Suit or no suit?

[Anonymous]

Hoping for some helpful guidance on wardrobe for a new job -- without doxxing myself, I'm (mid 30s, with regular bo tox can pass for late 20s/early 30s, very short) starting a corporate job where I am the only person my age on the senior leadership team. Everyone else is 50s-60s. I've noticed that all the men wear suits every day but I'm not sure what the women wear. My question is - do I need to follow the daily suit ritual? I look like a little kid playing dress up in a blazer. My go-to is to dress a little nicer than everyone at my level, so I don't want to inadvertently draw negative attention by foregoing the suit. I gravitate towards suiting separates like nice pencil skirts and heels, structured/well tailored suit dresses, but the addition of the blazer is my hang up. What do y'all recommend?

[Anonymous]

OP, I think your current outfits are fine. If concerned, wear only dresses your first week until you get a better sense of the place. Work dresses are accepted just about everywhere these days, esp. if there is a sleeve of some sort. Go to the People page of any law firm or Board pictures for companies - not all the women are wearing a suit.

It's possible that you will be able to just leave a blazer or two in the office for high level meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think your current outfits are fine. If concerned, wear only dresses your first week until you get a better sense of the place. Work dresses are accepted just about everywhere these days, esp. if there is a sleeve of some sort. Go to the People page of any law firm or Board pictures for companies - not all the women are wearing a suit.

It's possible that you will be able to just leave a blazer or two in the office for high level meetings.

OP here - thank you!!!! this puts my mind at ease. good tip re back up blazer in the office.

[Anonymous]

I think what you’re wearing is probably fine. And I totally hear you on suits feeling like playing dress up. Women just don’t wear professional suits much anymore other than for job interviews. Womens suits are making a resurgence, but mostly very fun flashy suits (bright colors and wide legs and big baggy blazers) that I don’t think are appropriate for a lot of work places.

I try to wear a lot of dresses with sleeves - mm lafleur, black halo, etc.

If price isn’t a big object, I would look at the Fold. They have a lot of lovely tops that aren’t blazers but look extremely professional and boss woman.

[Anonymous]

I do not wear suits/blazers. Stopped in my mid-30s when I finally had the professional credibility to feel like I could stop playing dress up. Never looked back.

I hate suits with passion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think what you’re wearing is probably fine. And I totally hear you on suits feeling like playing dress up. Women just don’t wear professional suits much anymore other than for job interviews. Womens suits are making a resurgence, but mostly very fun flashy suits (bright colors and wide legs and big baggy blazers) that I don’t think are appropriate for a lot of work places.

I try to wear a lot of dresses with sleeves - mm lafleur, black halo, etc.

If price isn’t a big object, I would look at the Fold. They have a lot of lovely tops that aren’t blazers but look extremely professional and boss woman.

+1. Men need the blazer because the ensemble is unfinished without it. Similarly, if you wore pants and a button down or a skirt and a button down, I'd err on the side of blazer. If you did a smart, structured dress or a more ornate blouse with a skirt, you don't need to blazer to "finish" the look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think what you’re wearing is probably fine. And I totally hear you on suits feeling like playing dress up. Women just don’t wear professional suits much anymore other than for job interviews. Womens suits are making a resurgence, but mostly very fun flashy suits (bright colors and wide legs and big baggy blazers) that I don’t think are appropriate for a lot of work places.

I try to wear a lot of dresses with sleeves - mm lafleur, black halo, etc.

If price isn’t a big object, I would look at the Fold. They have a lot of lovely tops that aren’t blazers but look extremely professional and boss woman.

Yes to the Fold! I'm forever grateful to poster who originally recommended them here.

This top is one of my favorites https://thefoldlondon.com/product/clever-crepe-belleville-top-navy/