Casual Optional

In many offices, Friday is Casual Day, giving us the option of wearing jeans to work.  Note the word option.  Not everyone feels comfortable having the boss and co-workers see them in their casual, curve-featuring, faded, comfortable weekend wear.

Does wearing jeans to work ruin the "office face" we need to actually put on at the office to be our office selves and do our office jobs?  Is there something a little relaxing about going home and changing out of the work clothes and into the tee shirt you bought 10 years ago in Houston that has been washed so many times you can no longer tell it's from Houston?   Is there something lost in bringing your, "Ah, I'm home!" jeans into the workplace?  Or is your office so weekday casual that to differentiate between work and home you now have to resort to pj's?

On the other hand, when everyone else is casually jeanified and sneakerish, you probably want to show them that you're still a team player.  These are some options for taking the casual plunge:

• Nice (aka ironed, dark wash, not too tight) jeans with a dress shirt and pumps.
• If you usually wear a blazer, no jacket.
• Dress with denim jacket, or basically, add any denim item to your outfit.
• If you usually wear pumps, switch to sandals, flats or Converse.
• My current favorite, joggers--NOT sweatpants, but joggers, with a wedge.  

Enjoy your Friday!


We all have to get dressed anyway; we may as well have a little fun!