Office Girls

[Debbie Denier]

I used to work in an office in the1980s were there were 23 girls and only 3 boys . The girls I worked with then were some of the biggest influences on my dressing. Formal office attire and evening wear on nights out were great. Many purchases of dresses, skirts,tops , nylons and shoes were inspired by these ladies at the time. Has anybody else been influenced by their co workers/ colleagues? These days the office wear has become more casual for both sexes and just not the same as it used to be.

[April Rose]

Yeah, those were the days. i used to love the 80's office looks. Especially pencil skirts and big hair. But now they are as out of date as me.

[Karren H]

The 80s did not do anything for me! I worked at a coal mine in WV and all the women dressed like men. Except the one secretary who did wear a dress. But she was an old spinster and super religious. We all swore she belonged to the snake handler church over in the next hollow and had snakes in her purse! Scary. Not something that I would want to remember let alone emulate! Lol.

[Linda K.]

To me, women's business suits with skirts have always been the sexiest outfits I have ever seen, especially the pencil skirt! So professional looking!

[Kris Burton]

I am very much in agreement about the allure of women's office attire. Pencil skirts and dresses, peplum dresses and of course the heels and shoes I find very sexy without being overt. Quite influential on my own dressing choices as well. With all the controversy about setting a professional environment, clothing like that sends out a mixed message...and I love it!

[CrossKimmy]

I love office wear. I always admired those women who wore heels to work and skirts suits and dresses.

[Amanda77]

I love office wear as well. Especially a nice satin blouse and pencil skirt. 🙂🥰
Haven't mastered the heels yet though. 😕

[steffigirl37]

My wife worked in an hospital office in the 1980's and always wore skirts, blouses, high heels and sometimes dresses. Today she still works but dresses very casual. I probably own more dresses and heels than she does.

[BTWimRobin]

Mid to late 1980's, fresh out of college, working on Wall Street. Most definitely women's fashion was a huge influence.

[Remee]

I love office wear - business suits and envy when I see pretty lady wearing it. I have yet to fully dress in business suit yet.

[Arindam]

Emily Mortimer (in the series, The Newsroom) wears office wear better than anyone. I'd love to be able to dress as she did.

[Brenda Freeman]

Lots of influences, office coworkers, sales ladies at stores, people watching on a sunny warm day downtown when no coats required, and yes today it is harder to find women not wearing casual clothes. Love the business look when hosiery was part of the dress code for women, should have been for men too!:daydreaming:

[rachellegsep]

Dons red head secretary character Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) in Mad Men.

[Maid_Marion]

My white blouse was getting worn out, so I bought a white satin blouse and gray pencil skirt when they went on an end of season sale last year.
Unless you are short or have fabulous legs, I think the hemlines are too short for the average GG to be flattering. My pencil skirt falls just below the knees.

I wear heels all the time at work. While they aren't stilettos, they do make a distinctive sound when I walk down the linoleum floors.

Marion

[DanielleCD]

Oh, love the professional look! White blouse with a tight pencil skirt. Heels and stockings... sigh

[CynthiaD]

I work around a lot of women. Their standard outfit is leggings or sometimes jeans. Ok, ok, I have a lot of leggings, but I usually prefer to wear a dress.

[sometimes_miss]

I worked in hospitals since I started as a volunteer at 14; those cute white nurse dresses uniforms are what I craved, and once old enough to order my own from the catalogs, got several. Sadly, I lost them all in a purge back in the 80's, and they no longer make all of those cute dresses, so they're gone forever unless I want to learn to sew and make my own, and still, I'd have to find patterns to do that, as I'm not skillful enough to do it all from scratch. Yes, I know, some foreign countries still have nurses which wear those style of white dresses, but those aren't available in large enough sizes to fit a very fully grown, tall, large male.

[Cacique82]

There?s some women in my office that wear such beautiful clothes that I?d love to wear.

[ellbee]

My favorite office job wasn't because of the work, but because of the people.

In particular, the supportive GG's & the gay males. :battingeyelashes:


The GG's wore business casual, though depending on the person & the day? It could be more casual than business (or vice versa).

Some obviously went more femmy & dressed up more often. Kudos to them -- they looked great! :thumbsup: But I don't blame any of them for not doing it all the time (if rarely)... I can respect & understand that. :)

But the absolute best part? Going out socially with them outside of work -- while en femme! :confused2:

It was always so surreal, and always so much fun. They were so awesome & genuine. Memories that will last a lifetime.


If you're "eligible" & have the opportunity to do something similar? You definitely gotta go for it! :GD:


Of course, be mindful that you're likely to be the subject of office gossip, because of that. If you're cool with that, and can handle it well? Then have at it!

I know everyone's situation can be different, but I did pretty okay with a lot more of my co-workers, both male & female, now knowing (and even seeing pics!) of my feminine social life. Yes, there were a couple of unnecessary verbal jabs from your typical male jerks. But overall? It wasn't so bad for me! (No way would I do this in my current profession, thanks, LOL!)


Speaking of which... The blue-collar "office girls" at my current employer? The cute & fit GG's in athleisure wear. :c9:

[Shiny]

I was in college in the late '80's and in pre-internet days it was hard to get clothes. I managed to order a blue poly bow blouse and a lined black skirt and black heels from Pennies and Sears. It was my first major outfit since it was my first apartment alone. But a few days later I was walking through the Administration building and sure enough I caught sight of a good looking lady secretary with the same shoes, same blouse and same skirt! Got a real kick out of that and had a bit of a laugh. I thought she had good taste! Either that or she'd been in my stuff back home?? But no, all my stuff was still there when I returned home. Wild incident--the exact match of catalog stuff.

[SylphDevine]

I've got a herringbone vest with a short pencil herringbone skirt I love to wear. A sheer white ruffled sheer blouse with a black lace bra underneath, and of course garter, seamed stocking and heels and I'm good to go!

[JaclynL61]

I was definitely influenced by some of the women I worked with. A few times one of them would show up wearing something identical to what I had already bought. I always thought that was interesting.

[Glenda58]

I like the 60's and 70's. My wife wore short skirts and dresses hose before panty hose came out. I was already dressing by then. Just didn't know there was more like me.

[AngelaYVR]

I find the look appealing because it is usually very tidy with clean lines and reading this thread made me realise that I have on that exact office look today with a blue tweed pencil skirt and knitted top. Sitting in the cafe on a Saturday and I am definitely the only one amongst the sea of leggings and slouchy jeans (and the dreaded ubiquitous puffy coats) but I have always enjoyed not blending in.

[Misty_cder]

I miss the old office look. Most of my career has dealt with construction and the women naturally wore jeans. In a past position when I was in an office, most of the lady's worn dress pants of some type except for one. She always worn pencil skirts and platform heels. I definitely daydreamed many times about wearing her outfit. In today's environment with these flexible work schedules and what feels like a permanent move to casual dressing, when a lady does come into the office, they typically are wearing stretch jeans and running shoes. So boring.

[Melanie Sykes]

I love women in business suits - they look gorgeous: so sexy. I've tried that look myself several times, but my stupid male shape (straight up/down) means I'm always sadly disappointed with the result. I want an hourglass waist! Or just any waist will do ;-) Mine's practically non-existent.

[gwencd158]

I also worked on wall,street in the 80s. I remember going into lees maradi gras ..for those who do not know, the premier crossdressing store in the village at that time. They had a full rack of the grey business suit jacket,skirt, and fluffy white blouse ensemble. Of course you would pair with off-white panty hoes and black patent pumps.

[Lori Ann Westlake]

I dare say most of us are influenced by the clothes girls and women wore that we found so attractive in earlier years. I still have blouses from the 1970s that were fashionable among women in the office back then. And in my teens, I wanted to look just like the girls I was in school with. One of my greatest regrets is tossing out, in a "purge" when I went out into the world of relationships, a dress I sewed with my own hands, just like the pretty school uniform dresses worn by so many girls I admired in my teens. I loved to look just like them.

[Paula_56]

I could agree more (sigh)

https://flic.kr/p/q5eeXK

[kimdl93]

I worked on Capitol Hill in the 90s. I was initially stunned and always impressed by how well dressed the women working in the were. I doubt that its has changed.

[Paula_56]

I did field service in lower Manhattan in the 80's

How I would envy the Office girls scurrying thru the streets in their skirts, dresses, pantyhose and a pair of jogging sneakers with a stylish pair of heels in their purse for when they got to the office.....

Did you ever make it to Lee's Mardi Gra boutique?

Here's an article I wrote about those times

http://www.femulate.org/2013/10/looking-for-answers-on-14th-street.html

I see you are in Vermont now, I too ran north now in Maine

- - - Updated - - -

Here's an article I wrote about going to Lee's

http://www.femulate.org/2013/10/looking-for-answers-on-14th-street.html

[gwencd158]

Oh my gosh, your story was exactly my experience while going there. The first time, I almost chickened out. Got upstairs and tried on a pair of knee high boots that actually fit! I did so in the private dressing room as I was too embarrassed to try them on out in the open, in my suit and tie no less. The second time I went in was a Saturday where I was working on a project in the office. I drove over from Wall Street and parked my car on the street freaking out that what if it were towed. Went upstairs and bought my first pair of black patent pumps that fit! Lee was behind the counter, and the same lovely lady brought me up in the creaky elevator. I too wondered if the macho meat packers knew about the store and it’s clients. The drive home to nj was unbearable, wanting to peek in the bag at my new treasure. I could not wait for the opportunity to have an empty house sans young kids and wife to try them on with a proper outfit. I never went back. Into the early 90s I discovered Payless had size 12 shoes, and wigs were always purchased in some urban wig/makeup store. I did discover Dorothy’s near Fenway in Boston, and the glamour boutique in Mass, as well as another that catered to us in Chicago.

Oh, the sneakers with white bulky socks over their hose. Sheer torture for me, especially the last minute primping on the train or bus, lipstick and mascara application, or once they were in the office slipping off their sneakers into their heels. It was so dull to be a man!

[NancySue]

Absolutely. My career was in the financial world where the dress code for both men and women was high. We wore suits and ties. The women, in our office, were paid very well and were expected to dress appropriately, which usually meant makeup, business suits, dresses, skirts, hose, heels and in fashion tops. It was fun interviewing a potential new female employee. My wardrobe is full of skirts of various lengths and styles, tops, sweaters and blouses. I wear hose most days. Sadly, I?ve had to give up high heels for low heels and flats, but it was nice while it lasted.

[Alisonforme]

80's and 90's office wear was the best! Women still wore pantyhose in those days, the skirts were tight, and the shoes were hot! One female contemporary of mine often wore pantyhose with a back seam. Holy moly! Those were the days!

[Veronica Lacey]

Absolutely, Debbie. My first f/t job at age 18 was delivering office supplies and furniture. So, so many offices and so many women in office attire: various satin blouses with skirts and various heels, some lovely dresses and feminine hair styles with the occasional flash of lingerie. Some very exciting moments for a shy, 18 year old athletic male who, while occasionally being teased and flirted with by these "older" women, secretly just wanted to have access to some of those clothes. Some of my current femme wardrobe certainly reflects those experiences.

Thanks for helping dig up those memories.

[Sallee]

I do remember searching for business attire after seeing the office women dress Trying to emulate the look Going downtown at 5PM in my office attire showing off my purchases

[Karen G]

I absolutely love office attire! I could wear that all day, everyday!

[HollyGreene]

I have a few skirt, blouse and jacket combos, and a couple of peplum dresses that are all "office look".
I find that I tend to look more "passable" in them, so I love to wear them.
And the peplum dresses are all lined, so they feel really nice.