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I looked at a forum about wardrobe that is appropriate in DC but it is over a year old and wanted to know if there have been an recent updates....I am coming from Austin, TX and business attire here probably wouldn't cut it in DC. However, I wanted to know what types of work attire is appropriate in DC particularly those working for federal agencies? Can you see a difference between the generations? I'm in my mid 30s so I would like to hear from this particular age group as to what may be appropriate...
Any advice is appreciative
Bland suits (navy blue and black) with cheap shoes or business casual. Honestly, DC is the least fashionable medium/large city I have seen.
I'm 5'8 and do not like wearing heels so I think I will just focus on wearing nice flats so I do not stand out height wise. I worked for a Federal Agency here in Austin and here is business casual all year round...no one wears suits so I guess I will have to invest in at least one before I get there. I do hope the EEOC is business casual so that I do not have to change my whole wardrobe...
Go for flats, your knees/ankles will thank you (despite wearing heels often I wish I could get away with flats without looking like a child!). Winter is much easier since I just wear boots.
Most likely you'll be fine with business casual. A suit isn't a bad thing to have just in case (and for the first day, no one will fault you for being over-dressed), but otherwise you should be fine. Despite the mix in my office, it's mostly the political appointees and SES who wear suits (and among those the women often get by with a nice jacket instead of a full-on suit...I think even our Secretary tends to do a nice dress instead of a suit), and a couple people who travel to India/Pakistan a lot and were able to get a bunch of suits tailor-made for cheap while there.
For what it's worth, the only people I know in DC with a strict dress code work in the private sector (law firm and finance). Everyone else is more on the business casual side of things.
For all you know k350 might be your super. (sorry k)
If you come to work in a bright flowered dress with red pumps and jewelry, esp. if you are single, your male bosses will say behind your back;
'Look at her-high maintenance'
That will be bad.
Last edited by leighland; 07-14-2015 at 04:26 PM..
Reason: single
Hi, I work for DoD and am mid 30s. Most women I interact with wear dresses or pants with a shirt. When we are working an event with high visibility or more formality (i.e. a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington), then our rule of thumb is to wear a jacket with skirt/pants or a dress that either has at least a capped sleeve, or a summery short jacket over it.
Even though you are at HQ, I do not think a daily suit will be the norm. I would recommend that you dress more formal for your first day - work dress or pants/skirt with 3/4 sleeve jacket, work blouse or shell.
day to day here, those of us in the gen x or millennial category wear summery dresses - sleeveless, wedge sandals, appropriate length - i.e. no shorter than 2 or so inches above the knee.
oh - and please do not buy into the crap that you should only wear black jackets. I work presidential events and will wear black skirt/red jacket/coordinating blouse, or a colorful short sleeve dress. While dark colors may be the majority, I am not alone in my color statement. I have seen plenty of women, even older generations, embracing color in this city. It's fabulous to see!!!
And a tip for your husband, most men day to day here wear slacks and a polo or similar shirt. Some will wear long sleeve shirt & tie every day as that's what they prefer. All will increase to shirt/tie/jacket when working a more formal event, have a meeting with general officers, etc.
wow Leighland, your advice makes me sad for you. In what agency do you work? and what's your age bracket? I'm depressed just thinking about what you feel you must wear every day. I would NEVER dress for a funeral to go to work. Someone shoot me now if that's what my world ever comes to LOL
oh - and please do not buy into the crap that you should only wear black jackets. I work presidential events and will wear black skirt/red jacket/coordinating blouse, or a colorful short sleeve dress. While dark colors may be the majority, I am not alone in my color statement. I have seen plenty of women, even older generations, embracing color in this city. It's fabulous to see!!!
Very true. My wife (higher-level employee at one of the larger, older agencies in DC) dresses very well--I can't tell you how many red carpet shows I've had to sit through as collateral-damage viewing, so she can see the fashion nonsense--and she even wears white and light tan jackets in the summer. What she won't wear (thank God) is a solid-red devil suit, a la HRC, or other loud primary colors.
Interestingly, she told me that for women's wear, the most expensive suits have the jacket and pants sold separately, and the jacket does not necessarily match. (Technically that's not a suit, but whatever.)
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