Torpedo
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,332
- Location
- Barcelona (Spain)
Hello,
Not exactly a dumb comment(s), more of an odd one(s)... Not strictly related to hats.
Yesterday I went to a co-workers dinner. It was an impromptu and informal one, just something that someone spontaneously suggested. In fact, it was a free day for me, so a friend called to let me know.
Code of dress (there is no official code, BTW) at my workplace is very casual, with jeans and cargo pants being usual, coupled with t-shirts and similar attire, trainers being the typical footwear. Those more dressy wear polo or button down shirts, suit jackets are rare, ties almost unheard of. I am the only one that wears always suit jacket, tie and shoes, plus a fedora. My line of work, BTW, is law enforcement, plainclothes assignment, in a crime scene unit.
The dinner being informal, held in a informal place, and the greater part of attendants going there straight after work shift, I anticipated the usual casual attire would prevail. So, I went casual too, button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers. I have casual hats that go well with this, but chose not to wear one - I often do when I go to a place new for me, and I am not sure if I will find where to leave the hat, which happens sometimes at restaurants, pubs and the like.
Well, several of my colleagues expressed his surprise at my unusual outfit - this was probably to be expected because many of them have not met me outside a work environment and are not used to seeing me out of dressier outfits; but some did not get why I had chosen to follow their casual standards for the occassion, apparently could not understand I had thought better to dress more casually in order not to stand out. A couple even said it was "dissapointing". One did not admit my reasoning about wanting to adapt; he said I did not mind to stand out at work because of my attire, he being unable to see the rationale about keeping distinct standards of dress for work, and trying to keep a professional appearance.
Mind you, I wear dressier clothes at work because I want, because of the reasons outlined; and I like to wear similar clothes, or dressier ones, off work too; but the dinner WAS NOT a formal meeting, so I did not think dressy clothes were right. I considered following the preponderant casual standard was the approppriate thing to do. In fact, as I anticipated, NOBODY wore dressy clothes, everybody dressed as per the usual casual standards. But my decision to NOT wear clothes which I think were NOT adequate for the occassion was not much understood, at least by some people.
So it was an odd situation. [huh] What do you think?
Not exactly a dumb comment(s), more of an odd one(s)... Not strictly related to hats.
Yesterday I went to a co-workers dinner. It was an impromptu and informal one, just something that someone spontaneously suggested. In fact, it was a free day for me, so a friend called to let me know.
Code of dress (there is no official code, BTW) at my workplace is very casual, with jeans and cargo pants being usual, coupled with t-shirts and similar attire, trainers being the typical footwear. Those more dressy wear polo or button down shirts, suit jackets are rare, ties almost unheard of. I am the only one that wears always suit jacket, tie and shoes, plus a fedora. My line of work, BTW, is law enforcement, plainclothes assignment, in a crime scene unit.
The dinner being informal, held in a informal place, and the greater part of attendants going there straight after work shift, I anticipated the usual casual attire would prevail. So, I went casual too, button-down shirt, jeans and sneakers. I have casual hats that go well with this, but chose not to wear one - I often do when I go to a place new for me, and I am not sure if I will find where to leave the hat, which happens sometimes at restaurants, pubs and the like.
Well, several of my colleagues expressed his surprise at my unusual outfit - this was probably to be expected because many of them have not met me outside a work environment and are not used to seeing me out of dressier outfits; but some did not get why I had chosen to follow their casual standards for the occassion, apparently could not understand I had thought better to dress more casually in order not to stand out. A couple even said it was "dissapointing". One did not admit my reasoning about wanting to adapt; he said I did not mind to stand out at work because of my attire, he being unable to see the rationale about keeping distinct standards of dress for work, and trying to keep a professional appearance.
Mind you, I wear dressier clothes at work because I want, because of the reasons outlined; and I like to wear similar clothes, or dressier ones, off work too; but the dinner WAS NOT a formal meeting, so I did not think dressy clothes were right. I considered following the preponderant casual standard was the approppriate thing to do. In fact, as I anticipated, NOBODY wore dressy clothes, everybody dressed as per the usual casual standards. But my decision to NOT wear clothes which I think were NOT adequate for the occassion was not much understood, at least by some people.
So it was an odd situation. [huh] What do you think?