Dress code? (Seattle: home, wedding, shop)

[ijoe13]

Here in Cleveland, it seems that every office has a business or business casual dress code; no jeans, tennis shoes, etc. Does the same apply in Seattle, or is the dress code a little more relaxed? I would assume that most up and coming companies would have a more modern, open-mined view regarding this issue.

[mishigas73]

I work for a big corporation, with one of its offices in downtown Seattle. Jeans are fine on Friday, and it's "business casual" the rest of the week.

I have to say, though, that the definition of "business casual" in Seattle doesn't jive with what I saw in the Northeast, especially for women.

[rmkiefer07]

I work in the business office for one of the Medical Centers. Currently our dress code is very relaxed (jeans, tee-shirts). However, with greater emphasis on patient satisfaction, our code is being revised and we will be going to business casual this summer.

Overall, there seems to be a more relaxed attitude here than in the East, but it depends on the industry.

[jenlion]

Good rule of thumb: Pretty formal for interview (depending on industry; no suits for automotive work!). Check out what everyone else is wearing when you visit. Then dress just a couple of degrees nicer until you've worked there a few weeks and have the pattern down. Always err on the side of caution.

I've worked with people who got it ALL wrong. Women who wore completely inappropriate way-too-sexy clothes to work. Men with awful hawaiian shirts and ripped up jeans. Ugh. I love my jeans and hate formal dress, but it's a very fine line between khakis-and-polo and flipflops-and-cutoffs. Don't be on the wrong side of it EVER, and you're OK.

[ijoe13]

Originally Posted by mishigas73

I have to say, though, that the definition of "business casual" in Seattle doesn't jive with what I saw in the Northeast, especially for women.

So what you're saying is that Seattle's not like walking down 5th Ave. in NY?

[texastrigirl]

My husband works at a large well-known Seattle company. He is sometimes amused at what people will come to work in (really dressed down) but he works with a lot of software developers and they can get way with it due to their genius quotient. His most casual day will be jeans (not ripped up) with a fleece and Keens. Normally he wears nice jeans and a pressed button down with dressier shoes...which is what the CEO wears. In his new job though...his boss and his bosses boss wear khakis so we will be heading back that direction now. But yes, in general, Seattle is more dressed down than the East Coast.

[Pittgal]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

My husband works at a large well-known Seattle company. He is sometimes amused at what people will come to work in (really dressed down) but he works with a lot of software developers and they can get way with it due to their genius quotient. His most casual day will be jeans (not ripped up) with a fleece and Keens. Normally he wears nice jeans and a pressed button down with dressier shoes...which is what the CEO wears. In his new job though...his boss and his bosses boss wear khakis so we will be heading back that direction now. But yes, in general, Seattle is more dressed down than the East Coast.

My hubby works at the same place and I didn't believe him that people dress way down until we visited him there. Ripped jean/shirts/sandals...wow We came from the east coast so this is all new to us. He wears nice jeans, a button down shirt, and docksiders and he feels dressed down. We have also been surprised at the way people in general dress around here.

[JesseJB]

I work in the medical field in Seattle and we have a "business casual" dress code. Here's what it really seems to mean:

Interviews: suit and tie.

Men under 35: Trousers, leather shoes and button-up shirt. Jacket is seen as a little overkill.

Women under 35 generally dress conservatively and generally well for the most part.

Women over 35: Fleece vests. Yoga pants passed as "slacks." Crocs and other rubber clogs. Hiking attire. Long sleeved fleece sweatshirts. Tee-shirts passed at "nice" short sleeved shirts.


So basically I've noticed in Seattle that young people dress pretty well as do older people over 80 or so. But the Gen-X and Baby Boomer crowd tends to be the most dressed-down and "granola" in the workplace as well as on the street.

[shoegal111]

Originally Posted by Pittgal

My hubby works at the same place and I didn't believe him that people dress way down until we visited him there. Ripped jean/shirts/sandals...wow We came from the east coast so this is all new to us. He wears nice jeans, a button down shirt, and docksiders and he feels dressed down. We have also been surprised at the way people in general dress around here.

I got everyone beat. I know SVPs who wear stretch pants and flip flops. Most of the people I worked with out there looked like they were dressed to do chores at home - not got to work at a business. Not all of these folks were IT types. And it's not just at work. I went to opening night at the opera and about half of the people in the audience looked like bums-torn clothing, unkempt, etc. On the east coast, if people dressed like that their managers or HR would be sending them home.

I went shopping at a jewelry store and was asked if I was on my way to a wedding. I told them no and asked why they would think that and they told me that it was because of the way I was dressed- a pencil skirt, silk blouse and pumps. Go figure!!

[rmkiefer07]

Wow! SVP's wearing stretch pants! I wear ties more often than not, but when I do, there always seems to be someone who thinks I'm going on a job interview! When it was announced we were going to a stricter dress code, the backlash was fierce. Some threatened to quit! If this is any indication, it would seem alot of people in Seattle feel very strongly about their jeans, tee-shirts, and sweat pants at work.