Casual Friday

My husband works with a girl, Jessica, who requested this blog topic. I have never met Jessica, but I think she likes to read opinions so she suggested this topic for an opinion. Jessica---you started something I have a great passion and opinion about. Here it goes, drum roll please...yes, kids, we will be talking about casual Friday and what to wear and not to wear.

What is the definition of casual Friday attire? Well, it all depends on where you work. For some, it is no tie, for some khakis are acceptable, and some is jeans...I love the jeans one.

I have been very fortunate to work for two companies that have supported a "casual" Friday. By this, I mean, getting to wear jeans to work. Sweet, right? Ferguson--no jeans unless you were working in the warehouse. Neiman's Direct (key word here is Direct, people--the store side would never lower themselves to such a good thing) yes--until they took it away about 6 months before I left. And now at JCP, I get to wear them every Friday. And yes, we often have the donate to United Way and get a free jeans for the month pass. Nice, right? I think so. So what should you wear with your jeans? Not the tee shirt you rolled out of bed in for sure... but the things I see people wear.... It is amazing, when most people start this, they make an effort to look cute, but then something happens. Something clicks in people's heads that say, let's just dress like a slob, it is casual Friday after all. Literally, I saw someone in a yoga outfit at work on casual Friday. While you may have looked casual, relaxed, and ready to start your day, it is not work appropriate in corporate America.

One of the reasons jeans were taken away at NMD was the fact that people were abusing it. Granted, HR never came out and said it, but it was true. I worked with two women who believed in tight, short, and sheer--not work appropriate either. Many pointed the finger at them and others like them for the reason that jeans were taken away. Don't abuse casual Friday as a reason to bring out your clubbing gear either. You are at work to work, not pick up a man.

From one extreme to the other, people abuse casual Friday. Where is the happy medium? I would hope that your company would spell it out for you but I am yet to see it spelled out at mine.

What am i wearing today? Here is it:

3/4 Sleeve silk print top
Flare cut blue jeans
Camel 3.5" heels

I believe it to be Friday causal appropriate.

Here is what you should never wear to work--casual or not:

If you work out in it, NO!
hats
too tight
too sheer (wear a tank and/or slip where appropriate and you are ok)
too short
tennis shoes (unless told acceptable for work)
distressed or worn out clothes (holes and rips peeps)
strapless/spaghetti straps (unless you are putting a cardi with it)
low rise pants that show your undies/plumbers crack
flip flops (acceptable for walking out the building though as I do that all the time)
Juicy Couture or like outfits
pajama pants

On of my favorite head scratchers is I will see women impeccably groomed with hair done, make up on, and then wearing something like they rolled out of bed. I'm just thinking, you took the time and effort to make the rest of you look fabulous, but you chose that to wear...what are you thinking?

Just a few thoughts on this casual Friday...

Have a good weekend folks.