Fashion ideas?

[Veronica]

I gave one of my students The House on Mango Street to read. While reading it, she came and asked me what nylons were.

I tend to dress a little nicer than most of my peers, but there are a couple of older teachers who really dress up. The K teacher wears dresses and hose most days.

I'll wear a dress or skirt on Mondays - no recess duty - but it's with tights or bare legs when it's warm enough. Otherwise it's chinos, cords or jeans on Fridays and messy days. All my sweaters are cashmere though - warmth without bulk. Lands End had an awesome deal just before Christmas...

I struggle to find nice warm weather clothes.

Veronica

[Crankin]

I had to make some adjustments in my summer wardrobe this year, as this is the first year I've worked in the summer. I tend to wear Athleta type dresses, short skirts/skorts and tanks, or capris. A lot of what I wear is not OK for work, although I adjust for when I am going to someone's house who does not have AC. I have a few nicer sleeveless dresses I wore teaching, but they are not so comfortable for getting in and out of the car all day, like I do now. And, they are getting dated.
One thing I learned from living in AZ is that it's cooler to wear a dress. Nothing rubbing on your waist band. I never wear shorts, unless it's for an athletic activity. I feel more comfortable in capris.

[GLC1968]

I wear tights that are like hosery under dresses and skirts, but I don't wear leggings which some people call 'tights'. I'll wear them for athletic stuff, but not for work. My legs are NEVER cold though, so I only wear tights as a fashion accessory (which is why I had to buy some as I never bothered when I was an engineer).

Yeah, what is 'work appropriate' for my company is very individual. As an engineer, I could wear whatever I wanted (and hardly ever heels due to needing to wear an ESD strap on my shoes on the test floor) and most engineers dress like slobs. I refused to do so so I was always just kind of cute casual. If I wore jeans, it was usually only on a Friday and always nice jeans with a jacket or something slightly dressier so that I didn't look sloppy.

Now that I'm in HR/staffing, I'm not only seeing tons of other employees every day, but I see outside customers too. I should be wearing more typical business casual attire (most of my group does). I still keep my same jeans rule, but interestingly enough, most people in this department dress like slobs when they put on their jeans on Fridays. It's really weird to me. They dress nicer during the week, but much worse on Fridays.

The other piece of the puzzle is that I travel and represent the company a lot. When I do, I am expected to dress casual because we are a casual company. BUT, I need to wear company branded stuff as much as possible. I hate, hate, hate what I look like in a polo and khakis which is what most of the guys in my situation wear. I need to get more creative. I want to appear like a hip but mature woman. Finding that sweet spot between 'mom' and 'cool' without crossing into 'trying too hard to look young' is tough! Toss in the company branded items (which are almost never 'cool') and you get a real challenge!

[indysteel]

The legal world in Indy is really interesting. When I first got out of school in 1996, lawyers still dressed up. Every day. My first job was at the Indiana Court of Appeals, and I always has a skirt or suit on, even though I spent all day, every day outside of the public view. From there, I went to a law firm. Again, I wore a suit or dressed up in some fashion every day, regardless of whether I had court or was meeting with a client.

Since then, I've been at a federal court and, as I indicated, I don't wear suits much at all anymore. My boss has been on the state or federal bench for the last 23 years and he has remained "old school." He wears a suit nearly every day. On Fridays, he dresses down a bit, but not much. Keep in mind that when he's on the bench, he wears a robe and sit's behind a tall bench. So, it's pretty difficult to tell what he's actually wearing underneath it. Most law firms, however, have really lightened up their dress codes, however. We routinely see lawyers on the street wearing casual wear or jeans. They only dress up if they have court. My boss has asked them about it and they maintain that most (though presumably not all) of their clients prefer that they're casual. My boss just can't get his head around that though.

[Blueberry]

Most law firms, however, have really lightened up their dress codes, however. We routinely see lawyers on the street wearing casual wear or jeans. They only dress up if they have court. My boss has asked them about it and they maintain that most (though presumably not all) of their clients prefer that they're casual. My boss just can't get his head around that though.

I think this must be regional. In my last larger firm, we got rid of the no "panty hose always required" for women rule in 2008 or so. At that firm, suits are still required M-Th and still strongly encouraged on Fridays (lawyer friends have been called out for wearing skirts/tops/heels in lieu of a suit). Overall, lawyers here still very much wear suits or at least very nice business casual most days. Jeans - not in most large firms and only in the smaller firms on Fridays for the most part.

Of course, opposing counsel showed up for a superior court hearing in a long knit skirt, form fitting long-sleeved t-shirt and knit "arty" vest (t-shirt material). I don't think the look worked period. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that for Court. If I'm in Court (or mediation, or arbitration, or....) I'm still in a suit.

[goldfinch]

I think this must be regional. In my last larger firm, we got rid of the no "panty hose always required" for women rule in 2008 or so. At that firm, suits are still required M-Th and still strongly encouraged on Fridays (lawyer friends have been called out for wearing skirts/tops/heels in lieu of a suit). Overall, lawyers here still very much wear suits or at least very nice business casual most days. Jeans - not in most large firms and only in the smaller firms on Fridays for the most part.

Of course, opposing counsel showed up for a superior court hearing in a long knit skirt, form fitting long-sleeved t-shirt and knit "arty" vest (t-shirt material). I don't think the look worked period. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that for Court. If I'm in Court (or mediation, or arbitration, or....) I'm still in a suit.

I was not a litigator, but an IP lawyer. I was the first woman to wear pants at my firm. I think it was in the early 90s or late 80s and the pants were a pantsuit kind of thing. When I retired the women lawyers thanked me for busting that barrier. Before that, it was suits, with matching skirt and coat, usually with a tie, and certainly hose. I hated those floppy ties we wore in the mid 80s. Felt like a Christmas present.

I also was the first to wear tights under a dress or skirt. Winters were cold in Minnesota. And odds are, the first to wear a pair of jeans. As the years went by I felt that as the senior woman I could dress as I pleased as the men would be mortified to criticize me. So, I always was gently pushing the barriers.

But the time I retired, about three years ago, there were lawyers at my firm that I still only ever saw in a suit, but there also were a fair number who were pretty casual. Though jeans were quit rare and usually only on lawyers that were just stopping by the office for a bit. The range of dress for women was all over the place, from a sweater with black or brown pants (which kind of was my uniform before I retired) to dresses to full blow suits.

[maillotpois]

Thanks for correctly the website name! But at least I now know where to go for custom millworking!

I will have to look at this website - and the one LPH posted!

It's funny, just home from a mediation and as I was reading the question I started formulating in my head almost the same response as Indy. Right now, I'm wearing one of about 8 identical above the knee skirts in different colors which I have gotten from Nordstrom over the last year, Pikolinos boots and a funky fun top. The skirts are Halogen, good quality, not too much $ compared to other stuff there. They go with anything.

I get by on the staple of a pencil skirt and tights/boots in winter and boots or pumps with no tights or hose in the summer. Pair it with a funky or sophisticated sweater or top depending on the circumstance, and I'm good to go.

[lph]

I want to appear like a hip but mature woman. Finding that sweet spot between 'mom' and 'cool' without crossing into 'trying too hard to look young' is tough! Toss in the company branded items (which are almost never 'cool') and you get a real challenge!

That sounds like me, except I don't need to wear branded stuff much. Can you get away with wearing just a button or a pin? Or a cap or something else small? Or maybe just carrying a tote bag or briefcase with the brand name prominently on it? That would give you a lot more leeway with clothes.

We have some branded stuff too that I hate, but wearing it is optional. I try to look professional when we're out travelling, but luckily in my line of work professional equates rubber boots and goretex jackets

Anyway. The hippest mom - and new grandmom - I know at work is also a cyclist, and wears lots of knee-length, colourful dresses. Not frilly feminine ones and not closefitting sexy ones, but semi-fitted, artsy detail, fun Pippi-like dresses without looking childish. A bit like some of these: www.desigual.com. And colourful shoes and boots. She looks fantastic.

[GLC1968]

That sounds like me, except I don't need to wear branded stuff much. Can you get away with wearing just a button or a pin? Or a cap or something else small? Or maybe just carrying a tote bag or briefcase with the brand name prominently on it? That would give you a lot more leeway with clothes.

We have some branded stuff too that I hate, but wearing it is optional. I try to look professional when we're out travelling, but luckily in my line of work professional equates rubber boots and goretex jackets

Anyway. The hippest mom - and new grandmom - I know at work is also a cyclist, and wears lots of knee-length, colourful dresses. Not frilly feminine ones and not closefitting sexy ones, but semi-fitted, artsy detail, fun Pippi-like dresses without looking childish. A bit like some of these: www.desigual.com. And colourful shoes and boots. She looks fantastic.

OK, that's the second time you've posted a link to a clothing site that left me drooling! It's probably a good thing I live where I do (where 'fashion' is often a new color fleece jacket!) or I'd be soooo broke! There were a lot of really cute, really unique pieces at Desigual. (the other one you shared that I loved had a lot of color block and retro looking dresses, if I remember correctly).

I do like the branded pin idea though. I'm throwing that one at marketing to see what they say. Worst case, maybe there is something I can put together for myself at zazzle or something (using company images)...