Vintage Clothes, Modern Jobs?

[nyx]

It's been a long time since I worked in any kind of a corporate environment, it's true, but I'm surprised that the idea of a good conservative skirt seems to be frowned on. I was always taught that a dark, little-below-the-knee skirt was proper dress for any kind of professional environment -- when did that change?

I think it may depend on industry too. I work in Pharmaceutical Drug Development, which for years was dominated by the old white male scientist. The dark skirt you mentioned would be professional, but not managerial. My company is unusual in that the CEO and founder is a woman, and she is definitely the "dragon lady" type. Think Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl--but in a pants suit. Maybe the women I work with are just trying to emulate her. But then again, maybe it's just my area of the country too. My observation isn't just based on my work, because I work downtown and see a lot of business people all day long. I rarely see skirt suits except on some older women.

 

[lyburnum]

As I work for The Gap vintage isn't an option. I'd never wear real vintage to work anyway, far too special (my precious!). However I do always try and make an effort to add a fifties flair to my clothes, I don't want to feel like I'm being forced to be someone I'm not. Gap do some great high waisted skinny jeans, so mostly I wear those with vintage style knits or tucked in shirts, and occasionally a dress. I've found I can make most stuff look reasonably vintage just by how I do my hair/makeup and my choice of jewelry.

 

[Spats McGee]

I am a lawyer, so my job lends itself somewhat to vintage items. I don't go all out for vintage stuff, so that suits me pretty well. Even if I did, there'd be a limit to how far I could go with dressing vintage without scaring clients off. Even with that limit in place, fedoras and vintage hats are right at home in my line of work, and it allows me plenty of opportunities for my other (arguably) vintage habit, fountain pens.

 

[dhermann1]

I work in a government office, tho I've been a contract employee for 23 years. I tend to wear conventional office attire, but usually not a tie. I go on occasional jags where I wear vintage ties to work, for a couple of weeks straight, and then the urge goes away. I usually wear suspenders along with the ties. I also usually wear a fedora to work. I hope to be able to build up a wardrobe of vntage repro office clothes, because I'm fed up with the lousy fit of modern low waisted trousers. My co-workers are pretty used to my eccentricities (lol ), but the other day a lady at the front of the building said to me "I always know it's you because of your fedora." Definitely said in a complementary sense.

 

[Miss 1929]

I have a split job - by days, I am the office and facilities manager for a school that teaches jazz (thejazzschool.com) and at night I am a jazz musician.
I usually wear a mix of vintage and retro - vintage coats and jackets and the jewelry of course, sometimes shoes. I have to schlep amplifiers and keyboards and mic stands a lot, so I don't want to tear the vintage.
But everyone thinks the retro is vintage, it must be the hair and makeup! And the silhouette.
To play in, if I don't have to bring my own sound gear and piano to the gig, I wear over the top vintage, and if I do, I bring it along and change into it. I do have a few very nice couture recreations that you can't tell from vintage to play in, but again, I usually change into them to save the wear and tear. It's not fun being one's own roadie!
When I was a vintage shopgirl, I wore nothing but, every day - but I was a bit of a vintage fashion Nazi! I have mellowed due to necessity.

 

[LordJohnRoxton]

Quite honestly, as much as I'd love to dress vintage every day, my current job really isn't conducive to it. As a classroom teacher, the wear and tear leads to the ruin of garments at worst and high cleaning bills at best. On the upside, it is time for a career change!

 

[RetroBabydoll]

My uniform for beauty school is black pants, black shirt, any color flat shoes. I go straight from work to school so I end up having to wear black everyday. I don't really mind since I mostly express myself with my vintage hairstyles. My thrill is on the weekends when I can dress the way I want. I know when I graduate in a year I shall start keeping up my vintage style as a cosmetologist. I can't wait.