Dressing vintage in the workplace

[Honey Doll]

I have been so relaxed in my wardrobe since getting pregnant and the heat really got to me as well this year.Cut my hair off in a hormonal fit,but have to say it has been so much easier to deal with.Clothing has been difficult and it's impossible to find classic looking maternitywear that isn't expensive.

.

Congratulations!


Ah yes, the what-to-wear days of maternity. I remember them well

Funny how when I'm not pg all the maternity stuff just looks soooo cute.

Honey Doll

 

[Rosie]

Where do you work that you have a uniform? I kinda wish we had them...at least for the students, but I'd wear one too if asked to. I like school uniforms for kids...pride, unity, and all.

My students wear uniforms and I love it. I wore uniform to school from K-12. I didn't much mind because it was all I knew. A friend of mine moved to Georgia about two years ago, right outside of Augusta and there, the teachers wear a uniform, blue polo shirts and khakis.

I could NEVER do that. Polo shirt, and my hips in khakis every day. No way!

 

[Honey Doll]

Small world

Hi, too! Cool! I'm taking a week off, but I work at the Winton Branch Library. I'm Ashley, the girl with the red hair at the circulation desk.

Small world! I work downtown and live in the Honeoye Falls/Mendon area. If I get in the area, I'll pop in and say hello!

Honey Doll

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I'm all vintage, all the time I work in a fairly relaxed office, and no one minds at all (though like ladyk mentioned, they often find my ensembles a bit amusing. "That's our Amanda!" they say.)

I wear a lot of 1940s-50s day dresses and skirt-and-blouse combos during the spring and summer; I add sweaters and slacks to my rotation in the fall and winter, along with knit dresses and top and skirt combos (I love these because they are warm, comfortable, and super easy to wear.) For shoes I stick with wedges, baby doll pumps, and platforms, depending on my outfit. My hair is always in a vintage style, too, accented with silk flowers. I occasionally wear snoods as well, which always elicit plenty of positive remarks.

 

[Lorena B]

Hi Shorty, i generally dont give a dam what other people think about the way i dress, when i go to work i am going to do what i am supposed to do and get paid for it, if for safety rules i am not allowed to bring heels, then ill come by with pumps, if skirts are not allowed then i guess people will get fed up to see me in my 40's trousers.

I believe you are allowed to wear what you want whenever it doesnt affect anyone else's right and... i believe Finland is a country with free speech policy, so if your workmates dont like it...well, they only have to get use to it or look somewhere else

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

Currently I'm working for a temp temp company that has this dress code and one of the no nos is velvet. Since when is velvet bad (maybe they are comfusing it with the cheesy shiny stuff?)? I have velvet blazers and tops that will out pro any cookie cutter tard at some of these businesses.
Don't you love these corporate jobs that expect you to spend your paychecks on clothes for the job? I feel like I'm chasing my own tail.

 

[Odalisque]

Well, I'm not help here since my dress code is a company t-shirt and jeans. Food service stinks.
I envy you girls who get the opportunity to wear vintage at work, however limited or toned down. :cry:

 

[Lillemor]

Currently I'm working for a temp temp company that has this dress code and one of the no nos is velvet. Since when is velvet bad (maybe they are comfusing it with the cheesy shiny stuff?)? I have velvet blazers and tops that will out pro any cookie cutter tard at some of these businesses.
Don't you love these corporate jobs that expect you to spend your paychecks on clothes for the job? I feel like I'm chasing my own tail.

Very strange, what could anyone have against velvet? Perhaps the person(s) who made up this rule has some negative association with the cheaper qualities sold by the bulk and often used for table cloths. Even that type of velour can be made to look "rich" by an imaginative and qualified seamstress. I've seen surpringly good results but velvet is commonly used for blazers at this time of the year so that one's got me puzzled too.

In fact, I desperately feel the need to expand my wardrobe and use of certain summer tops into this time of the year with at least one velvet blazer. I don't work outside of the home though and I can't imagine any Danish office/corporation opposing to velvet blazers. I really crave heavy-duty velvet after having read this thread.

 

[Lillemor]

Btw. I don't know how commonly velvet and waffle type velvet was used during the 20s-40s but it wasn't in a vintage context I was thinking. Adding velvet to my wardrobe is just something I want.

 

[jayem]

Scrubs, lol.

 

[Miss 1929]

New job, new wardrobe issues!

I have a new day job, where I am all alone most of the time. And when I am not, it's just the two brothers who own the business, and their construction crews, popping in and out of the office. Customers never never see us. We are off the beaten path in the middle of a city block, in a little enclave of artisan's workshops. Most of the time it's just me and the Rottweiler.
So I really do not have to dress at all. Which is kind of sad, as I love to dress and always have gotten a lot of positive reinforcement for wearing vintage.
I am thinking about establishing "Formal Fridays" where I will dress up vintage.
On the rare days when I have a gig and have to go from there to the gig, I can of course be as dressy as I like. The other day I was in floor length bias cut black satin for the last bit if the day.
The good thing is that since I am wearing makeup less, my skin is happier.

 

[Tatum]

I work from home most of the time, so it is whatever is comfortable for what I am doing or the weather (I like to work on my patio).

When visiting clients, however, I usually wear whatever vintage inspired/classically styled thing I feel like, and usually I get a lot of compliments. I am really starting to think that it is a matter of class and cultural knowledge on the part of the other person that makes their reaction positive or negative.

Or maybe I've just been lucky

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Sadly, I'm unemployed at the moment, but I'm doing off-and-on temp work. I have to be more careful about what I wear for that reason. If you work at a regular job, people will get used to you, but if you're supposed to be able to fit right into any company, things get tricky. A dark skirt and a blouse or cute sweater have carried me through quite well. I'd love to have more flexibility, though. (And job stability, which is another matter...)

The good thing is that since I am wearing makeup less, my skin is happier.

fftopic: Funny, on the days that I don't wear makeup, I seem to break out! [huh]

 

[Miss 1929]

How odd...

maybe your skin likes the protective coating!

Hope you find a job soon, I feel for you!

 

[miss_elise]

working at a law firm a little formality is not amiss, so suits, shirts, skirts, wide legged pant are all good... i do try to steer away from seamed stockings as they have a risque reputation nowadays, and i avoid my super high pumps and things...


pearls are always a plus

 

[Lareesie Ladavi]

Very strange, what could anyone have against velvet? Perhaps the person(s) who made up this rule has some negative association with the cheaper qualities sold by the bulk and often used for table cloths. Even that type of velour can be made to look "rich" by an imaginative and qualified seamstress. I've seen surpringly good results but velvet is commonly used for blazers at this time of the year so that one's got me puzzled too.

In fact, I desperately feel the need to expand my wardrobe and use of certain summer tops into this time of the year with at least one velvet blazer. I don't work outside of the home though and I can't imagine any Danish office/corporation opposing to velvet blazers. I really crave heavy-duty velvet after having read this thread.

Lillemore, I find it odd too. I love velvet, I think it's classy. I'm the same way, I wear because I like it, not so much as a retro throw-back. I have velvet radar, I will sniff it out of a store. lol! Supposedly velvet is in again, this winter, so hopefully I can get some new tops.

 

[GoddessMama]

My talent for searching the forums is not as good as others, so please excuse the question if it has been asked a million other times.

I just got a cal today that I was hired for a floral mangement position at a grocery store. Now the uniform dictates I wear a white shirt, black pants, etc.I do have the option to wear a knee length skirt as well. Is there a way to make dressing vintage or inspired work for this? I hate to be frumpy on the job!lol

 

[kamikat]

My talent for searching the forums is not as good as others, so please excuse the question if it has been asked a million other times.

I just got a cal today that I was hired for a floral mangement position at a grocery store. Now the uniform dictates I wear a white shirt, black pants, etc.I do have the option to wear a knee length skirt as well. Is there a way to make dressing vintage or inspired work for this? I hate to be frumpy on the job!lol

Are you given uniform garments or do you have to buy your own garments. It wouldn't be difficult to make black bottoms/white shirt combos vintage/reproduction. You probably wouldn't want to wear actual vintage on the job, but repro should do. Does your top have to be a woven, button front blouse or is it a tee or polo? A plain white button front blouse in a classic style, think Land's End or Talbots, would work. A peter pan collar would up the vintage feel.
Black trousers
http://www.heydayonline.co.uk/defau...ies-trousers/ladies-swing-trousers-black.html
black A-line skirt
http://heartbreakerfashion.com/skirts/a-line-skirts/a-line-skirt-black.html

 

[kamikat]

Here, I found a white peter pan collar blouse.
http://www.landsend.com/pp/ShortSle...U&CM_MERCH=IDX_00002__0000000116&origin=index

 

[Amy Jeanne]

If you can sew you can make a white blouse and black skirt from vintage patterns!