What to wear?

Wise Words: appropriate attire

“What should I wear?”

My daughter recently posed this question when she learned that she had been accepted to do an internship at a London law firm. She has a pretty good dress sense, but, as she’s a teenager, she felt her normal clothes would be inappropriate for the City. I had to agree with her. Luckily, after a trip to a popular chain store, the problem was solved.

Her question also made me think about appropriate attire in my own office. We don’t have a dress code. Does that mean there is no right or wrong? What should we all be wearing, given this oppressive heat?

I work at a media company, which probably gives the people in my office a bit more flexibility than lawyers in London have got. The women here are wearing the kind of clothes you would wear on holiday: dresses with very thin straps (nothing to do with the German Strapse, by the way: it’s not that kind of business), shorts and T-shirts, dresses with  flowery patterns, flip-flops — and I haven’t seen anyone wearing tights for weeks.

According to a recent article in The Telegraph, however, the "no tights" part is a definite no-no in the City. And some of the other items of clothing we’re wearing should go, too (obviously being replaced by others). When it’s hot, it’s OK to dress down, but not to undress. In the City, women should be wearing simple shift dresses to work, and not “ditsy print flower dresses”.

Thank goodness I didn’t study law. As long as the casual attire isn’t affecting our work, I reckon it must be appropriate.