STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Kitty · Hermes

People at work thinking you're over dressed

Hermes

I would say, with a puzzled look on your face, "no occasion, these are my clothes and I'm wearing them, just like those are your clothes and you're wearing your's."

you may get a come back like, "don't you have any less-dressy clothes?"

then respond, "sure, just like you probably have dressier clothes."

then look at your watch and say "oh shoot - I'm sorry, I have to go." (this can be done immediately after your first response too)

huge pet peeve of mine.

I'd love to hear other's suggestions on what to say...

kenzie · Chanel

I used to deal with this when I first started at my job, but now everyone is used to me and my 'dressy' clothes. Most of the people I work with wear jeans and polo shirts (mostly men) every single day. Some even get more sloppy than that. I get comments alot because I wear heels.

When people used to rib me for being dressed up (and tell me that I would soon stop dressing up b/c no one dresses up there), I would just tell say, "I like dressing up. I feel more professional when I'm dressed up and I like wearing heels. I can dress down on the weekends."

No one really bothers me anymore, although they do enjoy my colorful (and ever expanding) shoe collection. I earned the obligatory "Dorothy" comments when I busted out my red shoes. But whatever. It's a bunch of men. What do they know anyway?

Kelly · Hermes

I have two jobs, and at the one I wear nice things, which I just love because I'm actually more comfortable in a skirt and heels than a Tshirt and sandals. Not physically, of course, because sometimes those heels can get a little intense after a full day at work

but psychologically, I am much more comfortable in something that has a little style, I think because I had to wear nice skirts and nice blouses every day of high school, when I was actually starting to care what I wore.

But at the other job, if you show up in anything other than jeans and a Tshirt, people ask why you're dressed up. Even just a plain cotton skirt and flip flops or jeans and a wrap shirt has me fielding questions all day. When they ask, I always just shrug and say it was just what I put on. What's weirder to me is my friends, who also always ask why I'm dressed up if I wear anything besides jeans, even if we're going out! Sometimes I'm just tired of all-encasing denim, that's all!

In both situations, at work and with my friends, I had those uncomfortable conversations for a while, but finally people just quit asking or commenting because they got used to me every day. And I kind of just quit caring that they thought I was overdressed. I care how I present myself, and I'm sorry if I don't want to dress like a 13 year old slob every day. I feel like I work harder, and have a more sparkling personality, when I also feel sparkling on the outside.