, 07:34:28 AM »
Leaving items at work is difficult because while I have a desk with drawers, those drawers are meant for work related stuff. I can put a small pair of shoes in it and my lunch, but it's pretty full already and of course, work items take preference. I can't leave anything at work that doesn't fit in my desk drawers. We are really crammed into our current office, but we are moving to a different location in a bit, hopefully there's more space there. The new location will also likely mean a little less walking. I'm the only one not commuting by car, others just use their cars to store personal belongings, so there are no facilities like lockers etc.

I don’t have time to read the whole thread just now so this may have already been suggested. At one office I worked in that had very little space for personal items, I kept an archive box under my desk for shoes and such. It was large enough to fit several pairs of shoes, but looked like it contained paperwork, so it didn’t look out of place. In fact it was probably an old box that had ‘year end reports’ or similar written on the end so even more disguised.

Kitsune

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #88 on: June 17, 2019, 07:44:46 AM »
Zo far, it's quite cold for the time of the year so I'm still wearing thights. It's also the time of the year that the "what is appropriate summerwear in the office" articles start to appear in the media and this year I figured I should read some of them. They all say bare legs are off limits, so I guess I'm not the only one thinking that. We don't really have a lot of other women in the office but I'll keep an eye on what professionally dressed women at the train station and in our business park do. I guess if a lot of women have bare legs it's probably fine.

I would HIGHLY suggest looking at what other women are doing, because... yeah, I've seen those articles, but also I've worked in professional/corporate enviroments for almost 15 years, and have NEVER worn tights in summer, nor have any of my colleagues. Tights in winter, sure - opaque black ones, mostly (it gets cold in Quebec, but also why shave if you can cover), but once summer hits, it's 30 degrees, who is gonna wear tights in that weather?? (also, thin nylons cost 10$ and last 2 wears if you're lucky, it's total BS). (Also, lightly tinted body cream can hide glaringly white legs - jergens makes a cheap one that works fine for that, if you're concerned).

But yeah, I'm assuming this is VERY location-specific, and industry-specific. Take with a gigantic grain of salt.

Imma

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Re: Mustachian dressing and grooming for work (f)
« Reply #89 on: June 19, 2019, 12:12:52 PM »
Yeah well part of the problem is I don't have female coworkers at my level/department. I'm waiting to hear about my contract renewal so I'm not taking liberties until then. But it was 28C at work today so it's almost warm enough to have bare legs and not break the rules. I can imagine they might not be super strict with me if I slightly break the rules, but as it's only a few months ago that they thought I looked a bit scruffy I don't want to take too many risks.

I tend to wear thicker thights in winter, but for summer I have some light coloured pairs. They are thin but they do tend to last me quite some time. I often wear stockings because I have relatively long legs and they fit me better -  the added value from a mustachian perspective is that you can continue to wear the other stocking if one rips beyond repair.

In my country people generally dress more casual at work than for example the US, but I'm in a conservative field and in an international company originally from a more conservative country. On top of that I'm one of the few women. I guess it's a bit trial and error, for me and for the company, to find out what's acceptable. My male coworkers are all still in long sleeves so it already feels a bit strange to turn up in a short sleeved dress every day (that's totally acceptable, just feels a bit odd to be the only one).