Not per se, and right now I’m still thoroughly entrenched in that stretchy pants life, but I wish I had spent some time working someplace where people dressed to the nines and went all out with their hair and makeup.
Even when I worked in the city at PG&E, most of my coworkers did the bare minimum, but part of that is California style. Workplaces here are usually super casual, like business casual+casual.
I like looking “put together” and getting dressed up, though, as you can quite clearly tell by my propensity for black stretchy pants, haha… 🙂
This question occurred to me the other day as I was talking to a gal who’d recently moved from NYC to Novato, which is a BIG change, because this is a sleepy little town compared to metropolis. She described how she recently went to an orientation meeting for her new job here and was the only person wearing a suit and full makeup, and was like, “You don’t understand, everyone I knew in New York dressed up. Full makeup, everything. And there were people in that meeting wearing jeans and messy buns!”
Haha! Welcome to the Bay Area, where “Casual Friday” is every day of the week.
How about you? Have you ever worked someplace where people went all out with their hair, clothes and makeup? And related question: have you ever worked someplace where you had to wear a uniform?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. T-G-I-F. SO not kidding either.
Rachel says
May 11th, 2018 at 8:38 amI’m a nurse so we have to wear scrubs. Which I guess is a uniform. Lol.
But people will from time to time get creative with their hair and makeup. As long as it doesn’t interfere with caring for a patient or spread germs we can be somewhat creative with hair and makeup.
Jane says
May 11th, 2018 at 9:24 amWhen I first started working in the ’80s it was suits and intense makeup. I was in Sales, so even when Casual Friday’s cam about, I still had to put on the “uniform” in case I had appointments. I became such a “Bobbi Girl” in the “90s up until my last sales job in 2008. Since then, I work for a not-for-profit in a small office. Some days, it is jeans and a shirt. My makeup has been pared down significantly.
Wow Connor is getting to be quite the young lady!
Be well!
Sarah says
May 11th, 2018 at 9:33 amHere in Arkansas, there’s definitely a type of girl that never leaves the house without hair & makeup D O N E, and I’d consider myself part of that group. That’s always a standard that I’ve had for myself and I could never possibly imagine going to work without a full face of makeup.
Savannah says
May 11th, 2018 at 9:44 amI’m still on my first and only job in the front end of a Canadian grocery store. There is a uniform and there’s no way to get creative with it except for cute seasonal stickers on your name tag lmao. I kinda like it since it saves me money of buying clothes since it’s all provided except for shoes. I am the only one who wears a full face on the regular, some girls do eye make up and lips and others just mascara and lip stick. My dept I can do stuff with my hair but I’m lazy so usually it’s just braided out of my face. For years no one was allowed to wear nail polish at all (even us and we don’t handle food) and just recently we got the okay to wear it! So that’s fun, ha ha. I’d love an office job because I love office wear on myself. Future goal.
Shannon says
May 11th, 2018 at 9:48 amDude, I SO noticed this difference in NYC vs. the Northwest! Everyone on the west coast is so much more casual. I miss it, lol! I had to stick to business casual in Seattle, for the most part, but even so. I’m much more careful about what I wear to the office now than I was even in Montana, when I worked in Admin at a university.
I think the strict formality is phasing out some, and it depends on what industry you’re in. Like, tech people almost NEVER wear suits. However, my day job is in fund raising at a medical school, and even “business casual” can be a little too informal – some of our donors work in finance, and that world is all about expensive suits and stuff. I much prefer being casual (read: comfortable), though. I toe the line as much as I can, lol! (I definitely feel like a rebel with the streaks of coral color in my hair. 🙂 ) I feel like makeup can really be a saving grace – if your face is on point, it pulls the rest of your outfit together to say “this is intentional.”
I’ve never had to work a job where I had to wear a strict uniform – but I did work at Hollister for a summer, and we were required to wear stuff that fit in with our seasonal color scheme and looked like it could’ve been purchased there. That was… an interesting environment, lol.
Jaclyn Levy says
May 11th, 2018 at 12:33 pm“if your face is on point, it pulls the rest of your outfit together to say “this is intentional.””
Light bulbs went off in my head!!! This! Yes! Genius.
Ruchita says
May 11th, 2018 at 9:59 amMy workplace is very casual. I try to dress “smart casual”. But sometimes on Fridays I will wear sneakers and a t-shirt. I still try to do my makeup every day.
In one building where I worked there was a different company on another floor with a more business-like dress code. When there was a fire drill, you could easily tell who worked for which company.
I wouldn’t mind working somewhere that’s a little more dressy, but I would have a hard time with business formal. The last time I wore a suit was over 15 years ago when I was interviewing for jobs.
Happy Friday!
Christina says
May 11th, 2018 at 10:25 amI worked in the cosmetics department at Macy’s, so we all had to wear makeup there. I also work in the event planning industry on the side right now where we are required to wear makeup and make ourselves presentable the day of the event. We have a dress code on those days, too, usually a black suit.
I will say I dress up way more than my regular day job colleagues do. They all know me as the person who wears pretty outfits and is hardly ever in pants. LOL! Unless I’m going to the gym, I never dress down–like NEVER! It’s just who I am. I don’t own a single pair of blue jeans either, not that there’s anything wrong with them; I just prefer dresses and skirts.
Rachel says
May 11th, 2018 at 10:53 amI would say no. I work in city government in a chemistry lab doing water testing and we are allowed to wear jeans. But I’m pretty sure the ladies in HR are in some kind of competition with each other to see who can wear the tallest heels!
Pav says
May 11th, 2018 at 11:27 amYea, I worked for a few years in NYC and then moved to CA. What a difference! NYC was high heels, suits, foundation and nude lips. CA is well, comfy shoes, casual-cool clothing and moisturizer. I think casual-cool is a harder style though, I still don’t quite get it.
My husband worked at PG&E in SF too! ?
OM says
May 11th, 2018 at 11:55 amWhen I moved back to LA from the Bay Area, i thought everyone was too casual here compared to the Bay. When I lived in the Bay, I wore suits to work (90s),wore black and grey and dressed up to go out. I do wear more make up now cuz aging is real. Here in LA, people wear jeans and flip flops to the theatre (plays, not movies). Maybe the Bay has become more casual since?
Rachel Runyan says
May 11th, 2018 at 12:35 pmNo, I’ve lived in Oregon most of my life, and the style here is very casual. I’ve never worked anywhere where people wore much makeup. I’ve seen attorneys, bankers, etc. in dresses or suits, but little to no makeup.
Rachel Runyan recently posted … Immortal Beloved: Wedding Attire for the Darkest Souls
Jaclyn Levy says
May 11th, 2018 at 12:36 pmNo not really but back in the day a co-worker of mine only wore eye liner on her lower lash line and it drove me crazy! Looking back I think it was cool she did that.
Rebecca Russell says
May 11th, 2018 at 1:16 pmI work as a cashier and at the customer service desk at a grocery store in Oregon and have to wear a polo and jeans (before that it was 18 years in the medical field in scrubs). We can’t have crazy hair color but they don’t care WHAT we wear makeup and nail polish wise. My friend and I are the only ones who go all out with makeup and nails but it’s fun. I’ve even had customers tell me they look out for me when they’re there so they can see what my makeup looks like that day. I’ve even worn blue lipstick and they don’t care!
Suzanne C says
May 11th, 2018 at 1:33 pmBefore I started working from home, I never had a job that was casual or even dress-casual. But then, I live in a part of the South where a lot of women do pageant makeup and really big hair just to go to Walmart. It’s a very “Miss America 1952” look. Now I’m living the yoga pants life and loving it.
Is Connor’s band-aid covering an actual boo-boo or is that a fashion choice? My girls used to wear them in random spots just because they liked the characters on them. 🙂
Sarah says
May 11th, 2018 at 2:35 pmI’m an Animal Control Officer for a police dept so I wear a full uniform, gun belt and all. My hair always has to be up so thats not much fun, but I do my makeup every single day, and try to switch up a bit. I feel like makeup helps me look a little less like a hot mess and a little more professional, especially since I’m dealing with the public all day. My entire career I’ve been in a uniform so I’m used to it. Before this I work for US Customs & Border Protection. I kind of like wearing a uniform bc I’m never stressed about what I have to wear to work!!
Andria says
May 11th, 2018 at 3:11 pmI work on tv 5 days a week! Full face beat for work…on my days off it’s Beautycounter Dew Skin and a tiny bit cream blush and that’s it.
Karen says
May 11th, 2018 at 5:06 pmHi, Andria!
Oh, I have to know… Do you do your own makeup? What foundations do you love? I’m always so curious to know what people who work in front of a camera rely on.
Karen recently posted … What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?
Andria says
May 11th, 2018 at 6:05 pmI do my own makeup. No makeup artists on staff, which is frustrating. I prefer foundation as sheer as I can get away with…love Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation. I just started dealing with some really gnarly melisma, though and have bumped it up to a full coverage – the YSL All Hours. It covers the melasma, along with the All Hours concealer, but it’s clogging the hell out my pores which I’m not thrilled about…any other suggestions?
Lacy says
May 11th, 2018 at 3:20 pmI’ve been working at a financial institution for the last 5 years. It’s a mix of both. I’m almost always dressed to the 9’s with hair and makeup done. It’s important to me to look put together. We’re handling people’s finances and life savings after all. I’d say a good mix of the women I’ve worked with and met in passing are either all or nothing. You have some minimalist makeupers, or totally bare face and you have some that put in the time and effort. And you even have some that roll in clearly still in last night’s makeup or whatever hasn’t smudged off.
Sherry says
May 11th, 2018 at 5:27 pmWhat an adorable pic of you and Connor!!
Bailey says
May 12th, 2018 at 6:26 amI used to work for one of the top salons in the Chicago area and it was in our contract to wear makeup and dress up. Every month we had a review, not on our performance but on our image. Beautiful makeup, our hair was always done and we weren’t allowed to wear it up (like in a ponytail or bun) unless it was a formal/wedding updo. We had to wear the latest fashions, too. It was actually really fun! Now I work somewhere where I can’t even wear nail polish. Go figure!
Carmen says
May 12th, 2018 at 12:29 pmI worked for TWA years ago (when airline work and flying was fun), and having loved makeup since preteens, i always wore makeup. Had to wear a uniform in the department that had public contact. I still live makeup in my 60’s, won’t leave the house with some on. In the 80’s to mid 90’s I also worked for an airline and had to wear business attire and of course makeup. I kind of miss those days of dressing up, except for pantyhose. Lol!
Chelsea says
May 12th, 2018 at 8:08 pmI worked at a Lancôme counter back in the day, so that was definitely full makeup. I probably wear more makeup to my job in marketing in a big office building than most people – some of my colleagues wear makeup, some don’t.
Everly says
May 12th, 2018 at 8:46 pmI work in an environmental field and makeup is kind of looked down upon. I love makeup, I think it’s fun and what’s wrong with spending some time and self care on your appearance? At the office there’s an unspoken vibe of “if you wear too much makeup then you must be a shallow person who can’t possibly care about the environment” which to me is just WEIRD. I’m both man, I’m both! But the judgment is strong enough that I won’t wear a bright colored lipstick to work because I don’t want to deal with the looks and condescending attitude. Sadly the negative vibe is mostly from my fellow women.
Jessica says
May 14th, 2018 at 7:31 amI work in corrections as an officer and wearing makeup hers is also looked down upon. We also wear uniform so I don’t have to worry about what to wear. Being one of the few female officers, I feel a lot of pressure not to wear it, but I love it. I sometimes wear basic makeup but never eye shadows or even eyeliner, I feel well put together with my basic makeup although I feel like my coworkers think it’s way too much. I am hoping one day I can work at a place where I can wear a full face without being so judged!
Kim says
May 14th, 2018 at 7:27 amWhen I was in HS and college, I waitressed and bartended so we had to wear uniforms. My first 2 office jobs required skirts/dresses and suits. It didn’t faze me because that was just expected. My current job is in marketing but we are a very casual office (unless I have a meeting) so I can wear shorts/sweatpants/sneakers every day. I vastly prefer it, especially because I never know if I’ll be running around our manufacturing/warehouse having to dig through pallets for something. If I am at a trade show or meeting with a customer, I still wear a suit and heels. Other than that, I’m very casually dressed. But, as Shannon above noted, I make a point of always having my hair and makeup done so it’s clear that my clothes were purposefully chosen (not just grabbed off the floor). HAHA!
Victoria says
May 14th, 2018 at 12:46 pmMy first job out of college was at the San Francisco health department working with low-income immigrant families, so I had to be decently dressed up (casual suit and heels and simple makeup) but not extravangtly so. Since two years ago I’ve been a software engineer at startups, where dressing up is reserved for sales, so I work with mostly men who wear jeans and T-shirts every day. I used to get really stressed out about being the “girly girl” among the group but now I wear a full face of makeup. dresses and heels to work everyday!
Lilly says
August 13th, 2018 at 11:33 pmI used to work in medical sales where all the women were dressed, full makeup, hair, nails, heels and suits, and it was a chore for me. Now I’m into makeup a lot more. I work in a pharmacy where I have to wear a uniform, but some people wear it sloppily and others smartly. And makeup does not always correspond to clothes where I work! Some women wear makeup everyday with torn uniforms, some wear smart uniforms and not a stitch of makeup here. I enjoy playing with my makeup, but I can’t get too colorful for work. And it’s always a challenge to keep my lipstick fresh for 10 hour shifts when I’m constantly talking.
Janki says
September 15th, 2018 at 4:50 amI wore uniforms from 6th to 12th grade a secretly love day them. I didn’t have style and free dress days stressed me out. Since post college I’ve tended to be about 1/2 step more dressed up than anyone. Currently I work with engineers and they don’t wear any makeup and most wear jeans. But I deal with clients and have this phobia of being underdressed. So for me, I have a basic polished makeup look. I do feel that if anyone comments on my makeup unless it’s a bold lip, then I’m wearing too much. Makeup should just make me look like the best me possible.