[Closed] Am I too 'unconventional' to work in an office??

I've also been the sole designer working in office environments of office workers.

So you work in office.
With lots of "office workers"

You are an office worker too right ?

Bonkers.

It's not that people are stuffy; it's because they lack imagination. It's your job to help them break out.

No, you're absolutely right - you're a designer, so you should wear little square glasses and black turtlenecks, it's the law.

No, no you are right, you are a wild-eyed loner standing at the gates of Oblivion. You need to hitch a ride on the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City. Either that or just grow up.

I work in the UK head office of a top-5 FTSE100 company. A few thousand people on our site.

The CEO wears jeans, when he can. I wear jeans, t-shirt and trainers pretty much every day. People take the mick if I'm in a shirt. Most of the rest of the board wear jeans too, when they aren't entertaining visitors from more dressed-up companies. I'm in the same building/same floor as most of them.

I've been known to wander around the office at the start/end of the day in full euro-roadie lycra too.

Our dress code is "wear what's appropriate", so people out visiting customers or hosting them on site will tend to dress how the customer dresses - mainly in suits.

You just need to find the right company.

Are you Colin Hunt?

The other issue that these places have is that someone would go against the grain and 'gasp' cycle to work and wear cycle clothing to ride a bike and then walk into the office in it and expect to have some where to put all this clothing when they change!

Ladders, earlier.

[img] [/img]

If you don't already, you need to drive a SAAB

Oh, one guy I know likes to wear a kilt and a funny hat, to go with his entertaining facial hair and piercings. He's very good at his job.

(EDIT - and we have reasonable covered bike parking, showers, lockers/big drawers and I get paid not to have a parking space)

No, but judging by your post you may be too pretentious and full of yourself to work with others.

No, no you are right, you are a wild-eyed loner standing at the gates of Oblivion. You need to hitch a ride on the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City. Either that or just grow up.

Made me chuckle.
Top work, sir!

If anyone has a problem with it just say " I'm my own man, I do what I want when I want. If you don't like it swivel on this bitch" then light up a cigarette blow smoke in his/her face and just walk the hell out of there.

I'm not an employment law expert.

Either that or just grow up.

+1

I work in an office full of designers. Well I say designers, I mean engineers, we make stuff that actualy works 😛

I think, why would I not want to wear a suit, suits look great? If I wanted to wear jeans, trainers and a t-shirt I'd have failed my GCSE's and become a bin man. I didn't, so I get to buy nice suits.

Our office is pretty much wear what you like, but that goes with a "be sensible" rule for when other people are about. Most people adhere to that quite well, upgrading to business casual when people are around, or suits if visiting customers.

Another datapoint for my "Don't be a cock" law...

No, but judging by your post you may be too pretentious and full of yourself to work with others.

He did say he was a designer in the first post...

I think, why would I not want to wear a suit, suits look great? If I wanted to wear jeans, trainers and a t-shirt I'd have failed my GCSE's and become a bin man. I didn't, so I get to buy nice suits.

How loathsome.

As long as you stroll into the office every morning with a Costa Latte, then spend your days stroking your chin while staring intently into a Macbook Pro..... Oh.... and always fix everyone else you work with with a look of utter withering, almost pitying, contempt when they comment on your work, then whats the problem?

You're fulfilling your role with pride

I hear trashbat.co.ck are looking for a new self-facilitating media node.

[img] [/img]

Oh... and not forgetting to have the odd massive, nuclear-scale strop from time to time - proper toys-out-of-the-pram stuff - over someone requesting you use Comic Sans, or something equally trivial. I always find its whats really expected of the 'creatives'. It gives everyone else something to talk about 😉

What's your dress code actually say? Surely as a designer you have the creativity to come up with a wardrobe that reflects the dress code whilst differing from everyone else's attire? Surely you appreciate the asthetic of a well fitting suit?
Or are you just lazy? 😉

[i]Am I too 'unconventional' to work in an office??[/i]

No, but I think you may be too immature.

Conform and surrender to the man you freak. Or leave. You chose.

Whatever you do don’t strut around the office in lycra and smuggling a banana. That is not acceptable in any work place.

dres codes are not always rational - you must have known that was the dress code when you took the job. i'm lucky to have no dress code - wear whatevers appropriate, maybe flip flops & board shorts maybe a suit.

cycling in, i'm sure some people think i'm mental at work- even though cycling in is pretty popular. Some people there are so boring i think the most interesting thing that happens on their weekend is when i tell them what i did monday morning. 😯

worry less what they think.

Depends if you're client facing, or you're in an office location where clients might see you...in that case you should dress appropriately - shirt and trousers with shoes, suit preferably.

If you're a techy and you work in the basement, wear a tutu if you want.

Me and my team are client facing, I also have some programmers who have wanted to become consultants and now work in my team. Some of them dress like scruffs and I have a quiet word to tell them to dress smartly. If I need someone to go see a client on short notice (i.e. in a few hours), I cant send some scruffy oik in jeans and a t-shirt with "I See Dumb People" written on it.

[img] [/img]

you use Comic Sans, or something equally trivial.

There is nothing "trivial" about being asked to use Comic Sans... Using Comic Sans for anything is never appropriate. Come the revolution all those requesting or using Comic Sans will be lined up against a wall and...

Turn up in a mankini, that'll broaden their minds.

Conform to the dress code, or leave.

No lycra in the office.

Our full time designer was the only smartly dressed person in a company of scruff bags (engineers).....

jamj1974 - thats my point. I should have said '[i]seemingly[/i] trivial'. People have asked me to use it, or something equally hideous, and then they act all surprised that I've picked up a fire extinguisher and I'm now being physically restrained from coving their skull in with it. Entirely proportional in my view 😉

You're right, you will work just as well in a tutu or kilt or mankini or whatever you want to wear.

However your colleagues' perception of your performace may be affected, and instead of reviewing our mate Ted's work, they may be reviewing "that tosser in the corner"'s work, and they'll think it's scruffy because you are. Sorry, that's the way of some offices.

Shape up or ship out, in other words

Suits or smart business wear is great for the office it means you can have a defined break from work when you change back into proper casual stuff.

If I'm in my suit I'm at work if not, I'm not, and I pity anyone who tries to talk work to me when I'm not suited & booted.

If it was jeans & tees all the time there would be no boundaries.

Either that or just grow up.

**** that! What's so grown up about wearing clothes you don't feel comfortable in, it surprises me that there are still organisations and managers so lacking in ability and imagination that they are more concerned with whether a person wears polished brogues than they are about what he may actually do to contribute to the organisation's actual real goals.

I've used to be a suit in ad agencies and loved working with creatives. They all loved to push boundaries and were naturally unconventional - that's why they came up with great ideas.
Try and suppress people like that and put them in a conventional environment with 'rules' and you stifle them...

I've worked in large corporate clients and small ad agencies and I know which is most fun way to spend a working week. I don't like large corporate either - Ricky Gervais was spot on with his observations. It simply doesn't suit some people to fit in with the group. Nothing wrong with that IMO. Life would be boring if we all followed the crowd.

to the OP, my recommendation is if you don't like large corporate then go and work for a small, owner-managed company, it's much more fun being yourself and working with like-minded people

Er, move to an IT company.

Presently I cycle to work daily and enter the office in my cycle gear. I also when I get to work change into t-shirt and jeans, sometimes I bother with shoes and sometimes I don't.

No one here wears a collar and tie.

Wrong type of company by the sounds of it.

[i]Er, move to an IT company. [/i]

It depends on the company. Plenty of IT companies have smart dress codes.

I work at home. Sometimes I stay in a dressing gown until lunchtime.

jamj1974 - thats my point. I should have said 'seemingly trivial'. People have asked me to use it, or something equally hideous, and then they act all surprised that I've picked up a fire extinguisher and I'm now being physically restrained from coving their skull in with it. Entirely proportional in my view

Binners, anytime you need some help with that extinguisher - I am just a post away...

Er, move to an IT company.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. A creative in an IT environment? There's only one way that's ever going to end, I'd imagine. And it will probably involve a 'Falling Down' moment, a stockpile of weapons, possibly a hostage situation, but ultimately very heavy loss of life! 😀

Plenty of IT companies have smart dress codes.

It's not really smart though is it, most offices seem to consist of mishaped people forced into shirts, ties and trousers that are at least a size to small, frankly they look a mess.

They may call is a "smart dress" code, but really its just a conventional dress code.

And IME its indicative of a blinkered management style. All top down do as I say because I'm the boss and **** what's wrong or right.

These people pay your wages.

These same people ask you to dress in smart 'business wear'.

How dare they.

These people pay your wages.

My wages come from the companies income, which is generated by the work I do. In most companies it would be more accurate to say, that the managers wages are payed by those below them.

Suits or smart business wear is great for the office it means you can have a defined break from work when you change back into proper casual stuff.

I used to achieve the same "defined break" by "not being in the building where I work"

Never once did I get confused at home and "book a meeting room for video presentation" rather than just "watching a film with my OH"
Likewise I never got confused at work and end up sitting around all day playing X-Box and eating Doritos.

Different buildings you see. Made it really easy.

If I'm in my suit I'm at work if not, I'm not

Do you get confused at weddings and funerals ?

I too am a back-office worker most of the time. Post the [b]EXACT[/b] wording of your dress code and we'll work out how you can subvert it without punishment. I do this all the time.

For example:

* Trainers not permitted. I wear multi-sport/walking shoes which have attracted complaint until I explain they are not trainers, just fabric shoes.

* No denim. I wear jean-style trousers made from cotton-duck aka Chinos. These have drawn complaint until I explain that Denim is a specific weave (oblique) and Duck is different (horizontal)

* Shirt with collar. I wear polo-style T-shirts.

When I visit clients, I dress as they expect me too, which varies depending on the business: jeans and jumpers for universities, shirt and trousers for the space business, posh suit and tie for the Oil business

No, no you are right, you are a wild-eyed loner standing at the gates of Oblivion. You need to hitch a ride on the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City. Either that or just grow up.

[img] [/img]

I employ six designers, they are based off site in their own office.

My brief to them was it your space, make it your own. I've never imposed a dress code and I look for output and self defined roles and tasks.

One guy heads up that particular team and its one of the businesses strongest units.

Treat and support your staff and you will in the most part get that investment back.

Unconventional?
By wanting to wear jeans......
Ok.....

work out how you can subvert it without punishment. I do this all the time.

You are a "rebellious" teenager doing the final year of his GCSE's, and I claim my £5.

You don't need to wear lycra to cycle to work, or a wear a hoody and trainers to stand out from the crowd in the office...

[img] [/img]

Unfortunataly you do just step into another crowd but that's between you and your friends.

@the OP.
Why not work from home ,then outsource all your work to China.
More time to ride your bike and faff about.

You need to recruit an assistant to support you in your fight for self-expression. You can call him Goose and he can call you Maverick.

Wow!

Some of you are a very touchy bunch!

I obviously understand a bit more about the demographic of the majority of the Singletrack BB user.

Cheers 🙂

I really hate 'business casual'. For officey things it's either a proper suit and tie, or jeans and t-shirt.

My current workwear revolves around retired T-shirts and combats, an eighteen year old Buffalo shirt, an almost as old Buffalo jacket and a down vest - and occasionally a hat. Style icon me... So be thankful that your clothing can be an aesthetic rather than climate led decision! 😉

[i]For example:

* Trainers not permitted. I wear multi-sport/walking shoes which have attracted complaint until I explain they are not trainers, just fabric shoes.

* No denim. I wear jean-style trousers made from cotton-duck aka Chinos. These have drawn complaint until I explain that Denim is a specific weave (oblique) and Duck is different (horizontal)

* Shirt with collar. I wear polo-style T-shirts.[/i]

Such a subversaive, man you're craaaaaazy, fabric shoes eh?

"A flawless appearance can bring inner peace and a sense of security."

Must be true: a Swiss bank said it.

Such a subversaive, man you're craaaaaazy, fabric shoes eh?

I just dislike pointless dress codes, in fact pointless anything! My dress code would read:

No holes
No smells
No stains

the managers wages are payed by those below them

I agree. Business pays wages, not managers.

My dress code would read:

[s]No holes
No smells
No stains[/s]
Minimal risk of vagrancy charge

FTFM

Can't say that it bothers me greatly, but in 18 years I've only owned 1 work specific item of clothing, an interview suit. Not even used that since 2001...

Such a subversaive, man you're craaaaaazy, fabric shoes eh?

I bet he un-tucked his shirt outside the school gates too 😛

in 18 years I've only owned 1 work specific item of clothing, an interview suit. Not even used that since 2001...

Wow. Man. You really are amaaazing. I wish I were as free a spirit as you. Life must be so liberating and free.

DezB - Member
Are you [s]Colin[/s] Mike Hunt?

*s****s childishly*

Anyway, the answer to the original question is no, if you're a (graphic) designer, you are almost certainly a complete slave to convention, following whatever the latest fad is, whether it be edgy typography without any capitals, or monospace fonts and stock photography of cities at night, or cutesy bubble writing and dayglo colours or whatever! If you're anything like most designers you probably wear a lot of expensive skate-wear, and whatever trendy jeans are in fashion this year. Hardly anyone is unconventional, and certainly not people from 'edgy subcultures' they just follow different sets of conventions; if anything many people who look odd in a particular way are more conventional than people who don't.

If you're not happy working in a mixed office with people who are slave to different conventions than designer ones, then you need to find a job in a purely design office, or at least one where more than one person is a designy type.

[img] [/img]

buzz-lightyear - Member
I too am a back-office worker most of the time. Post the EXACT wording of your dress code and we'll work out how you can subvert it without punishment. I do this all the time.

For example:

* Trainers not permitted. I wear multi-sport/walking shoes which have attracted complaint until I explain they are not trainers, just fabric shoes.

* No denim. I wear jean-style trousers made from cotton-duck aka Chinos. These have drawn complaint until I explain that Denim is a specific weave (oblique) and Duck is different (horizontal)

* Shirt with collar. I wear polo-style T-shirts.

When I visit clients, I dress as they expect me too, which varies depending on the business: jeans and jumpers for universities, shirt and trousers for the space business, posh suit and tie for the Oil business

Right on!

Life must just f*cking fly by!

Most U.K. Men are terrible dressers it doesn't matter what they wear they still look like a sack of crap

Unconventional ??

Do you have a little sign that says ...

"You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps?"

Most U.K. Men are terrible dressers it doesn't matter what they wear they still look like a sack of crap

Far far better than Spaniards who just seem to thrown on any old shite, so long as it has a "label".

joemarshall just undermined my whole life 😥

My previous employer suddenly enforced a rule that every one must wear smart business wear to work, in case of customer visits.
Men had to wear shirt & tie, women 'smart business dress'.
Most of the girls got away with sloppy jumpers, whereas the 'must wear tie' policy was rigidly enforced for the blokes.

People who argued that they spent 50/50 of their time in the office and down on the shop floor & it wasn't safe to wear a tie near some of the machinery were told to tuck the tie into a labcoat. One bloke refused on the grounds that he wanted adequate justification given that he never went anywhere near a customer. He ended up giving his notice over it (basically because he said if that was all the management could see that needed improving, then there was something seriously wrong).

For most of us, we never encountered customers & it took the morale of an already low workforce even lower as it was obvious there was no good reason for it.

My manager always wore a shirt, tie & jacket but his dress sense was awful & his suits looked really cheap & ill fitting. He'd have looked better in a company branded polo shirt & some jeans.

joemarshall just undermined my whole life

Relax, the sale is on at Urban Outfitters, and there are some new vinyl releases at the hip hop shop, I'm sure you can sort yourself out!

I'm a computer nerd. We have different conventions, easy haircut - long unkempt hair or shaved off, easy to choose clothes - jeans and t-shirts (bonus points for nerdy jokes or ancient rock band shirts), sensible shoes (lightweight hiking boots are the thing at the moment). Right now nerdy people are liking the latest android phones and are just getting bored of 'cloud computing'.

The problem graphic designers have, and why they are so easy to take the piss out of is that their trends are so visually obvious, whereas most nerd trends are things that non-nerds wouldn't understand, like if I said Python was a trendy computer language, most people don't really know what a computer language is, and almost certainly wouldn't know what Python in particular is.

Joe

wouldn't know what Python in particular is

big snake, innit.

Far far better than Spaniards who just seem to thrown on any old shite, so long as it has a "label".

Oh they have superdry too?

you guys are like ****ing buckwild and kerazy maaaan..

You've just inspired me to put red laces in my shoes.. that'll teach 'em

most people don't really know what a computer language is

Like Siri, init?

The other issue that these places have is that someone would go against the grain and 'gasp' cycle to work and wear cycle clothing to ride a bike and then walk into the office in it and expect to have some where to put all this clothing when they change!

Anyone else feel the same way? Should I find a job where people aren't so stuffy? Will I die?

Since leaving school at 16 have never ever worn a shirt with a tie to work or trousers jeans safety boots and t shirt , wooly jumper or fleece.

Used to cycle into work in lycra shorts and cycle top,much to the amusement of one woman, who did her best to attract the attention of management to my wear, eventually they had words, you look very sporty they said,much to the womans disgust , who wanted me banned from wearing cyclig stuff.

I have a real problem with 'dress codes' in the case of employees who are not customer facing.

My attitude to which is possibly somewhat further prejudiced by spending 12 years in lab greens/blues - as far as I'm concerned, staff being comfortable at work improves their productivity far more than some made up 'professional atmosphere'.

My job requires me to wear a uniform at all times and a suit to go to dinner, we can relax to a polo shirt in the bar.
I really can't say I mind either way, these clothes are just coverings that stop my floppy bits from being exposed. I'd wear a Bernie Winters comedy ostrich suit if required, it really doesn't matter (actually I think I'd prefer it if everyone had to wear the ostrich suit).

Clifton, Winters was the guy with the dog, Schnorbitz

wouldn't know what Python in particular is