Wearing a suit to work in an office that doesn't require it?

[sinnedk]

i just want to weigh in. I work an an environment where no one wears suits; moreover, suits are inappropriate. Previously i worked in the banking industry and suits were a must. I miss it occasionally but dont mind being casual.
As far as a work place that doesnt require suits, it really depends. If you make people at work uncomfortable and make them feel like you are superior, this may be bad. Just feel it out, but dont go out of you way to wear a suit to work where the environment doesnt ask for it... just my 2 cents.... good luck

 

[creativefish]

surprised by the answers here so far. i thought the idea here was to dress well, especially in the face of the modern sartorial vulgarity that is business casual (i.e. 'best buy' uniform: polo short and chinos).

i don't think jeans and t-shirt is representative (see poster above) but even so, i would not want to just dress according to the tastes of the majority of typical u.s. office workers. nice fitted shirts, trousers and shoes = cool. oversized worn polo shirts with curled collars and pleated chinos = puke.

maybe a suit is a step too far, i don't know. i think it depends on the suit and how you wear it really.

 

[Franky In T.O.]

Originally Posted by creativefish

maybe a suit is a step too far, i don't know. i think it depends on the suit and how you wear it really.

I guess that's what I have to feel out. I know I want it to be relaxed and not too formal. I've seen photos of the CEO in suit and tie and my boss in suit without tie. When I met the CEO he was dressed more casual but he was also on his way up north for a vacation (he met me near my current office as opposed to his). Now while they may wear a suit sometimes or not, I do know that it's not required and I'm sure (well, guessing) that most others probably don't dress up as much as they do. The only other person I met was the receptionist. She was dressed professionally, but not conservative.

I really think the best thing for me to do is wear a suit and throw the jacket off should I find it to be too much for the environment.

 

[Klobber]

Originally Posted by creativefish

surprised by the answers here so far. i thought the idea here was to dress well, especially in the face of the modern sartorial vulgarity that is business casual (i.e. 'best buy' uniform: polo short and chinos). i don't think jeans and t-shirt is representative (see poster above) but even so, i would not want to just dress according to the tastes of the majority of typical u.s. office workers. nice fitted shirts, trousers and shoes = cool. oversized worn polo shirts with curled collars and pleated chinos = puke. maybe a suit is a step too far, i don't know. i think it depends on the suit and how you wear it really.

Originally Posted by Franky In T.O.

I really think the best thing for me to do is wear a suit and throw the jacket off should I find it to be too much for the environment.
Look, what I would do is feel the place out, and then go one over "on average". If a suit is 2/3 steps over in terms of generic dress sense for your position, then do not wear a suit often. I advocate the notion of dressing well, but not if it incurs social issues. People always go to extremes and try to force nature to obey some kind of deterministic rules - we live in a world governed by probabilistic interactions - so vary your dress sense appropriately, go some days on the causal side (polo chinos), some days smart casual (long sleeve, chinos, sport coat), and rare days wearing a suit and tie if you like. Keep people guessing

(not that anyone will notice unless you have a great personality and have a level of handsomeness that make the office ladies go GAGA). Also do not forget Gossip has its evil tongue, and many co - workers correlate gayness, jackassness etc if you turn up in creations finest attire while they turn up in jeans and polos. Fit in, and vary your clothes daily - you do not have to be a deterministic creature turning up to work in the same outfits and its localized variations everyday. Unless a corporation has a strict dress policy, you many degrees of freedom to play with.

 

[Cedric]

Originally Posted by sinnedk

i just want to weigh in. I work an an environment where no one wears suits; moreover, suits are inappropriate. Previously i worked in the banking industry and suits were a must. I miss it occasionally but dont mind being casual.
As far as a work place that doesnt require suits, it really depends. If you make people at work uncomfortable and make them feel like you are superior, this may be bad. Just feel it out, but dont go out of you way to wear a suit to work where the environment doesnt ask for it... just my 2 cents.... good luck

Exactly.... Although my work place requires ties, a suit jacket is not required, but i wear one on a daily basis.
I remember my superior saying one day to our team "You're here to make some $, not to look nice"; it made me feel bad, because i really do not try to make others feel inferior, i just like dressing up, plus i bought it, i might as well wear it right?

 

[Franky In T.O.]

Very well spoken, Klobber... I agree and, yes, for sure I'll want to have some variety.

Cedric, you definitely were good intentioned as am I in this case. I know for sure that dress shirt, dress pants, and shoes will be appropriate. I hope to incorporate the suit jacket sometimes and find that it's perfectly acceptable too. Would be a shame if these suits were relegated to only weddings, funerals, and other special occasions.

 

[KObalto]

If your management wears suits and are of your profession, why wouldn't you wear them as well? Not every day necessarily, but for meetings with them and/or clients at the very least.

 

[pvrhye]

You sound like the perfect candidate for the odd jacket. Puts you one step of formality up, without being at the same level as the boss.

 

[Orsini]

Black tie.

 

[Oxford]

I actually have a similar predicament (sorry if I'm threadjacking). The office I start working for in a couple weeks has a similar setup...no ties and the few men that wear jackets take them off upon arrival. My problem is that I just acquired a few modern cut, but not formal, three piece suits. If I wear them in and take off the jacket, is keeping the vest on "douchey?"

And before I'm torn apart with e-n00b bullying, let me note that I just graduated college and kind of just want an excuse for wearing these new suits. And yes, I know I can wear the suit without the vest...

 

[MyOtherLife]

Stop living in fascist fear. Wear whatever the hell you like and wear it like you've been wearing it all your life. In other words, relax and just do your job. Wear fun socks. No one can accuse you of over-dressing if you have fun socks on.
Be approachable and easy-going in your demeanor and no one will feel threatened by your clothes.
Wear a $100 tie on your shirt and let them wear gravy on theirs.
I digress...
Should anyone question your clothes ask them how much they spent on their houses, cottage, car, boat, booze & broads.
Thrust your head back in roaring hearty laughter and say, 'because I am better than you all, that's why..mwuahaha.'
Tell the boss, 'look you ungodly bastard, you are getting a free ride off my exquisite wardrobe and should pay me extra for my effort & dry cleaning, all just to make your puny company look good'
No wait, that would make them feel like the stupid little people that they are and get you in trouble.
The masses out there are so dumbed down their stupidity is not only dangerous but contagious.
Whatever you do, don't try to lecture or change those who know nothing.
Point in fact; watch the original 1968 Planet Of The Apes film.
The lesson from that film is that no matter how refined and intelligent you may be, never fool yourself into thinking that you will prevail over the dummies. Remember always that it is the apes who run the planet.

 

[Lord-Barrington]

There are few workplaces that require that you wear a suit anymore which means that most people show up wearing the most casual outfit they possible can without being fired. As some in this thread have already suggested, you can dress better than your coworkers but if the normal dress-code is jeans and t-shirts and you show up wearing a three piece suit, you'll look like an idiot.

 

[bewing77]

While it is stylistically prudent to wear clothes that don't differ to much from your peers there is a limit to the level of "casualness" that can be imposed on you. If the dress code of your workplace obviously is "wear whatever the heck you want" that could very well include a suit. In my workplace casual is really taken to the extreme and people sometimes walk around the office in oversized camo-shorts, tank tops wearing no shoes, or sandals at the most whereas I would never be seen at work with less than formal pants and shirt and a sports coat and not uncommonly a suit and a tie. If you do this however, be prepared to stick out and be aware that you may need to prove your professional skills initially: You need to show that your attire is not an attempt at covering other flaws. Also, make sure you never come across as unfriendly or stuck up and in no time, people will not think about it. Actually, my experience is that it sometimes inspires colleagues to dress better.

 

[dbc]

Originally Posted by Man Of Lint

Wear fun socks. No one can accuse you of over-dressing if you have fun socks on.
Be approachable and easy-going in your demeanor and no one will feel threatened by your clothes.

Give the man a beer.

 

[kasakka]

Wear what you want. I could come to work in flipflops and t-shirt but instead I come in wearing whatever I've chosen on a whim that day: sometimes it's a 3 piece suit, sometimes a sportcoat, sometimes just t-shirt and jeans. At first people asked if I was going to a party or something when I came in a suit but they've gotten used to it.