"Appropriate Office Attire"

**Kornkob** · 14th June 10, 08:12 PM

duplicate post

**Kornkob** · 15th June 10, 06:45 AM

Also consider how important wearing a kilt to work is verses getting along with your boss. Given that your boss already 'suggested' that a kilt wasn't appropriate for the office, you might be asking for trouble by assuming that this wasn't the final word.

Raising the ire of your boss over the office dress code might not be the best use of your energies-- particularly if you 'end run' the boss by going to HR as some have suggested. It would kind of suck to have burned your political capital with your boss over a kilt only to have something of real importance come up.

Just something else to think about when choosing a course of action.

Myself: I found that even in the most conservative business environments, I was able to wear a kilt without ramifications (and some accolades as a 'morale booster') by choosing to wear one on or close to St Patty's day. So you might try that to see what the reaction is.

**davedove** · 15th June 10, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

The next day, somebody else shows up in shorts and claims that it must be okay because you wore the kilt the day before.

Well, shorts ARE accepted business attire in Bermuda.

**Cygnus** · 15th June 10, 12:51 PM

To me, it doesn't sound like your boss was rejecting it - it sounds more like the question caught her off guard and that SHE's concerned that having one of her employees show up kilted might get her in hot water for allowing it. There's a huge difference between "I'm not sure that's appropriate" and "that wouldn't be appropriate".
I doubt she'll do the research on the topic on her own, so (much like piperdbh suggested) I would recommend you put together a little presentation (on your own time, of course) that you could give to her on why you want to wear a kilt with pictures of what you would look like if you did. This could be a PowerPoint that you email to her, or something you actually show in person.
After bringing the point up, I would not simply arrive at work wearing a kilt - that is just asking for trouble that you sound like you don't want.

The beauty of a presentation with pictures and explanation (and maybe a copy of the company dress code and how a kilt fits it) is that she can pass it on to her superiors if need be and ensure that she's not going to be accused of neglecting her managerial duties.

**Kornkob** · 15th June 10, 01:13 PM

Also good advice-- especially since none of us know if your boss is the type whose 'suggestions' and 'requests' are really 'rules' and 'assignments'. (Sometimes 'I'm not sure that's appropriate' really means 'Don't do that')

**Alan H** · 15th June 10, 05:46 PM

Courtmount and Jock Scot are right. It's the employers right to set a dress code. So if there's a dress code, then toe the line and don't whine about it. If you don't like the dress code, then find work elsewhere.

That said, you went to your boss and asked. The boss didn't say "no". If you are waiting for the boss to say "yes" then you will likely wait until Hades freezes over.

So ......what are you waiting for? If it's not deemed appropriate office attire, you'll hear about it.

**Mike_Oettle** · 16th June 10, 01:14 PM

For myself, I’m with gordontaos on this one.
Perhaps that’s because I work in a rather informal office, but I can also see the kilt fitting in well in a much more formal one.
I occasionally wear a tie to work (tartan, usually), but I have at times been criticised for it – not by the bosses, but by journeymen who say it’s inappropriate with jeans.
We dress pretty casually, especially those of us who do all our work in the office (and at night, as I do).
Reporters are expected to be a bit less casual, but gone are the days when a suit and tie were the only permitted garb (and women were few and far between). Photographers are generally the worst dressed.
I always wear a shirt, because I keep things in my shirt pockets. Some of the men wear T-shirts, but it doesn’t suit me.
I expect that if I wore a kilt to the office it might be a one-day wonder, but I doubt that anyone would pay any notice after that.
Few of the women wear skirts, and I doubt that any do it every day. I wonder if they would do so more often if I appeared kilted.
As it is, I anticipate buying a denim kilt first (and tartan later). And I see little difference between that and jeans.
Regards,
Mike

**Mark Stephenson** · 25th July 10, 11:31 AM

Along the lines of the suggestion to wear your kilt on St. Patrick's Day - you could wait until National Tartan Day is approaching. Give your boss some information about National Tartan Day and a phto of you in what you planned to wear.

**oldscubaguy** · 25th July 10, 12:48 PM

I am also considering wearing one of my kilts to work as opposed to those uncomfortable jeans I wear on a daily basis. I will take the don't ask, apologize later, method as suggested earlier. I'm just waiting for my new sporrans to arrive since my current one will not hold both my wallet and iPhone.

**Kornkob** · 25th July 10, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by oldscubaguy

I am also considering wearing one of my kilts to work as opposed to those uncomfortable jeans I wear on a daily basis. I will take the don't ask, apologize later, method as suggested earlier. I'm just waiting for my new sporrans to arrive since my current one will not hold both my wallet and iPhone.

I find the 'apologize later' methodology to be the most successful when pushing boundaries in the work place.