Is it possible to dress *too* professionally for work?

Let me preface this by saying that I have recently lost over 30 pounds.  As a result, I was forced to buy new clothes.  I need pants that fit, a new belt that I didn't have to cut a new hole in, et cetera.  When I went out buying new clothes, I decided to add a little extra flair to my wardrobe (both casual and work).  What this usually means is I got a few single items to add to an outfit that really "pop", ties, blazers, suspenders, sweater vests... anything that looks really nice.

I'm normally no slouch when it comes to dressing anyways.  My work environment is business casual, with an empasis on casual.  Jeans and a reasonably nice shirt are perfectly acceptable, and some workers wear t-shirts.  That's not for me.  I, personally, wear dress pants and a dress shirt almost every day.  I don't directly interact with customers in any way - I'm actually an IT person - I could wear jeans and a t-shirt everyday and get away with it.  I choose not to.  I simply like looking nice.  I think people take me more seriously, I am more confident, I look nice when I go for lunch, and a number of other benefits.  Also, there's the old adage: "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have".

But I take a lot of flak at work, entirely from men (no woman has ever made a negative comment about my new wardrobe, in fact I get lots of complements), mostly from the men who have chosen to take a more casual approach to work attire.  Some of it is good-natured ribbing, but some of it seems like they are sincerely intimidated.  "You're making us look bad" is something I hear almost every day.

Now, it's not like I'm wearing a full suit to work (I would if I could get away with it).  I'm just trying to add a tie or something similar because it looks nice, and it makes me feel good to look nice.  Plus, some of the sytles I've chosen are looks that I couldn't have pulled off 30 pounds ago.  It feels really good to rock a sweater vest, knowing that only a few months ago it would have drawn attention to my mid-section.  Now I am slender and feel great, and dressing with style is a way of reminding myself of the good I have done.  I don't think I'm in the wrong here, but at the same time I don't want to make my coworkers uncomfortable.  It's also worth noting that I dress consistantly better than my boss does - he typically wears jeans and a polo.

So my question is this:  Should I compromise my style because it may make my coworkers look bad?  Or should I continue to dress nice because it feels good, and ignore their insecurities?  I guess there's a third option too.  I could always go to the extreme, rock a full suit, and let the consequences be darned...

What do you think?

I think that it is great that you want to dress up for work instead of dressing down. I don't think you should stop because you may be making your coworkers uncomfortable. Thats their issue not yours. Congrats on the weight loss and I think you should flaunt all your hard work. I completely agree with the saying "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have". Plus there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look your best.

I agree with prisma!  There is no such thing as dressing too professionally!  Don't worry about making your coworkers look bad, and don't sink to their level.  The way a person dresses can say a lot about how they feel about themselves.

IMO, it's very closely related to self-care, hygiene and grooming.  If none of your coworkers ever showered, would you worry about making them look bad with your cleanliness?  It's an extreme example but it proves my point.

Absolutely, positively, ignore every single one of them and dress as professional as you want - even if you want to wear a suit.  They 100% have the choice to match you in dress style if they feel it is making them look bad. Otherwise they need to STFU.

My job requires a tie and all that, but even on our "jeans days" I wear the same dressy clothes because I feel, act, and look more professional and people do take you more seriously.  Not to mention, you don't see the executives at the top participating in jeans day typically. It makes you stand out in a good way.

Original Post by brtaylor:

There is no such thing as dressing too professionally! 

 Well, does "professionally" necessarily equate to a suit or otherwise dressy? If so, I disagree, as it would depend on the line of work, and the situation.  In my case, I suppose something really nice would be okay for all day meetings, but pretty out of place and inconvenient when auditing and walking in machining or autoclave production areas.

But for the OP, I don't see any problem with it at all.  Go with what works, what you like, and what's comfortable.  If your coworkers don't want to look bad, they should step it up or mind their own business.

Heck no!

Dress the way that makes you feel good! I work in the same kind of environment - most people where jeans and nice shirts, non of us have direct contact with most clients, and many prefer comfort to style.  There are days when it's nice to have that option, but I like to have days where I can wear a skirt, dressy pants and top, or accessories with a flashy scarf or hat!

This is about you, not them!  If you want to dress up, then go for it :)

Original Post by santonacci:

Original Post by brtaylor:

There is no such thing as dressing too professionally! 

 Well, does "professionally" necessarily equate to a suit or otherwise dressy? If so, I disagree, as it would depend on the line of work, and the situation.  In my case, I suppose something really nice would be okay for all day meetings, but pretty out of place and inconvenient when auditing and walking in machining or autoclave production areas.

But for the OP, I don't see any problem with it at all.  Go with what works, what you like, and what's comfortable.  If your coworkers don't want to look bad, they should step it up or mind their own business.

 The OP didn't mention walking in machining or autoclave production areas, so I assumed the topic would be about your typical office.  If he had mentioned any unusual features of his workplace, such as those that you pointed out, then I would have modified my answer.

You do you! Don't worry about anyone else. I am in a similar work environment and I am grateful for the casual option, but I think it's great that you are going above and beyond. People should not try to scorn people who are trying to do or be better. Don't let the haters get you down!

i get flack from my boss for wearing a lot of skirts... she says I'm making her look bad .. but she wears nice slacks and nice shirts so I idon't see the difference.

What Im trying to say is, sweater vests suck.

But looking nice at work is always a good thing.

dress the way YOU like. i bet you look so much nicer then they do. enjoy your new clothes - and show them what STYLE means to you. i dress nicer too and i do it for me because it just makes me feel better most days.

I used to work in an office where the men wore ties but rarely jackets.  I used to wear suits occasionally and every time I did I was accused of have a job interview that day.

But I think in certain situation is possible to dress too professionally.  You'll have to decide for yourself where to draw the line.

Just be aware that you may not be doing your career any favors.  Part of being successful in business is playing the game.  You may not see your personal dress code as a negative, but your bosses and co-workers may very well read negatives into it (not a team player, not a good "fit," etc.).  Stand out at your peril.

Original Post by crazydiamondchrysalis:

i get flack from my boss for wearing a lot of skirts... she says I'm making her look bad .. but she wears nice slacks and nice shirts so I idon't see the difference.

What Im trying to say is, sweater vests suck.

But looking nice at work is always a good thing.

My work environment is very similar. I love dressing up. It makes me feel good about myself so why not?

and don't pay any attention to CDC- sweater vests are hot! hehe, I gotta go get some more for my hubba hubba

Oh, and corduroy jackets, you know, the casual kind?, ooh momma! :D pair that with nice jeans and you're cooking with fire!

Thanks for all the support!  I'm glad to see that everyone feels that I have a right to feel good about looking good.

Our business is a manufacturing business.  We do have a production floor, but we're not a machine shop.  Most of our units are assembled by hand.  I don't have to worry about getting dirty or loose articles of clothing getting caught in machines.  Plus, I am an office employee.  I do spend some time working on the production floor, but that time is spent maintaining the computers out there.

I get the "do you have an interview or something?" line all the time.  When I actually think about it, I actually went through a lot of this when I started loosing weight in the first place.  People actually seemed genuinely resentful that I was losing weight.  I just don't understand it.  How can you come down on someone who is doing something positive for themselves - especially if you consider that person a friend.  It seems we're far to short on support, and way to willing to project our own insecurities and shortcomings on someone else.  I'm probably guilty of this myself from time to time.

Thanks again for all the support.  It means a lot to me!

--J

I think a good rule of thumb is to take your dress cues from you boss.

My boss, unfortunately, dresses like a slob.  His boss, however, is a really snappy dresser.  He doesn't typically wear ties or suits, but its obvious he makes an effort to look good.

--J

my boss wears bolo ties.

Original Post by trhawley:

I think a good rule of thumb is to take your dress cues from you boss.

 okay! 

*pulls out her loafers, button down man's suit & tie*

Original Post by starlitocean:

Original Post by trhawley:

I think a good rule of thumb is to take your dress cues from you boss.

 okay! 

*pulls out her loafers, button down man's suit & tie*

I didn't say that you should wear your boss' clothes.

Original Post by trhawley:

Original Post by starlitocean:

Original Post by trhawley:

I think a good rule of thumb is to take your dress cues from you boss.

 okay! 

*pulls out her loafers, button down man's suit & tie*

I didn't say that you should wear your boss' clothes.

 hmph.  it was a joke, tom...

If a suit would be out of place, then I would skip it.  Dressing nicely to please yourself makes sense.  I have a coworker that comes in wearing wrinkled shorts and a t-shirt.  I typically wear slacks and a nice top or sometimes jeans with a nice top....guess who people think is more professional.  I don't have to, sometimes I don't, but sometimes I do.  Occasionally if I've got a meeting or an event I will sneak in a suite, this always elicits the interview comments.  I just laugh.