Dress Down Day Faux Pas

What not to wear on a dress down Friday! A few FCaNK friends got together to discuss the ways and wherefores for casual work dressing. It was frightening to hear some of the fashion faux pas our friends had observed on a dress down day!

• Thigh boots

• Sportswear with trainers
  

• Hot pants.....oh please!

Remember a dress down day is an opportunity for a more relaxed and informal look but you still need to be able to hold your head high once your back in a suit on Monday morning. We think a dress down day will communicate a lot about who you are. Wearing any of the above options might be really inappropriate unless you are in a specialised environment, like a fashion magazine, sports company or you are on the set of the Dukes of Hazard! For a general office environment the above options are a slightly autistic interpretation of a dress down day and might not do your career prospects many favours!

What do FCaNK think of jeans on a dress down day?

FCaNK love jeans. Some of our FCaNK friends have a no jeans rule for work even on a dress down day but we think some jeans are fine. Black jeans are a fabulous way to look casually smart without trying too hard and are perfect for winter with a pair of shboots.
Dark blue jeans can look really smart, just watch what you wear on your feet, kitten heels and a cute cardigan are often perfect. Obviously trainers ..no matter how smart they are are not an option for most work places unless you are in an ultra-relaxed media company!

Tips for dress down days:

• On the whole it is better to overdress than dress down.
• The short dress rule will depend on the quality of your legs and your height. Smaller ladies tend to be able to get away with shorter skirts! On the whole, FCaNK friends were all agreed that skirts most professional at mid length. Remember leggings aren't a perfect cover-up for everything. If your "Dress" skims your bottom, leggings will not make up for this work faux pas...so be careful!
  

• Have some options in your wardrobe that could be great for both dressing up or down ...a jersey wrap over dress is perfect for smart or casual wear ..if you are unsure if it's a dress down day or not; take two accessory options to work with you and you are sorted!
• Remember to take your access tag out of your formal work wear...it's so annoying to arrive at work and realise it's in your suit pocket at home!
• Dress down work clothes should avoid looking sloppy, you have a professional image to uphold!
• Bangles, though fabulous, need careful consideration because of their tendency to annoy the open plan office with their constant clattering.
• Keep it simple, as you know, I love frills and fancy dresses but at work, the little bo beep look isn't the image I want to project. Develop some assertive, smart casual styling to keep the feminist flag flying!