So you’ve switched from a freezing office to an office that’s too hot — and going sleeveless at work may not be an option. How can you stay cool and comfortable at work? Reader C wonders how to cool down in a hot office… I’ve read a lot of your posts, and in my old … Read More about How to Cool Down in a Hot Office
The Guide to Pantyhose for Work
2020 Update: We still stand by this advice for how and when to wear pantyhose for work — links have been updated below. You may also want to check out our free four-week challenge if you’re hunting for work outfit ideas for conservative offices! If you were to write someone a guide to pantyhose for work, what … Read More about The Guide to Pantyhose for Work
What to Wear to a Work-Related Golf Event
2018 Update: We stand by this advice for what to wear to a work-related golf event — you may also want to check out some of our other advice on what to wear to summer associate events and other team-building exercises like sailing, company picnics, and more. If you have a golf outing for work coming … Read More about What to Wear to a Work-Related Golf Event
The Sleeveless Professional: Body Types, Bare Arms, and Expectations
Is it professional to go sleeveless at the office — even if you don’t have perfect arms? When you want to bare your arms at your sleeveless-is-acceptable office, is it worth considering other people’s potential reactions if you don’t exactly have Michelle Obama arms to show off? Do people adjust their expectations of what’s “appropriate” when considering coworkers of … Read More about The Sleeveless Professional: Body Types, Bare Arms, and Expectations
Summer Tweed, Winter Tweed — What’s the Difference?
What are some guidelines for wearing tweed in the spring and summer? We talk a lot about “lightweight tweed” — but what the heck is it? (For example: our most recent Suit of the Week.) Reader C wonders when you can wear tweed in summer… I was wondering if you could do a post on … Read More about Summer Tweed, Winter Tweed — What’s the Difference?
What to Wear to a Big Meeting at a Casual Office
2020 Update: We still stand by our advice for what to wear to a big meeting at a casual office, but you may also want to check out The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women. When you work at a company with a casual dress code, how should you step it up for a board meeting — or for … Read More about What to Wear to a Big Meeting at a Casual Office
How High to Button Your Shirt for Interviews
When interviewing, must you button your shirt all the way to the top? How many buttons are acceptable to leave unbuttoned? Reader S wonders… I am going for an interview at quite a conservative organisation. I have a navy skirt suit and was going to wear a white button up shirt. Do I need to button … Read More about How High to Button Your Shirt for Interviews
Trends and the Conservative Office
2019 Update: Check out our latest discussion on the 2019 fashion trends we hate. What trends can a younger woman safely wear to work? You don’t want to dress too “old” — but you also doesn’t want to appear too trendy and/or in styles that are inappropriate for workwear. So let’s discuss: trends and the conservative office. {related: is anything … Read More about Trends and the Conservative Office
How to Wear Jeans to Work
How can you wear jeans to work — and particularly, what shoes should you wear ? Which business casual outfits look the most professional? Reader B wonders which shoes to wear with jeans to work… I work in public accounting and we have “Jean Fridays,” but HR says no sneakers, tennis shoes, etc., so I … Read More about How to Wear Jeans to Work
Left Behind By a Male Colleague While Wearing Heels
If you’re running for the train in high heels and find yourself getting left behind by a male colleague (or a woman, for that matter) as you struggle to keep the pace, is that coworker simply being rude? What should you do next time?
Reader L wonders:
I am from Germany and I love your Blog. Some topics are differently handled here but still most of the tips and advice can be applied here as well. I have experienced some male behaviour which I just find to be rude but I wanted to know if other women have experienced it as well and how they dealt with it. I was travelling with my former boss and and we went to meetings with potential partners etc. I usually wore heels. After the meeting we really had to hurry to catch a train. Meaning he walked extremely fast and did not look after me where I was. I really had trouble keeping up with him. The other time I was prepared and wore flats but then we actually had to run to get to the train. A couple of weeks ago I was travelling with a sort of male CEO and the train was a bit late, but we still had more than enough time to get to our appointment. I was also pacing, almost running, just seeing that he did not bump into others.
I’ve seen situations like this unfold — and I definitely have Opinions. I’m curious to hear what the readers say. To recap, we’ve talked about comfortable heels, the best commuting shoes, how to walk quietly in heels, how to look professional in flats, and traveling with coworkers — but I haven’t stated my pretty stark opinion on heel height for work in a while…. so here goes:
If you cannot walk quickly in your shoes, you are wearing the wrong shoes to work. If the people you work with — whether women or men — are forced to change their routines and wait for you because of your fashion choices, you are making the wrong fashion choices.
The right time to wear shoes you can’t walk in: a) when they are limo shoes (as in, the limo picks you up at your door and drops you off at the restaurant where you have to walk exactly three steps before you sit down), b) when you’re a model, or c) when you’re a trophy wife or the princess daughter. OK, fine, one more: when you’re d) the boss and Can Do Whatever You Like Because You Set the Pace.
Maybe I’m being harsh — or too New Yorker-ish — but the business world moves quickly. When you’re lower on the career ladder, you have to follow other people’s pace.
Something else that I think Reader L is discovering is a personality I like to call the Eccentric Genius, which is a special breed of coworker/boss (usually an older man) who has either developed or kept odd quirks that have been tolerated by those around him because he is Very Intelligent and a High Earner. Maybe he runs and bumps into others, but there are other versions of this same personality — one partner I used to work with had a thing about playing Tetris while giving assignments, hearing reports, brainstorming, whatever. As in, he sat with his back facing me and casually played Tetris the entire time. Charming! I’ve found that the best you can do is realize what the little quirks are, adapt as best you can if you need to continue the working relationship, and ultimately decide if want to continue the relationship at all. (Maybe I’m a pessimist, but the thought of trying to change this behavior, or somehow acknowledging it as rude or antisocial, never occurred to me as a real possibility.)
Next time, Reader L, make sure you have PLENTY of time so you’re not late, plan as much in advance so you don’t have to carry a ton of paperwork or anything with you, and possibly wear shoes you can run in.
Ladies, have you been left behind by coworkers because you couldn’t walk quickly enough in your heels? Have you had to work with difficult personalities at work (Eccentric Geniuses or otherwise) who had rude, antisocial habits? (Ladies on the other side of the table — have you gotten annoyed at coworkers who couldn’t walk quickly in high heels?)
(Pictured: Germany_101, originally uploaded to Flickr by Yu-Yee Lien.)
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N.B. PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS ON TOPIC; threadjacks will be deleted at our sole discretion and convenience. These substantive posts are intended to be a source of community comment on a particular topic, which readers can browse through without having to sift out a lot of unrelated comments. And so, although of course I highly value all comments by my readers, I’m going ask you to please respect some boundaries on substantive posts like this one. Thank you for your understanding!
Are Midi Rings Appropriate for the Office?
Are midi rings appropriate for the office? They’re super trendy, but are they polished enough for work?
Brrr: Staying Warm in a Freezing Office
2018 Update: We still stand by this advice on how to look professional but stay warm in a freezing office, but you may also want to check out our most recent thoughts on what to wear to work in the winter. How should you dress this winter when you work at a freezing office, and your … Read More about Brrr: Staying Warm in a Freezing Office