Should you wear leggings to work?

[Diana Michelle]

remember you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

You are very correct there Lacey however many of your thoughts are lost in the 1990's. I am retired now but back when I worked I could do my job just as effectively in a nice tailored pants suit as I could in a skirted suit. Sure the physical presentation is important but I found clients were for the most part were more interested in what I and my company could do for them, how much it was going to cost them, and when could they expect results than my attire. I worked with many small to mid sized business owners, most franchisees, and found if I dressed mire like they did things went better. A customer is more relaxed in dealing with someone they can associate with, not a cardboard image of a Brooks Brothers ad. In today's society it is more about what can you do for me, not "Gee I am impressed with your suit." Yes there are expectations for certain occupations, I would have little faith in an attorney who turned up in court wearing khakis and a polo shirt but that is as much tradition and stereotypes.

As for your comments on the medical profession I take exception. My first husband was a surgeon at a major university hospital. I still have many friends who are physicians and nurses and they work hard to do their job which is saving lives, easing pain, and helping bring the sick and injured back to health. Most doctors and nurses in today's hospitals work 10 hour or longer shifts, the interns generally 24 hour shifts. They will sometimes catch a cat nap or just lay down in the lounge to rest their feet for a few minutes in the slower times if there are any. Wrinkles are the least of their concern. I can't even try to tell you how many shirts or slacks of my late husband's I tossed due to blood or other body fluids stains or because a sleeve or pant leg got snagged or ripped racing around trying to save someone's life or limb. Scrubs are inexpensive and launder much better. As for not being able to determine who is who I am certain they all had name badges on also denoting their position. As for who were the doctors and nurses? They were the ones scurrying around trying to save lives and alleviate suffering!

I apologize on behalf of the medical profession that you were offended by the attire you saw. Perhaps before going to the hospital the next time you should phone around and find a facility where the nurses wear their white dresses and caps and the doctors starched white lab coats like Marcus Welby MD!

[Lacey Hadley]

Diana,

The only thing is proper fitting, more professional, looking clothes including at hospitals/medical field are not more uncomfortable nor more expensive than much of the 'casual' attire we see today. It's simply a fallacy. Dressing more appropriately and professionally to your career/job and environment including medical is not a choice between comfort and style. One can be better and professionally dressed and comfortable, but many choose to dress casually believing it's more comfortable, it's not. Improperly sized/fitted, poor quality clothes and poorly cut clothes are uncomfortable.

I worked most of my life in a career were I had to wear at minimum throughout the day a dress shirt and tie everday avg. 8-10hrs. per day. On out calls/location a blazer or other jacket too. Never did I find the tie and dress shirt an issue as I bought a better (but not too pricey) cut shirts with my proper collar size along with good quality and again not too pricey silk ties to then properly do and cinch them up.

Too many people just don't care enough to try or bother today and it hurts their image, the business and career image and of course the bottom line.

Example with women and their leggings or Yoga pants. Often over priced for what they get but many of the same women will often whine about pantyhose and or tights but these leggings/Yoga pants are easily as tight fitting but are maybe 10 times thicker and heavier and for many women, LOOK LIKE A DOGS BREAKFAST! especially with how many choose to wear such and also on a body shape not flattering for many women.

[Diana Michelle]

I owe you an apology Lacey. Obviously you have experience working long hard hours working in an ER racing around to save lives for a 10 hour or longer shift. How else could you know what is comfortable in those circumstances?

You keep telling us what is comfortable however how you define comfort? Obviously you can define it for yourself but how can you define it for me or anyone else? Comfort IMHO is like beauty and as they say that is in the eyes of the beholder. One only need walk through the lingerie department of any major department store and look at the vast array of bras available both in styles and manufacturers to see that what one feels is comfortable is not the same to another. The very argument of soft cup versus underwire bras shows the differences in opinions concerning what is comfortable. Why is it some men only wear lace up dress shoes yet others prefer loafers? You can say it is a matter of style and taste but it can also be a question of comfort to many.

You write about how you work most of your career in an environment where you had to wear a dress shirt and tie and on many occasions a suit coat or blazer for 8 to 10 hours a day, is this still the case? Please tell us honestly what you did when you got home, particularly on those hot muggy summer days? I will bet if you hadn't already shed the coat and tie on the drive home they came off the instant you got in the door and the sweat soaked shirt was quickly shucked and replaced with something cooler and dryer

[Lacey Hadley]

Comfortable clothes are proper fitting clothes and of a high enough quality to feel and fit better. A button down shirt with long or short sleeves for a guy in an environment that requires said shirt is not more uncomfortable than say a t-manure or some sort of pull over shirt. Same goes for the ladies with a button down blouse or a dress that fits properly. In fact a nice fitting dress is generally more comfortable to wear than any pants, be they scrubs, athletic, yoga, jeans, khakis etc.

There are styles and materials made for hotter climates or hotter seasons and then clothes and styles for cooler climates or cooler seasons. It's just an attitude today to dress for comfort but feel looking like they rolled out of a BFI bin is more comfortable and nobody should care or judge persons dressed as such. Well people do! Humans make first impressions ALL THE TIME! It's hard to shake a first impression regardless of who you may be as time follows said impression.

Example:

Say you are new to town and you are religious looking for a new Church. You go one Sunday to one church and the Pastor leading the sermon is dressed in a clean, proper fitting suit, hair cut well, in good hygiene and he delivers even just a standard sermon. The members of the Church band and /or choir are dressed in proper Sunday attire, no we are not talking dressed for say a high class wedding, but button down shirts, blouses, pants or skirts and put on a good music performance.

The next Sunday you try another Church, say one known for it's oh laid back attitude and attire. You know like hippie "Peace and Love 1960s" The Pastor shows up in a t-shirt, wrinkled shorts and Jesus boots, gives his typical sermon and then sluffs off the stage. The band looks more like 'Canned Heat' than a Christian band and any choir members there are dressed more as if they are about to have unmarried sex afterwards.

Your impressions of both churches will be different. Maybe you will like the scruffy, lazy, "peace and love 1960's" look one more, maybe not. But odds are more members of the community will feel more respected and valued as church members in the more traditional appearing church and church staff.

For me in my years where I had to wear a button down shirt, tie and often a blazer, yes I bought better quality (no not real expensive stuff but not shite from a discount store either) and these were more proper fitting clothes. Neck ties were worn by me 8-9-10 hrs per day without any discomfort. Yes, when getting home I would take off the blazer and the tie, maybe change from my button down shirt and my ironed pants, sometimes ironed khakis etc. Not because I could not stand another minute in them, but to put on scruffy stuff as it did not matter how I looked or presented myself in my own home. I could then putz around and not worry about getting dirty on household things or do some stuff out with the car or to exercise etc.

At work and in an environment where you may deal with the general public, maybe quality/high paying business clients and with higher up management in and around you, you can't and should not just dress like shite, to feel 'muh comfortable'. Professionalism has a look to it and it requires being attentive to how you are dressed, your hygiene and your attitude. Dressing more for success generally gives a you better attitude. Dressing for so called 'muh comfort' in acting out as if you are being oppressed to have to dress better will likely harm your attitude and get you less respect from the general public, business clients and upper management.

Again to repeat, proper fitted button down shirt, good khaki type pants and proper, clean pair of shoes for a dude is no more uncomfortable than the same dude in a t-shirt or car waxing rag quality pull over shirt, scruffy scrubs, or pull off Addidas type pants or ratty long style shorts and a pair of Jesus boots. A properly fitted blouse and pant or skirt, alternatively a properly fitted and styled for the environment dress for the ladies, with hose and proper fitted shoes even heels or so, will not be less comfortable than putting on a cheap t-shirt, ratty pull over top, Yoga pants (heavier in weight but just as tight fitting as pantyhose or tights would be) or some ladies casual type athletic pants.

No, too many people are just lazy and/or do not care much how they look out in public, in a public service industry and or to their management if no hard dress codes exist. Hence the 200+ lb. female wearing yoga pants or tight white pants or ratty shorts with a too revealing or ratty pull over top out in public at the Mall or WalMart or even at work.

Sorry I am not trying to be difficult here, but only hi-liting being of good hygiene and attitude as well as dressing respectful, first to yourself and as an impression of who you are to others. I just grew up knowing I can look / dress better. One of the lasting good things my ex-wife really helped me with and taught me to do, was that dressing well feels better and can still be comfortable for work or in daily life. It's more attitude than not.

[Amanda R]

It's more attitude than not.

Lacey that quote says more than any of your ramblings. It is all about attitude!

I am not going to go into the comfort issue because regardless of what anyone says comfort is a personal thing. What is comfortable to you may or may not be that to me or anyone else. If you feel more comfortable dressed up than do it. I love getting dressed up for a date or on those occasions I don't work and get to go services on Sunday and feel comfortable that way but I can also be comfortable in a pair of leggings and a t-shirt laying around the apartment studying for an exam. Yes a dress can be comfortable however when one is out grocery shopping, walking to class, sitting around with friends jeans or slacks can be just as or even more comfortable. Much of what you define as comfort is feeling comfortable in the situation. That is why there are always so many choices.

You always seem to talk about quality clothes and how they just cost a little more than poorer quality clothes. What exactly do you define as a little more? 5%? 10%? 20%? More? Obviously that doesn't strain your budget and I am happy for you that it does not. However what do you know of the circumstances of the individual who in your opinion is wearing that lesser expensive and obviously poorer quality attire? Are they helping support their brother's family because he lost his job? Maybe they have a sick child and are overwhelmed with medical bills? Perhaps the have had major car or house repairs they are having to cope with? It may be that their "cheap" clothes are more of a financial stretch to them than your "high quality" expensive ones are to you. Judge not lest you be judged!

As for the "rumpled" look you talk of, that has been going on forever. I have heard that many were turned off by the appearance of Thomas Edison in his prime as many times he would be so lost in his inventions he would sleep at his desk and go days without bathing or shaving. Would look down at or not listen to him because he didn't meet your expectations of proper appearance? I for one and I am sure many others are glad most did not for the world would be a very sorry place without many of his innovations or improvements. Also how do you know that the individual with the disheveled look wasn't up half the night putting together a proposal or studying for a test so they could improve their lot in life? Maybe they didn't have time to iron their shirt due to only having an hour's sleep because they walked the floor most of the night walking the floor with a teething baby? I had a professor a few years back who was the master of the wrinkled suit. In the beginning we would all snicker and wonder if he threw all his clothes on the floor and dressed in the first thing he laid his hands on in the morning. It took a week or so before we truly started to listen to him and his lectures. As it turned he was one of the foremost authorities in his field and was the type who would spend hours on a hypothesis and fall asleep in his chair. First impressions are not always the right ones.

[April Rose]

Zuckerberg is very successful, I like the way he dresses.