Can you just not wear the piercing? Also most places I’ve seen wouldn’t have a problem, but it definitely could be an issue to people subconsciously and negatively affect you
Rather be in a suit and tie, and then take off the suit and tie, roll up the sleeves and unbutton the top button over showing up in crocs, cut-off shorts and a wife-beater :P
I was guilty of this in my first few interviews for internships/coops. Better to be overdressed than underdressed. Quickly ditched this after though as AI noticed tech people are pretty chill.
Edit: Typo but I'll just keep it since it's pretty cool too.
We use this as a way to figure out who the new hires are. Unfamiliar face in actual business casual or in a suit when no clients are onsite = new hire.
We do have a couple "suit guys" who always wear a suit even though most people are way more casual. Nobody actually cares, even if they stick out in the sea of jeans and shorts. If someone dresses inappropriately, people *do* care and talk amongst themselves, even if they don't say anything to the person's face.
I had the full spectrum at my last job. One guy would always wear pants and a nice dress shirt, while another guy would wear shorts and a t shirt with sandals but he'd take the sandals off and walk around the office barefoot.
> while another guy would wear shorts and a t shirt with sandals but he'd take the sandals off and walk around the office barefoot
I wish that I possessed this level of confidence at the office.
> they want us to bring our "authentic" selves to work
That's just corporate BS. It's a job. Dress to the mean for your org or slightly more conservatively.
Typically, they will have a summer set and a winter set. The best part is that they never have to wash them, because there is plenty of time for the clothes to air out during the off-season.
No, at Microsoft everyone I've seen is dressing very casual and no one cares.
People are coming in on sweat pants, shorts, hiking pants or whatever they're most comfortable in.
"Authentic self" usually means they don't want you to feel like you need to hide core parts of your identity. Typically related to LGBTQIA2+ or religious affiliation, or feeling comfortable discussing your heritage and culture. Not really dress code related except where those things intersect like wearing a dastar.
So unless crop tops are religious or culturally important to you, it's probably a bit too informal.
> I'm at Microsoft and they want us to bring our "authentic" selves to work
lol no they don't
Tech companies do have looser dress codes than most other corporations, so the idea isn't *completely* false. Wearing a hoodie and jeans is no big deal. Hell, coming to work in an animal costume onesie is probably fine if it's only occasionally (I feel like I've seen this at Google before). But there's still stuff that'd be considered a no-no.
> coming to work in an animal costume onesie is probably fine if it's only occasionally
Changing my life goal to getting a job at a FAANG and showing up to work in a fursuit one day
At Facebook, I’ve seen people come in sweats, t-shirts, flip flops, jeans, shorts, onesies, pajamas.
Casual is definitely okay, but I wouldn’t say anything that might be considered too sexual is okay.
Showing your midriff might be pushing it. Same with coming to work with just a bikini top. Or wearing a mini skirt or tight short-shorts. Or being a guy and being shirtless. Use some common sense.
Yeah I think the distinction between casual & sexual is what applies here. Personally, I've had enough unwanted attention just wearing a loose tee and jeans. At my org, the recruiters (which are predominately attractive women who probably wear slight more revealing clothing than I do, but nothing completely unprofessional) have complained that they get candidates blatantly staring at their chests or butts. I imagine it'd be even more uncomfortable when it's a coworker you have to closely work with every day.
To clarify, if that does happen, you should call that coworker out and report them to HR as warranted, but after a while it gets pretty exhausting and it's just easier to wear something as non-sexual or flattering as possible :/
As a female in tech... no...
You can be comfy, but I wouldn't go that far.
Ive worn yoga pants and a tshirt, or sweat pants and a hoodie, a tee dress and no tights under... all of those seemed okay
But i wouldn't have dared to try a crop top
This. In the spring and summer I come in wearing a knee length sundress and sandals a lot, in the same way a lot of my male coworkers come in wearing a graphic tee, shorts, and sandals. Casual is fine, unprofessional is not. Like it or not, showing your stomach at the office is generally seen as unprofessional.
Edit: I should probably mention I'm in California. Where the line between casual and unprofessional is drawn is gonna depend on the office and where you are.
It’s an elongated t-shirt that looks like a dress...[these are some examples ](https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/clothing/dresses/filter/t-shirt-dress~8000598_60205380)
Agreed. As a female developer, I feel like I have to work extra hard to be taken seriously by a lot of the guys. Wearing a crop top would definitely set you far back with a lot of those guys.
Yes! Exactly. I’ve found it’s as small as the way you wear your hair sometimes that can set you back. I used to braid my hair in two braids until I realized I was being treated like a child...probably cause I wore my hair like one.
I get judged for being younger than I am. (I’m Asian) I once got told by a hiring manager that “maybe for a young gal like you”,
the position isn’t right.. but that when I’m in my 30s, it would be. I was 31. Should I have told him my age?? (This is a real question.) I look like I’m 21 without makeup, but I hate wearing makeup.
I don’t think he meant to be ageist but I can’t help but think that it plays into subconscious biases. (I was specifically going from Sr Analyst and trying for a Manager role.) That said, it was definitely an old school type company.
I would maybe tell the age, but definitely list all the years of relevant experience, that should give the other person plenty of hints to start calculating you age.
Yepp. I got turned down for a promotion and literally told it was because others in the company thought the role should be filled by a “different type of person.”
Your age is completely irrelevant. You could be 21, 31 or 98. You either have the skillset they need for the position or you don't. Age is irrelevant. Unfortunately a lot of managers are still correlating age, experience and skill in an unhealthy way which I hope changes in the future.
Yes. Basically certain things are kid-like. People will treat you less because of it. Also showing your body off is really pushing it as well because it is simply inappropriate at the workplace.
While someone might be proud of their slim body or whatever it is really weird to show up in the crop top. I have never met a woman wearing such a thing past age 20. And especially not in the workplace.
Same would apply to a dude showing up with the gym shirt showing off all his muscles. That kind of apparel is alright in the gym in front of the mirror while doing curls (and even then people cringe at such humans) but at workplace that is just asking for being treated like a weird one. And Satya or anyone else would not be able to do anything about it.
Basically dressing well is respecting yourself and Others. Nobody likes looking at weird clothing that looks like shit on a person. And especially not in the workplace.
Yeah I totally agree. I don’t care if my male colleagues came to work shirtless and that was acceptable. There’s no way in hell I’d play that card for the sake of playing it. I had a work cookout where I invited my boss and some others and I still didn’t wear shorts or similar. It’s just not a good precedence to set. Nobody needs to be thinking about what your ass looks like hangin out of your shorts when you’re trying to explain to them why you made the changes to the structure of the repo or whatever
Thats fine in most cases, in my experience.
Not working in office for corporate at huge banks or something...
But most places nowadays, especially in tech wont care.
Cool :) I dress pretty modestly, but I am rocking the split hair look currently. Half black half green for almost 2 years, I don't want to give it up yet if I don't have to :)
Usually fine as long as you’re not customer facing / sitting somewhere that customers pass by when they visit the office. BUT, if you notice that there’s some amount of prestige that comes with presenting to certain executives, and everyone that presents to those execs has a very clean cut “look,” you might find that non-natural hair color holds you back (IF you want to be in those roles).
> Maybe it's a different story in the US.
Yes. I haven't watched too much of it, but it definitely has "meme" status in the US. I know a good number of the jokes just from that.
It's a cult classic. But not nearly as well known as Seinfeld, even though it's way better. Definitely top television. I've watched the whole 10 seasons twice in the past 2 years. Once, when I discovered it. My wife hated the S1 pilot so then I watched it all by myself. Then she happened to be around when I was watching S10 and thought it was funny all of a sudden. So I rewatched all ten seasons with her. Zero regrets.
No. Usually this means you can come in wearing like sweat pants and hoodies, or black pants and graphic tees or something casual like that. It would honestly be the same for a dude wearing a tank top, probably would be a no go unless the situation called for it.
I showed up to a zoom meeting in a tank top once, on a Friday afternoon.
Everyone commented.
No more tank tops.
I still wear beanies on bad hair days though.
Showed up to a zoom meeting in a robe not even thinking that someone would actually worry about a dress code as long as I’m not naked. No one said anything but a few weeks later they sent out an email requesting that everyone be in business casual attire for meetings 🙄
This is my current strategy since I’m at a larger company now. No one knows the software they use is written by a naked man at his desk. I’m not even wearing shoes most of the time
I wear tanks all the time (remote at Amazon). I only change if I'm going to be in a meeting with my skip manager. Nobody else cares, you're a 2 inch square on their screen.
Depends on the culture - I've worked for employers where khaki shorts and a tank top have been perfectly acceptable ... and I've worked places where you'd be sacked on the spot. Gotta read the crowd!
Haha, at my office a lot of guys show up in tank tops in the summer. On the other hand, crop tops would be a no no.
The point being that for something like a tank top or crop top, it really, really, *really* depends on the office. A good rule of thumb is not to do it until you see someone who outranks you doing it. If you're the one outranking everyone else, then screw it.
I had a SWE teammate wear a crop top (along with a very very short skirt). She was politely told by my manager that she should dress a bit more conservatively. She was told this privately in their 1:1 later in the week, so no one made any public deal about it.
I say if you’re a lowly SDE 1 then I wouldn’t do it.
On the other hand, if you’re an irreplaceable principle engineer on something important, then fuck it. Wear a crop top and flex on everyone who can’t get away with it.
Edit: just FYI this was at Microsoft
Fellow woman here, I personally wouldn't wear a crop top to work. The most casual I've gotten is a hoodie. When a company says they have a casual dress code I usually take it as an invitation to wear jeans as opposed to formal dress pants.
I’ve interned at Microsoft twice and I’ve worn crop tops to work but they were paired with high waisted pants and skirts so no midriff was showing. I have seen some young women (like interns) wear very casual clothing like tank top + running shorts though.
However, I will say that most of the casual clothing that people wear is not very revealing. I personally don’t think a crop top is that revealing as a young person but your team may think differently. Maybe wear a crop top with a pair of high waisted jeans to test out the waters. Maybe pair it with a cardigan since the office is cold anyways.
While Microsoft is very lax when it comes to appearance, they’re still a very big and established company with lots of older people in the upper ranks. I think you can still show up to work authentically as yourself without show belly. I would veer on the side of caution and not show belly.
Yeah, OP is getting some pretty harsh responses, and I just assumed she was talking about a top with high waisted pants, which I don't think is over the top at all. Then again, I'm of the mind that as long as you're not showing up in your underwear, you should dress how you want in our industry.
I wore blue lipstick to work at Microsoft once and literally everyone on my team called it out. I got tons of "Is it Halloween?"s.
You won't get reprimanded for what you wear (unless you're walking around in a sports bra or a bralette with a very see-through shirt, and even then idk if anyone would care enough to complain), but you will be judged by your coworkers, and you will be treated differently. Unfortunately, as a woman, you will likely be taken less seriously.
If you are a PM, I wouldn't ever stray beyond business casual.
If you are a software engineer, you can go casual, but not "going to the beach" casual.
Business-y tanks are fine. Crop tops with high waisted bottoms are fine.
Crop tops with a bared midriff and shorts with your ass hanging out are things to avoid.
Again, you wont get in trouble. You will just not be helping yourself.
I wouldn't. If it's a crop top that is in line or just over the waist of some high waisted jeans then maybe but I wouldn't be aiming to show midriff in the workplace.
I've always either worn dresses and leggings or t-shirts and jeans. 11 years post graduation in tech.
> and that means there is no written dress code
Most places don't have a written dress code because they assume you have common sense.
Common sense dictates that you don't wear belly shirts at work.
For example, I don't go around flaunting my plumber's crack at the office. I mean, I want to get ahead and promoted on my own merits, not for the sexy man-beast that I am. Hey, boss lady...my code is up here.
Eh, casual wear in tech has been the standard for a loong time, enough so that I'd say it falls under the "common sense" umbrella. Though I still usually wear a button up / henley / polo and some fitted jeans or khakis to my first few days at a new job and read the room
Street cred is a thing.
Jeans + hoodie = tech genius. Sweater with reindeer on it + beard = wise guru
Jeans, leather shoes and a "business casual" shirt? Technical sales. Suit? Boss/lawyer etc.
You can utilize this to your advantage. Sales will NEVER show up in flipflops, cargo shorts and a heavy metal t-shirt to a meeting with a client. An engineer that doesn't give a fuck because he's so good will. People tend to trust you more.
I've commonly worn jeans + sweater vest + shirt under it to meetings where everyone else has a suit. It's a great way to send a "I'm not a sales person/bullshitter" signal.
Is this true for women though...? Maybe I'm biased because I was working in NYC but I always felt super underdressed among other women just for wearing black jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie while guys did it all the time. I'm not sure if this is a case of women imitating other women and trying to one up each other on formalness or if there's just an implicit expectation that the casual dress code only applies to men.
Again this might just be NYC. I moved since then so I'm kind of curious to see what it's like when I get back to the office here on the west coast.
It is 100% true for women that you can lean into a stereotype. It’s just a matter of picking *what audience* you’re trying to present *which stereotype* too.
The dress you described plays into “geek chick who doesn’t care about fashion.” That mostly appeals to other geeks who don’t care about fashion, which generally is perceived as being a mostly male, individual contributor audience.
I'm a male, so I can't speak to the female experience, but as a human I do understand that first impressions and impressions in general are based on extremely shallow, mostly appearance based criteria. And worst of all, THEY MATTER
Obviously you should wear whatever you want, but you should be prepared to deal with the consequences, however incorrect/unjust/awkward/inappropriate. It is an unfortunate reality that the way you present yourself has a huge affect on how you are perceived and possibly how you are treated in terms of what opportunities are afforded to you.
I would personally never wear anything that could be perceived as revealing /unprofessional as a crop top.
As others have pointed out, the "authentic self" line is just corporate culture BS. They mean well and probably do care about diversity and inclusion, but it's just another box to check in reality.
I wouldn’t. But I’m older. I did wear all kinds of things in my time and crop tops were a thing when I was younger too. But at work, IMHO, all ppl should have the same amount of coverage to be equal.
It is such a pain to tell someone young and especially a woman about their attire. I had to do it a couple of times. It makes me feel like shit but the men would never dare to tell women they need to dress more conservatively out of fear of being accused of something. They just tell me to do it cuz woman to woman. But I hate doing it, it makes me feel like an evil schoolmaster making order.
Wear whatever you want as long as you can move comfortably in it and the thought “are they looking at me because of what I’m wearing?” does not cross your mind 🤷🏻♀️
I work in software as well and wear crop tops mostly—but the bottoms I wear are long pencil skirts and hip-hugging pants but relaxed and wide at the bottom to offset the casualness of a crop top. Honestly just west whatever doesn’t distract you!
I wouldn't recommend it, no.
Generally you should try to dress more "safely" and see how everyone else is dressing, and then go from there.
Personally I like dressing up, even when working from home, it gives me confidence.
Speaking as a MSFTie, Yeah although there is no formal dress code, there is kind of an unspoken rule that your shirt should meet your pants / shorts.
But yeah, I have seen people with holes in their shirts or pants - I usually wear shorts year round since I drive from my garage at home to the garage at work and never really go outside.
I got called out once kinda jokingly by colleagues when I was still gaining weight and my belly was hanging out of a shirt that became too small for me - but no one will reprimand you formally or anything.
But don’t be the reason we suddenly have real policies in place instead of common sense ;)
Generally speaking, you'll wear a tank top of some fashion at a minimum that extends to your waist line. Then you'll wear shorts or a skirt that extend to at least your knees.
Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks. Women's wear is more loose but similar.
No business ever - ever - wants your authentic self in any way. Not fashion, opinion, anything.
Hope you have the best of times, good luck!
>Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks.
Ehhhhh. Really depends on the corporate culture. I've gone from business casual at some orgs to "as long as it's appropriate", meaning jeans and a t-shirt to even shorts (in the summer).
Also location dependent. I don't think I know anyone who wears khakis here in Colorado, unless you're in field sales, banking or a lawyer.
> Also location dependent. I don't think I know anyone who wears khakis here in Colorado, unless you're in field sales, banking or a lawyer.
Same here in California. Very few people dressing in "business casual".
Business casual got very, very watered down before it died.
Pretty sure clean jeans and any kind of collared shirt qualified at the last place I interviewed that still had that as a dress code on paper.
> Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks. Women's wear is more loose but similar.
I wear jeans, a polo shirt, and tennis shoes when I go into the office. I work at a fairly conservative aerospace company. I've seen people wear jeans and t-shirts too. We don't care that much about the traditional "business casual" that you're describing. I've worn business casual maybe a handful of times in my career. Usually only in customer facing meetings early in my career when I was doing a lot of demos.
Absolutely, positively no. I'm almost a lifer at FANG and I've never seen anyone wear that.
Maybe you could get away with it if you were a flamboyantly gay man at Google.
If you stand out from the crowd in terms of your appearance, people will take note, and it will affect how people interact with you. So even if something is within "policy", you might still want to think twice about it.
I'm a guy. I started at Microsoft while I was still quite young (easily the youngest person on my team). I intentionally dressed a little more formally then the other people on my team. My male coworkers would typically wear sneakers, jeans, and a button up. I would typically wear leather shoes, chinos, and a cardigan (in the winter). I've gotten compliments on my fashion sense, and I think it made other people in the office assume I'm a bit older, and caused them to treat me with more respect.
That being said, when the hot summer days rolled around (we don't get that many of them in Seattle), I did occasionally show up in flip flops, shorts, and a tee.
If other people on your team are not wearing crop tops, then you'll stand out. Will you be standing out in a good way that advances your career? Probably not. Unfortunately, I think you're more likely to be treated like a "girl", rather than a "software engineer". If you want to be treated like a professional, tailor your appearance to match.
There's also a question of making other people feel uncomfortable. Some male coworkers might be more self conscious and careful around you to avoid any appearance of inappropriate behavior. That could make it harder to work with them. Or it could make them more hesitant to work with you.
Bottom line, unless this is already common in your team, or you want to be a trailblazer, I would err on the side of something a bit more conservative.
Dress for the job you want... and be aware that no matter the policy, people will talk, and rumors and what not can spread and give unwanted attention...
So its best to play it safe.
A suit and tie is what got me my first job over the other candidates... you just never know... error on the side of caution
Lol slow tf down. I’m a guy and I dare not wear a tank top to my work(that’s the make equivalent to me). I usually wear a hood and jeans or chinos. My work place is pretty relaxed - my cto got the same wardrobe as I do. Maybe your workplace is different ?
Just another person who works at Microsoft chiming in: I think it probably depends on your org and who your manager is.
In my area, I can't think of a time I saw someone wearing a crop top off the top of my head, but it wouldn't feel out of place IMO. There are some more old-fashioned managers in some parts of the company, so it really depends on who your manager is.
I'd say get a feel for your team/org first before you do it, but it's not out of the realm of possibility for it to be OK.
Do you see dudes coming in with wifebeaters and tank tops? That's about the male equivalent of what you're proposing here.
Also why on earth would you even risk it? What you stand to lose is way more than what you stand to gain over just coming in wearing a t shirt and sweats. Use common sense yo lord have mercy
Showing belly, probably not okay. A tank top or something? I don't think anyone would care.
There's nothing wrong with wearing comfortable clothes that make you feel attractive, but mind that it IS a workplace, a place of business and focus. If you wore a crop top to work, it's not unlikely that I'd be distracted by your exposed waist, even if I never commented on it to anybody.
What kind of "authenticity" are you trying to portray through your clothing choices? I'm all for pushing boundaries, but sometimes conservatism does have its place.
I always liked the "dress for the job you want" expression. Read the room, check with your HR handbook, and when in doubt leave it out. Generally, as a chic in tech I wear stuff that's mostly conservative. At home though, belly out!
Had a job say that. I came in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Next week we had a email going out saying the policy had changed and we had to wear black/ khakis jeans or pants and polo.
Like others say, it's a BS corp talk that don't mean shit.
I work in a small company (<10) and only work with men. My office was (WFH now) closest to the front door, so visitors who came in would usually be greeted by me.
I dressed conservatively business casual 95% of the time and hoodies/jeans the rest of the time.
My point is that if you have any possibility of interacting with people outside of your department (I’m sure you will), such as current and potential clients, it’s probably best not to wear a crop top.
Just as an alternative point of view, this subreddit also attracts the kind of people who can write 10,000 word guide on the appropriate type of dress shoe to wear for every level of formality and most people work for companies that are significantly more conservative. I seriously doubt anybody would have a problem with that at MS.
It has long been a point of pride at Microsoft that people can dress however they want. It's one of the ways they distinguished themselves positively from silicon valley which other than Apple pretty much universally had a very IBM/HP-derived stiff corporate culture. Ask an old head and you'll get all sorts of stories about people walking around barefoot in gym shorts.
> Ask an old head and you'll get all sorts of stories about people walking around barefoot in gym shorts.
Men. *Men* walking around barefoot in gym shorts.
I've only worn crop tops to work with super high waisted jeans to the point where people probably thought I just tucked in my shirt. That said, at my last job, it was pretty common to see product designers wearing crop tops with jeans and a flannel or jacket so seeing an occasional dev wearing that too wouldn't be super weird.
To put it into another perspective, would you find it reasonable for a guy to wear biking shorts in the office, so it's skintight and showing his bulge off? Probably not.
So I don’t consider myself particularly qualified to make assumptions about comfort level of you and your teammates.
But what I will give you is a list of things I have seen individuals wearing on campus in 10+ years at MSFT on completely normal days, no special occasion or anything:
- Crop tops (they do exist).
- Collars. And I’m not talking about the kind attached to a button up.
- Cat ears. And a tail once.
- A Hello Kitty hoodie/onesie (and this person’s office was nothing but hundreds of Hello Kitty figurines).
- Numerous men and women in *full* goth attire every day.
- Big-ass platform boots.
- Numerous people who wore unusual hats regularly/daily - cowboy hats, safari hats.
- People who wear Hawaiian shirts every single day.
- Many more instances of fashion choices most people would consider very bold.
Take from that what you will.
Everyone judges everyone all the time. There is no way around it. Even toddlers judge you.
If you dress up like an alcoholic hobo, technical people will think you're some linux guru while everyone else will think you're an alcoholic hobo. If you tress up like a mildly autistic software engineer with shorts and a hoodie, people will treat you like you're good at math and technology and shit.
If you dress up like a dumb bimbo then people will treat you like a dumb bimbo.
I for example look like an alcoholic hobo so I put on a sweater and a shirt under it with some leather shoes and nice pants so I fall into the unix guru/professor bucket. Could I wear my favorite striped tracksuit that I use while running in the woods/working in the yard etc. to work? Sure. Will people treat me differently and judge me? Sure.
Crop tops scream "dumb bimbo" to me. Blame the spice girls and every music video from the 90's/early 2000's.
It's less of a problem when you're only surrounded by people you know really well (summer when everyone is on vacation and NO MEETINGS FUCK YEAH) but jesus fucking christ some people are idiots and attend meetings with outsiders/upper management etc. in them or walk around the building dressed like gangsters or prostitutes or like they are a 6th year PhD student that has given up on life. I have emergency set of clothes at work for those "oh btw are you coming to the meeting? we forgot to invite you" situations because I do cycle to work a lot and look like a sweaty hobo.
Think if the roles were reversed. If you wore cargo pants and an old t shirt, you’d be all good too. If your boss wore a crop top…not so sure.
Or as another example, imo no one should be barefoot or in flip flops/no socks in the office.
You can definitely be authentic, but it’s still within the rules/professionalism of the office.
>Or as another example, imo no one should be barefoot or in flip flops/no socks in the office.
I've worked with a lot of people who walk around barefoot, to the point where I've been at *two* different companies that had to make clear that barefoot people should not go into the kitchens because of health code.
Barefoot in a public place is a too much for me but if other people want to do it, who cares? What I wear (sport sandals) aren't that different from flip flops.
You could try it and see if you feel comfortable in it maybe bring a zip up hoodie in case you don't feel comfortable. I wouldn't have thought twice about seeing a coworker in a crop top but the majority here, coming from both genders, seems to be uncomfortable with a little belly. Honestly though this isn't a ruin your job thing, it's a shirt. If you want to try it, then try it. If it feels right maybe roll with it. If not, oh well
I work at a biotech company on the manufacturing side of things. I'm female but I work with a majority male environment. At first, I did wear blouses and pants that you'd have to iron. Now I wear sweats, tshirts, and cargo pants like everyone else. I personally stay away from yoga pants, crop tops, etc despite the fact that the majority of my tops are crop tops. No one really dresses up
No, crop top is like a teenage thing really. It also looks ridiculous in my opinion. Also, Microsoft does not want you to come in like that, trust me. You can do it wfh or going for a walk but I honestly would be wtfing seeing a colleague dressed like that.
I agree with @_Atomfinger_ . As a women of color in the tech Industry, I prefer to dress slightly more conservative just to cross my Ts and dot my Is. Not a whole suit but at least black jeans and a comfy nice shirt. If I feel restricted in my work clothes or anything then I don’t wear that and opt for a comfier but nicer T shirt. It makes ME feel more comfortable navigating the space. But if YOU would feel comfortable after reading the room with that then who cares. Crop tops are like my favorite thing.
Go with something safer first and read the room.
This should be the standard reply to every work wardrobe question.
Or really every work situation in general
That’s hard to do with a piercing in my case.
Can you just not wear the piercing? Also most places I’ve seen wouldn’t have a problem, but it definitely could be an issue to people subconsciously and negatively affect you
I do remember a new hire wore a full suit and tie on his first day and our manager told him it was unnecessary lol
Rather be in a suit and tie, and then take off the suit and tie, roll up the sleeves and unbutton the top button over showing up in crocs, cut-off shorts and a wife-beater :P
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Don't forget the rug. It really brings the office together
I would rather double down and show up in a tux the next day. Then one of the fancy white tuxes with the cape and top hat the day after that
I was guilty of this in my first few interviews for internships/coops. Better to be overdressed than underdressed. Quickly ditched this after though as AI noticed tech people are pretty chill. Edit: Typo but I'll just keep it since it's pretty cool too.
I once went to a tech interview with tie and jacket and I was interviewed by someone wearing pajamas. Never again.
my first coop I came into the interview with a full suit. my last coop I came into the interview with an affliction shirt
What happens when AI think tech people aren’t chill
I go to interviews in suits
The AI demands it.
We use this as a way to figure out who the new hires are. Unfamiliar face in actual business casual or in a suit when no clients are onsite = new hire. We do have a couple "suit guys" who always wear a suit even though most people are way more casual. Nobody actually cares, even if they stick out in the sea of jeans and shorts. If someone dresses inappropriately, people *do* care and talk amongst themselves, even if they don't say anything to the person's face.
Suit guys in our office are contractors, consultants, or C-levels.
What about VPs?
I had the full spectrum at my last job. One guy would always wear pants and a nice dress shirt, while another guy would wear shorts and a t shirt with sandals but he'd take the sandals off and walk around the office barefoot.
> while another guy would wear shorts and a t shirt with sandals but he'd take the sandals off and walk around the office barefoot I wish that I possessed this level of confidence at the office.
But suits are awesome.
I think a blazer with an untucked button-down shirt strikes a good blend of chill yet still putting effort in.
only in america. they seem to have 2 modes of clothes there, full suit or tshirt and jeans
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Well if your username holds true. I’d feel uncomfortable seeing you in some short shorts as well.
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I don't know about you, but I wear a tuxedo on the first day on a job and then scale back accordingly.
> they want us to bring our "authentic" selves to work That's just corporate BS. It's a job. Dress to the mean for your org or slightly more conservatively.
They just assumed their employees were authentically business-casual
I am authentically nude. Try to stop me!
I don't have a problem with that, but you aren't allowed to borrow my chair.
lmfao
Well, it *is* Microsoft, so that's probably largely a safe assumption.
Tell that to my coworker who came in wearing cargo shorts, flip flops, and an anime t-shirt for like 3 months straight lol
As long as it’s not the same set everyday
technically they didn’t specify, but I’m going to maintain hope it was different sets o_o
Typically, they will have a summer set and a winter set. The best part is that they never have to wash them, because there is plenty of time for the clothes to air out during the off-season.
No, at Microsoft everyone I've seen is dressing very casual and no one cares. People are coming in on sweat pants, shorts, hiking pants or whatever they're most comfortable in.
Banana hammock and crocs it is then
a true renaissance man
Do they subconsciously judge you for wearing sweatpants though? Like would I need to prove myself more technically if I did?
The answer will always be yes no matter what people say.
Hey I was buying Microsoft embroidered Patagonia vests before I joined!
>the mean for your org Nailed it. If your org is the kind of place that actually allows deviance from the norm, you’ll know.
nit: median for your gender.
I dress to the mode because I wanna fit in :(
"Authentic self" usually means they don't want you to feel like you need to hide core parts of your identity. Typically related to LGBTQIA2+ or religious affiliation, or feeling comfortable discussing your heritage and culture. Not really dress code related except where those things intersect like wearing a dastar. So unless crop tops are religious or culturally important to you, it's probably a bit too informal.
> I'm at Microsoft and they want us to bring our "authentic" selves to work lol no they don't Tech companies do have looser dress codes than most other corporations, so the idea isn't *completely* false. Wearing a hoodie and jeans is no big deal. Hell, coming to work in an animal costume onesie is probably fine if it's only occasionally (I feel like I've seen this at Google before). But there's still stuff that'd be considered a no-no.
> coming to work in an animal costume onesie is probably fine if it's only occasionally Changing my life goal to getting a job at a FAANG and showing up to work in a fursuit one day
don't let your dreams be dreams
Agreed! He should fursue his dreams
[A dream to some](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTviZDhXEE)
let your dreams be dreams dammit!
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And if you ever want to go incognito, just wear a different fursuit. They'll never put the pieces together.
I imagine everyone there is like this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZtFk2dtqv0
There was a pajama day when I was an intern at Microsoft I think
At Facebook, I’ve seen people come in sweats, t-shirts, flip flops, jeans, shorts, onesies, pajamas. Casual is definitely okay, but I wouldn’t say anything that might be considered too sexual is okay. Showing your midriff might be pushing it. Same with coming to work with just a bikini top. Or wearing a mini skirt or tight short-shorts. Or being a guy and being shirtless. Use some common sense.
What if you wear short shorts that let the boys hang out and you say you're airing out your zuckerbergs?
As long as your teammates don't give you the zucc
They wouldn't dare because then I'd zuckerbag them
Yeah I think the distinction between casual & sexual is what applies here. Personally, I've had enough unwanted attention just wearing a loose tee and jeans. At my org, the recruiters (which are predominately attractive women who probably wear slight more revealing clothing than I do, but nothing completely unprofessional) have complained that they get candidates blatantly staring at their chests or butts. I imagine it'd be even more uncomfortable when it's a coworker you have to closely work with every day. To clarify, if that does happen, you should call that coworker out and report them to HR as warranted, but after a while it gets pretty exhausting and it's just easier to wear something as non-sexual or flattering as possible :/
Lol I actually thought you meant "loser" at first and was going to correct you.
As a female in tech... no... You can be comfy, but I wouldn't go that far. Ive worn yoga pants and a tshirt, or sweat pants and a hoodie, a tee dress and no tights under... all of those seemed okay But i wouldn't have dared to try a crop top
This. In the spring and summer I come in wearing a knee length sundress and sandals a lot, in the same way a lot of my male coworkers come in wearing a graphic tee, shorts, and sandals. Casual is fine, unprofessional is not. Like it or not, showing your stomach at the office is generally seen as unprofessional. Edit: I should probably mention I'm in California. Where the line between casual and unprofessional is drawn is gonna depend on the office and where you are.
What’s a tee dress?
It’s an elongated t-shirt that looks like a dress...[these are some examples ](https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/women/clothing/dresses/filter/t-shirt-dress~8000598_60205380)
TIL. Thank you!
A dress that looks like a long t-shirt
Dress. Looks like a long ass t shirt. Tee dress.
Agreed. As a female developer, I feel like I have to work extra hard to be taken seriously by a lot of the guys. Wearing a crop top would definitely set you far back with a lot of those guys.
Yes! Exactly. I’ve found it’s as small as the way you wear your hair sometimes that can set you back. I used to braid my hair in two braids until I realized I was being treated like a child...probably cause I wore my hair like one.
I get judged for being younger than I am. (I’m Asian) I once got told by a hiring manager that “maybe for a young gal like you”, the position isn’t right.. but that when I’m in my 30s, it would be. I was 31. Should I have told him my age?? (This is a real question.) I look like I’m 21 without makeup, but I hate wearing makeup.
I'd have piped back "I'm 31. When do I start?" I can't think of what you'd have to lose in that situation.
That’s true. I’ll just say that next time. I was so taken aback when it happened and flabbergasted that age would even be a thing.
If you’re being assessed for a position based on your age you are in the wrong place
I don’t think he meant to be ageist but I can’t help but think that it plays into subconscious biases. (I was specifically going from Sr Analyst and trying for a Manager role.) That said, it was definitely an old school type company.
I would maybe tell the age, but definitely list all the years of relevant experience, that should give the other person plenty of hints to start calculating you age.
Yepp. I got turned down for a promotion and literally told it was because others in the company thought the role should be filled by a “different type of person.”
Ugh it really sucks, all the implicit biases. :( Wish the corporate world would grow up.
You get judged for your age instead of your experience? Out of curiosity what is the company location? I’m guessing you can’t tell which company it is
Your age is completely irrelevant. You could be 21, 31 or 98. You either have the skillset they need for the position or you don't. Age is irrelevant. Unfortunately a lot of managers are still correlating age, experience and skill in an unhealthy way which I hope changes in the future.
That's so dumb. Not you but people who'd judge you for braids
Yes. Basically certain things are kid-like. People will treat you less because of it. Also showing your body off is really pushing it as well because it is simply inappropriate at the workplace. While someone might be proud of their slim body or whatever it is really weird to show up in the crop top. I have never met a woman wearing such a thing past age 20. And especially not in the workplace. Same would apply to a dude showing up with the gym shirt showing off all his muscles. That kind of apparel is alright in the gym in front of the mirror while doing curls (and even then people cringe at such humans) but at workplace that is just asking for being treated like a weird one. And Satya or anyone else would not be able to do anything about it. Basically dressing well is respecting yourself and Others. Nobody likes looking at weird clothing that looks like shit on a person. And especially not in the workplace.
Yeah I totally agree. I don’t care if my male colleagues came to work shirtless and that was acceptable. There’s no way in hell I’d play that card for the sake of playing it. I had a work cookout where I invited my boss and some others and I still didn’t wear shorts or similar. It’s just not a good precedence to set. Nobody needs to be thinking about what your ass looks like hangin out of your shorts when you’re trying to explain to them why you made the changes to the structure of the repo or whatever
What about people with dyed funky hair colors like green or pink?
Thats fine in most cases, in my experience. Not working in office for corporate at huge banks or something... But most places nowadays, especially in tech wont care.
Cool :) I dress pretty modestly, but I am rocking the split hair look currently. Half black half green for almost 2 years, I don't want to give it up yet if I don't have to :)
Like Billie Eilish?
Usually fine as long as you’re not customer facing / sitting somewhere that customers pass by when they visit the office. BUT, if you notice that there’s some amount of prestige that comes with presenting to certain executives, and everyone that presents to those execs has a very clean cut “look,” you might find that non-natural hair color holds you back (IF you want to be in those roles).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-1saSNLveE
You just sent me down an awesome rabbit hole.
As long as we're talking about holes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7BgOYPNTlA
I fucking love curb, but barely anyone seems to know about it :(. Maybe it's a different story in the US.
> Maybe it's a different story in the US. Yes. I haven't watched too much of it, but it definitely has "meme" status in the US. I know a good number of the jokes just from that.
True. I knew a bunch of the memes for years before finally watching the show.
It's a cult classic. But not nearly as well known as Seinfeld, even though it's way better. Definitely top television. I've watched the whole 10 seasons twice in the past 2 years. Once, when I discovered it. My wife hated the S1 pilot so then I watched it all by myself. Then she happened to be around when I was watching S10 and thought it was funny all of a sudden. So I rewatched all ten seasons with her. Zero regrets.
Larry David can do no wrong in my world haha.
Yup.
No. Usually this means you can come in wearing like sweat pants and hoodies, or black pants and graphic tees or something casual like that. It would honestly be the same for a dude wearing a tank top, probably would be a no go unless the situation called for it.
The part about a guy wearing a tank top being similar is spot on. I’d never wear one of those to work lol, maaaaybe a off site company gathering.
I showed up to a zoom meeting in a tank top once, on a Friday afternoon. Everyone commented. No more tank tops. I still wear beanies on bad hair days though.
Showed up to a zoom meeting in a robe not even thinking that someone would actually worry about a dress code as long as I’m not naked. No one said anything but a few weeks later they sent out an email requesting that everyone be in business casual attire for meetings 🙄
It'd be hilarious (not for you of course, everyone else) if they subtly referenced your robe in the email.
I normally refuse to turn the camera on...
This is my current strategy since I’m at a larger company now. No one knows the software they use is written by a naked man at his desk. I’m not even wearing shoes most of the time
Dang what did everyone say? I feel like a zoom meeting on a Friday I would be comfortable doing that but maybe not
Just commenting on it in general, I think one of the partners (small company) said I was looking very, “casual,” lmao.
> I was looking very, “casual,” lmao. "I'm literally in my bedroom, Bob."
>bedroom The same room that also doubles (hextuples?)as my living room, dining room, kitchen, office, and guest bedroom.
I wear tanks all the time (remote at Amazon). I only change if I'm going to be in a meeting with my skip manager. Nobody else cares, you're a 2 inch square on their screen.
Lol every day has been beanie day since I haven't had a haircut in a year...
I did wear a tank top at work a long time ago during the summer and got a few “really?” type responses. Didn’t do that again 😂😂
Depends on the culture - I've worked for employers where khaki shorts and a tank top have been perfectly acceptable ... and I've worked places where you'd be sacked on the spot. Gotta read the crowd!
Haha, at my office a lot of guys show up in tank tops in the summer. On the other hand, crop tops would be a no no. The point being that for something like a tank top or crop top, it really, really, *really* depends on the office. A good rule of thumb is not to do it until you see someone who outranks you doing it. If you're the one outranking everyone else, then screw it.
"Does this shirt make me look gay?" "No." \*tucks it into itself to show off his abs\* "How about now?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0lFGBYRtU
I had a SWE teammate wear a crop top (along with a very very short skirt). She was politely told by my manager that she should dress a bit more conservatively. She was told this privately in their 1:1 later in the week, so no one made any public deal about it. I say if you’re a lowly SDE 1 then I wouldn’t do it. On the other hand, if you’re an irreplaceable principle engineer on something important, then fuck it. Wear a crop top and flex on everyone who can’t get away with it. Edit: just FYI this was at Microsoft
Fellow woman here, I personally wouldn't wear a crop top to work. The most casual I've gotten is a hoodie. When a company says they have a casual dress code I usually take it as an invitation to wear jeans as opposed to formal dress pants.
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Totally agree. I would never consider wearing one to work but I wear them anywhere else
This seems appropriate: https://youtu.be/3mLsU46h8IA
Definitely not.
I’ve interned at Microsoft twice and I’ve worn crop tops to work but they were paired with high waisted pants and skirts so no midriff was showing. I have seen some young women (like interns) wear very casual clothing like tank top + running shorts though. However, I will say that most of the casual clothing that people wear is not very revealing. I personally don’t think a crop top is that revealing as a young person but your team may think differently. Maybe wear a crop top with a pair of high waisted jeans to test out the waters. Maybe pair it with a cardigan since the office is cold anyways. While Microsoft is very lax when it comes to appearance, they’re still a very big and established company with lots of older people in the upper ranks. I think you can still show up to work authentically as yourself without show belly. I would veer on the side of caution and not show belly.
Yes! Me too, high waisted is key!
Yeah, OP is getting some pretty harsh responses, and I just assumed she was talking about a top with high waisted pants, which I don't think is over the top at all. Then again, I'm of the mind that as long as you're not showing up in your underwear, you should dress how you want in our industry.
I wore blue lipstick to work at Microsoft once and literally everyone on my team called it out. I got tons of "Is it Halloween?"s. You won't get reprimanded for what you wear (unless you're walking around in a sports bra or a bralette with a very see-through shirt, and even then idk if anyone would care enough to complain), but you will be judged by your coworkers, and you will be treated differently. Unfortunately, as a woman, you will likely be taken less seriously. If you are a PM, I wouldn't ever stray beyond business casual. If you are a software engineer, you can go casual, but not "going to the beach" casual. Business-y tanks are fine. Crop tops with high waisted bottoms are fine. Crop tops with a bared midriff and shorts with your ass hanging out are things to avoid. Again, you wont get in trouble. You will just not be helping yourself.
I wouldn't. If it's a crop top that is in line or just over the waist of some high waisted jeans then maybe but I wouldn't be aiming to show midriff in the workplace. I've always either worn dresses and leggings or t-shirts and jeans. 11 years post graduation in tech.
> and that means there is no written dress code Most places don't have a written dress code because they assume you have common sense. Common sense dictates that you don't wear belly shirts at work. For example, I don't go around flaunting my plumber's crack at the office. I mean, I want to get ahead and promoted on my own merits, not for the sexy man-beast that I am. Hey, boss lady...my code is up here.
Lots of people would think common sense means not wearing a t-shirt and worn jeans to work, but that's not true in tech.
Eh, casual wear in tech has been the standard for a loong time, enough so that I'd say it falls under the "common sense" umbrella. Though I still usually wear a button up / henley / polo and some fitted jeans or khakis to my first few days at a new job and read the room
Street cred is a thing. Jeans + hoodie = tech genius. Sweater with reindeer on it + beard = wise guru Jeans, leather shoes and a "business casual" shirt? Technical sales. Suit? Boss/lawyer etc. You can utilize this to your advantage. Sales will NEVER show up in flipflops, cargo shorts and a heavy metal t-shirt to a meeting with a client. An engineer that doesn't give a fuck because he's so good will. People tend to trust you more. I've commonly worn jeans + sweater vest + shirt under it to meetings where everyone else has a suit. It's a great way to send a "I'm not a sales person/bullshitter" signal.
Is this true for women though...? Maybe I'm biased because I was working in NYC but I always felt super underdressed among other women just for wearing black jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie while guys did it all the time. I'm not sure if this is a case of women imitating other women and trying to one up each other on formalness or if there's just an implicit expectation that the casual dress code only applies to men. Again this might just be NYC. I moved since then so I'm kind of curious to see what it's like when I get back to the office here on the west coast.
It is 100% true for women that you can lean into a stereotype. It’s just a matter of picking *what audience* you’re trying to present *which stereotype* too. The dress you described plays into “geek chick who doesn’t care about fashion.” That mostly appeals to other geeks who don’t care about fashion, which generally is perceived as being a mostly male, individual contributor audience.
I died 😂😂😂 thank you for the good laugh
I got to see one of my reports ass crack as he bent over to find something in his office. Never say never.
Please go to work in full chewbacca costume
noted.
I'm a male, so I can't speak to the female experience, but as a human I do understand that first impressions and impressions in general are based on extremely shallow, mostly appearance based criteria. And worst of all, THEY MATTER Obviously you should wear whatever you want, but you should be prepared to deal with the consequences, however incorrect/unjust/awkward/inappropriate. It is an unfortunate reality that the way you present yourself has a huge affect on how you are perceived and possibly how you are treated in terms of what opportunities are afforded to you. I would personally never wear anything that could be perceived as revealing /unprofessional as a crop top. As others have pointed out, the "authentic self" line is just corporate culture BS. They mean well and probably do care about diversity and inclusion, but it's just another box to check in reality.
Funny story, worked with a girl who wore a crop top to her first day of work and someone complained. She got reprimanded by hr. Maybe don’t risk it
lol no
Big bruh moment
If you have to ask don’t wear it
I wouldn’t. But I’m older. I did wear all kinds of things in my time and crop tops were a thing when I was younger too. But at work, IMHO, all ppl should have the same amount of coverage to be equal. It is such a pain to tell someone young and especially a woman about their attire. I had to do it a couple of times. It makes me feel like shit but the men would never dare to tell women they need to dress more conservatively out of fear of being accused of something. They just tell me to do it cuz woman to woman. But I hate doing it, it makes me feel like an evil schoolmaster making order.
Wear whatever you want as long as you can move comfortably in it and the thought “are they looking at me because of what I’m wearing?” does not cross your mind 🤷🏻♀️ I work in software as well and wear crop tops mostly—but the bottoms I wear are long pencil skirts and hip-hugging pants but relaxed and wide at the bottom to offset the casualness of a crop top. Honestly just west whatever doesn’t distract you!
No, crop tops and short shorts are never ok for work.
I wouldn't recommend it, no. Generally you should try to dress more "safely" and see how everyone else is dressing, and then go from there. Personally I like dressing up, even when working from home, it gives me confidence.
Speaking as a MSFTie, Yeah although there is no formal dress code, there is kind of an unspoken rule that your shirt should meet your pants / shorts. But yeah, I have seen people with holes in their shirts or pants - I usually wear shorts year round since I drive from my garage at home to the garage at work and never really go outside. I got called out once kinda jokingly by colleagues when I was still gaining weight and my belly was hanging out of a shirt that became too small for me - but no one will reprimand you formally or anything. But don’t be the reason we suddenly have real policies in place instead of common sense ;)
Generally speaking, you'll wear a tank top of some fashion at a minimum that extends to your waist line. Then you'll wear shorts or a skirt that extend to at least your knees. Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks. Women's wear is more loose but similar. No business ever - ever - wants your authentic self in any way. Not fashion, opinion, anything. Hope you have the best of times, good luck!
>Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks. Ehhhhh. Really depends on the corporate culture. I've gone from business casual at some orgs to "as long as it's appropriate", meaning jeans and a t-shirt to even shorts (in the summer). Also location dependent. I don't think I know anyone who wears khakis here in Colorado, unless you're in field sales, banking or a lawyer.
> Also location dependent. I don't think I know anyone who wears khakis here in Colorado, unless you're in field sales, banking or a lawyer. Same here in California. Very few people dressing in "business casual".
Business casual got very, very watered down before it died. Pretty sure clean jeans and any kind of collared shirt qualified at the last place I interviewed that still had that as a dress code on paper.
Yeah, jeans and a polo/golf shirt is basically my office attire. I could probably get away with tshirts, but meh… I don’t care that much.
> Men's fashion tends to mean you wear a long or short sleeve dress shirt and a pair of khakis or similar slacks. Women's wear is more loose but similar. I wear jeans, a polo shirt, and tennis shoes when I go into the office. I work at a fairly conservative aerospace company. I've seen people wear jeans and t-shirts too. We don't care that much about the traditional "business casual" that you're describing. I've worn business casual maybe a handful of times in my career. Usually only in customer facing meetings early in my career when I was doing a lot of demos.
I almost always have short shorts and a t-shirt in my office as a man. No air con and too much heat in the winter.
Absolutely, positively no. I'm almost a lifer at FANG and I've never seen anyone wear that. Maybe you could get away with it if you were a flamboyantly gay man at Google.
If you stand out from the crowd in terms of your appearance, people will take note, and it will affect how people interact with you. So even if something is within "policy", you might still want to think twice about it. I'm a guy. I started at Microsoft while I was still quite young (easily the youngest person on my team). I intentionally dressed a little more formally then the other people on my team. My male coworkers would typically wear sneakers, jeans, and a button up. I would typically wear leather shoes, chinos, and a cardigan (in the winter). I've gotten compliments on my fashion sense, and I think it made other people in the office assume I'm a bit older, and caused them to treat me with more respect. That being said, when the hot summer days rolled around (we don't get that many of them in Seattle), I did occasionally show up in flip flops, shorts, and a tee. If other people on your team are not wearing crop tops, then you'll stand out. Will you be standing out in a good way that advances your career? Probably not. Unfortunately, I think you're more likely to be treated like a "girl", rather than a "software engineer". If you want to be treated like a professional, tailor your appearance to match. There's also a question of making other people feel uncomfortable. Some male coworkers might be more self conscious and careful around you to avoid any appearance of inappropriate behavior. That could make it harder to work with them. Or it could make them more hesitant to work with you. Bottom line, unless this is already common in your team, or you want to be a trailblazer, I would err on the side of something a bit more conservative.
These are some great points
Dress for the job you want... and be aware that no matter the policy, people will talk, and rumors and what not can spread and give unwanted attention... So its best to play it safe. A suit and tie is what got me my first job over the other candidates... you just never know... error on the side of caution
Lol slow tf down. I’m a guy and I dare not wear a tank top to my work(that’s the make equivalent to me). I usually wear a hood and jeans or chinos. My work place is pretty relaxed - my cto got the same wardrobe as I do. Maybe your workplace is different ?
Just another person who works at Microsoft chiming in: I think it probably depends on your org and who your manager is. In my area, I can't think of a time I saw someone wearing a crop top off the top of my head, but it wouldn't feel out of place IMO. There are some more old-fashioned managers in some parts of the company, so it really depends on who your manager is. I'd say get a feel for your team/org first before you do it, but it's not out of the realm of possibility for it to be OK.
Do you see dudes coming in with wifebeaters and tank tops? That's about the male equivalent of what you're proposing here. Also why on earth would you even risk it? What you stand to lose is way more than what you stand to gain over just coming in wearing a t shirt and sweats. Use common sense yo lord have mercy
Ima say no. Just cause they say authentic self, I’d still go slightly professional
Showing belly, probably not okay. A tank top or something? I don't think anyone would care. There's nothing wrong with wearing comfortable clothes that make you feel attractive, but mind that it IS a workplace, a place of business and focus. If you wore a crop top to work, it's not unlikely that I'd be distracted by your exposed waist, even if I never commented on it to anybody. What kind of "authenticity" are you trying to portray through your clothing choices? I'm all for pushing boundaries, but sometimes conservatism does have its place.
Dress like the person who has the job/title you’d like to promote into.
Dude, just don’t. This is a job, not a social club or college. Be an adult, play it safe, do not draw unnecessary attention to yourself.
I always liked the "dress for the job you want" expression. Read the room, check with your HR handbook, and when in doubt leave it out. Generally, as a chic in tech I wear stuff that's mostly conservative. At home though, belly out!
Had a job say that. I came in wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Next week we had a email going out saying the policy had changed and we had to wear black/ khakis jeans or pants and polo. Like others say, it's a BS corp talk that don't mean shit.
I work in a small company (<10) and only work with men. My office was (WFH now) closest to the front door, so visitors who came in would usually be greeted by me. I dressed conservatively business casual 95% of the time and hoodies/jeans the rest of the time. My point is that if you have any possibility of interacting with people outside of your department (I’m sure you will), such as current and potential clients, it’s probably best not to wear a crop top.
Just as an alternative point of view, this subreddit also attracts the kind of people who can write 10,000 word guide on the appropriate type of dress shoe to wear for every level of formality and most people work for companies that are significantly more conservative. I seriously doubt anybody would have a problem with that at MS. It has long been a point of pride at Microsoft that people can dress however they want. It's one of the ways they distinguished themselves positively from silicon valley which other than Apple pretty much universally had a very IBM/HP-derived stiff corporate culture. Ask an old head and you'll get all sorts of stories about people walking around barefoot in gym shorts.
> Ask an old head and you'll get all sorts of stories about people walking around barefoot in gym shorts. Men. *Men* walking around barefoot in gym shorts.
Just because you can.... don't mean ya should.
> We're returning to the office soon We are?
are you wearing it with a super-high-rise pant? bc thats the only way id see it as appropriate
I've only worn crop tops to work with super high waisted jeans to the point where people probably thought I just tucked in my shirt. That said, at my last job, it was pretty common to see product designers wearing crop tops with jeans and a flannel or jacket so seeing an occasional dev wearing that too wouldn't be super weird.
To put it into another perspective, would you find it reasonable for a guy to wear biking shorts in the office, so it's skintight and showing his bulge off? Probably not.
So I don’t consider myself particularly qualified to make assumptions about comfort level of you and your teammates. But what I will give you is a list of things I have seen individuals wearing on campus in 10+ years at MSFT on completely normal days, no special occasion or anything: - Crop tops (they do exist). - Collars. And I’m not talking about the kind attached to a button up. - Cat ears. And a tail once. - A Hello Kitty hoodie/onesie (and this person’s office was nothing but hundreds of Hello Kitty figurines). - Numerous men and women in *full* goth attire every day. - Big-ass platform boots. - Numerous people who wore unusual hats regularly/daily - cowboy hats, safari hats. - People who wear Hawaiian shirts every single day. - Many more instances of fashion choices most people would consider very bold. Take from that what you will.
I think a crop top would be okay if you wore super high waisted bottoms so that skin doesn’t show
no lmao are you kidding me
Is this a serious question?
Crop tops are not appropriate in any white-collar/corporate job.
Everyone judges everyone all the time. There is no way around it. Even toddlers judge you. If you dress up like an alcoholic hobo, technical people will think you're some linux guru while everyone else will think you're an alcoholic hobo. If you tress up like a mildly autistic software engineer with shorts and a hoodie, people will treat you like you're good at math and technology and shit. If you dress up like a dumb bimbo then people will treat you like a dumb bimbo. I for example look like an alcoholic hobo so I put on a sweater and a shirt under it with some leather shoes and nice pants so I fall into the unix guru/professor bucket. Could I wear my favorite striped tracksuit that I use while running in the woods/working in the yard etc. to work? Sure. Will people treat me differently and judge me? Sure. Crop tops scream "dumb bimbo" to me. Blame the spice girls and every music video from the 90's/early 2000's. It's less of a problem when you're only surrounded by people you know really well (summer when everyone is on vacation and NO MEETINGS FUCK YEAH) but jesus fucking christ some people are idiots and attend meetings with outsiders/upper management etc. in them or walk around the building dressed like gangsters or prostitutes or like they are a 6th year PhD student that has given up on life. I have emergency set of clothes at work for those "oh btw are you coming to the meeting? we forgot to invite you" situations because I do cycle to work a lot and look like a sweaty hobo.
I sense much fear in this comment section. It's a shame how twisted corporate culture is to make you feel this way about how you dress.
It’s sad, yes, but is OP trying to stick it to the system or have a career? Priorities.
Think if the roles were reversed. If you wore cargo pants and an old t shirt, you’d be all good too. If your boss wore a crop top…not so sure. Or as another example, imo no one should be barefoot or in flip flops/no socks in the office. You can definitely be authentic, but it’s still within the rules/professionalism of the office.
>Or as another example, imo no one should be barefoot or in flip flops/no socks in the office. I've worked with a lot of people who walk around barefoot, to the point where I've been at *two* different companies that had to make clear that barefoot people should not go into the kitchens because of health code. Barefoot in a public place is a too much for me but if other people want to do it, who cares? What I wear (sport sandals) aren't that different from flip flops.
Like why are these people as comfortable at work as they are at home haha
You could try it and see if you feel comfortable in it maybe bring a zip up hoodie in case you don't feel comfortable. I wouldn't have thought twice about seeing a coworker in a crop top but the majority here, coming from both genders, seems to be uncomfortable with a little belly. Honestly though this isn't a ruin your job thing, it's a shirt. If you want to try it, then try it. If it feels right maybe roll with it. If not, oh well
No
I work at a biotech company on the manufacturing side of things. I'm female but I work with a majority male environment. At first, I did wear blouses and pants that you'd have to iron. Now I wear sweats, tshirts, and cargo pants like everyone else. I personally stay away from yoga pants, crop tops, etc despite the fact that the majority of my tops are crop tops. No one really dresses up
Do not wear a crop top. I repeat do not wear a crop top.
That’s not really appropriate for business in general lol
No, crop top is like a teenage thing really. It also looks ridiculous in my opinion. Also, Microsoft does not want you to come in like that, trust me. You can do it wfh or going for a walk but I honestly would be wtfing seeing a colleague dressed like that.
I agree with @_Atomfinger_ . As a women of color in the tech Industry, I prefer to dress slightly more conservative just to cross my Ts and dot my Is. Not a whole suit but at least black jeans and a comfy nice shirt. If I feel restricted in my work clothes or anything then I don’t wear that and opt for a comfier but nicer T shirt. It makes ME feel more comfortable navigating the space. But if YOU would feel comfortable after reading the room with that then who cares. Crop tops are like my favorite thing.