Poll: Are silk dresses appropriate for the office?
Some have raised doubts about our TPS reports that feature a silk dress. We think the concerns come from the fact that some cheaper silks can be almost sheer — they can show VPLs; they show sweat like nobody's business; they wrinkle easily; there are static electricity problems if you're wearing hose. (To which we say: avoid the cheapest silk — avoid buying clothes at stores that target teenagers and others who like disposable fashion (H&M, Forever 21, etc, etc).) Even then, a lot of these problems can be solved with a slip and properly-fitting undergarments. Picture at left: silks, originally uploaded to Flickr by larry&flo.
But that's just our $.02 — what do you think, guys?
My concerns with silk are related to the way that it tends to wrinkle. This is less of a big deal on a blouse, but with a silk dress (even one of reasonable quality), it can be a real problem. Sit at your desk all day, and then see how your behind looks. Ask me how I know.
I’ve never known silk to be see-through, but it certainly does show undergarmet lines if you are not careful (usually a slip is a necessity).
I have plently of silk blouses that I love but I agree that a silk dress can be too dressy for the office.
Oh “J” has a good point about wrinkles. I have gotten home before and looked in the mirror and been like “whoops, wonder how long those were there.”
But I don’t think silk dresses are inappropriate for the office. Like with (almost) any other fabric, it’s more about the cut and styling than the material alone. I have a few from Banana that I would feel weird wearing anywhere other than the office because they look so professional.
I don’t wear them often. Just every once in a while, when you feel like you NEED to mix things up a bit.
i think the problem with silk tends to be its lack of structure–it can make you look frumpy or too revealing unintentionally, but i wouldn’t write it off entirely.
I just bought a silk knit dress from Banana Republic. Way on sale, BTW, down to something like $80. You can see it here. http://amidlifeofprivilege.blogspot.com/2009/03/impunity.html. I have absolutely no doubt that I will wear this to the office. The shirtdress style negates a lot of the issue with silk, so does the print, so does the color, so does the knit. IMHO:).
Once you have to start worrying about slips and wrinkly butts and static cling – it’s too much trouble. I can’t imagine working a 12-hour day and being comfortable worrying about all that.
I have two classic Diane von Furstenburg wrap dresses. I’ve used them for everything — office, travel, work-related social events.
They’re 100% silk, but a thicker, woven silk that you can definitely not see through. They don’t wrinkle, not even in a suitcase if packed properly. They have never faded or stretched out of shape, even though I’ve had them for years. They’re indispensable. I wish DVF made more like them now.
Hong Kong women have been wearing silk for years. If it’s high quality with a tight weave, and your dress is well tailored, and you have a lining / slip, it shouldn’t wrinkle or be see-through.
the first thing I thought when I saw this post was how amazing my DVF dresses are. She still makes the “vintage” wrap dresses every season. I try to get them on sale or at the DVF sample sale, where they’re $150.