'Clients talked to me like I was the boss': Stylist employee gets the stink-eye from management after upstaging them in swagger

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 1, 2024 12:00 PM EST

Fashion matters. In the workplace, your clothing can reflect more than just your style and can shed light on your position in the office hierarchy as well. Only a deluded person would think that they can score a management position at a marble-floored company while wearing a pair of plaid pajamas in their interview. Even in the digital age, sometimes, you actually need to dress to impress. 

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  • In fact, some people believe that you should dress for the job you want instead of dressing for the job you have. While that's not exactly true for janitors who aspire to be the CEO, it can sometimes be the case for office jockeys looking at those management positions. This is why in our next story, one stylish employee caused a stink by being too fashionable in the workplace. 

  • Scroll for a tale that calls out slobbish, insecure managers for feeling threatened by a worker's ambiance, even though they consider every day ‘casual Friday’. Next on your reading list, here's another quippy story of more bad managers who got what was coming for them, where a CEO gets fired after getting abysmal rankings online. 

  • 01
    Dear Boss, I'm sorry my outfit was Best
    via u/canva
  • 02
    r/jobs Posted by u/SurpriseKind2520 1 day ago I accidentally out dressed management Office relations I work in a small laid back office and no one tends to dress up. Our company has several local clients so we hosted a holiday party and invited the clients as a thank you. I helped plan the party with 2 others.
    via u/SupriseKind2520
  • 03
    My manager said that she was going to take some photos of us at the event for our company's Facebook page so to look nice. She didn't define "look nice" but I took this as dress up so that's what I did. I wore a dress, nice shoes, perfume, makeup, jewelry and had my hair curled.
    via u/SupriseKind2520
  • 04
    Many of my coworkers wore our company T-shirt and jeans. My boss wore jeans with a nice sweater but it was still jeans so not too dressed up.
    via u/SupriseKind2520
  • 05
    A lot of the clients talked to me like I was the boss. The division manager showed up (dressed on about the same level as me) and she gave me like this hateful looking stare which made me uncomfortable. Others said they liked my outfit but I wondered if they were just being nice. After looking at the Facebook photos and showing my family, they all said it was a nice outfit.
    via u/SupriseKind2520
  • 06
    But in the last two weeks, my direct boss has been kind of dismissive to me. I also feel like I was left out of a meeting I should have been on recently and some recurring ones that she scheduled. I can sense a change that I think is related to over dressing which was not my intention to outshine anyone. I just thought we were supposed to dress up. Any advice or similar experience? I'm starting to think it's better to underdress than to overdress at office parties.
    via u/SupriseKind2520
  • 07
    Miserable_Ad_2293 1 day ago I know this is easier said than done. But try not to let your manager's insecurities impact you. You seemingly dressed how you were asked to do. And bonus, it made a positive and impactful impression of yourself on the clients. That's called professionalism!
    via u/Miserable_Ad_2293
  • 08
    I would have defined the suggested dress code that same way you did. If my manager made a request for staff to look nice, I would not have worn jeans. And IMO, it's better to overdressed than underdressed. Especially at a professional setting. This makes me wonder how many other "mixed messages" your company sends out.
    via u/Miserable_Ad_2293
  • 09
    Macintux128 17 hr. ago This. Managers need to get over it and grow up. Employee made themselves look better than you? Be a better manager. It's a manger's job to be a team leader, LEAD.
    via u/Macintux128
  • 10
    ExpensiveCat6411 - 22 hr. ago This company sounds very bad. Reply Share 262 ancientastronaut2 17 hr. ago Exactly. IMO coworkers and management supremely screwed up here, not Op.
    via u/ExpensiveCat6411
  • 11
    Mojojojo3030 20 hr. ago I mean it's her boss. It's not up to her how much her boss's insecurities impact her. I think you followed instructions correctly and did nothing wrong OP, but I'd apologize anyway (). Can't pay your bills with being right.
    via u/Mojojojo3030
  • 12
    suvesti 17 hr. ago Truthfully I wouldn't apologize, just be friendly and let it blow over. Compliment the boss appropriately when she looks nice on a regular day. I personally think an apology will call too much attention to the perceived "transgression"
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  • 13
    matcharagan 12 hr. ago not to mention that i can't think of a way to say "sorry i dressed so much better than you at the party" that sounds genuine.
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  • 14
    notanangel_25 10 hr. ago Dear Boss, I'm sorry my outfit was. Best, SupriseKind2520
    via u/notanangel_25
  • 15
    Resso.al Resso_ai 9 hr. ago 100% correct. This is Managers/Bosses are there to build you up, make you a better person. Not feel insecure because of clothes. It isn't the clothes that's the issue here, it's fear, deep down they now know you are BETTER then them. Keep doing what you are doing.
    via u/Resso_ai
  • 16
    1arse - 1 day ago You took the engagement seriously and dressed appropriately for it. How others dressed was their choice as well. If I was your manager I would have celebrated how you looked to myself as I watched with a smile anyone who was admiring your appearance. The fine lines drawn inappropriately in business or corporate have been around forever and will never go away. Don't look for reassurance that you did not do anything wrong. Just stay professional and keep on doing your job!
    via u/1arse
  • 17
    ExpensiveCat6411 22 hr. ago Companies are now considering a company T-shirt as dressing nicely? I feel like there was some bad communication here. 229 Reply Share ... chickpeaze 20 hr. ago I work in a tech startup and we have our dress up logo company t shirts. I'm like OP, if something is customer facing I always dress dress, it helps me get into character.
    via u/ExpensiveCat6411
  • 18
    ExpensiveCat6411 · 20 hr. ago. edited 20 hr. ago The problem with "T-shirt and jeans" is that people no longer understand what that even means in the context of looking nice. That can range from a more dressy indigo jean wash, and a blazer thrown over the T-shirt, to dirty ripped jeans and a T-shirt so ill fitting that it looks like a crop top.
    via u/ExpensiveCat6411
  • 19
    ElectricOne55 19 hr. ago Ya I worked for this startup one time. First day I wore slacks and button down shirt with a tie. We went out to eat that, and he said why you wearing a tie take your tie off. I was like ok.... most days that boomer manager would come in literally wearing shorts. Was the weirdest company.
    via u/ElectricOne55
  • 20
    notanangel_25 - 10 hr. ago I wore dress clothes to work starting a new job and my boss took me to the side and asked me if I had another job lol. Everyone else wore jeans and sweatshirts/t-shirts and one guy wore shorts in the summer, although by that time we were doing night shift, so 12-8am. I started wearing more casual clothes after that.
    via u/notanangel_25
  • 21
    ancientastronaut2 · 17 hr. ago "Wear your good company t-shirt. Not the coffee stained one you wear on Friday" Reply Share ... 6 lilymoscovitz 18 hr. ago Or staff know what the manager is like and don't want to be in the line of fire
    via u/ancientastronaut2
  • 22
    turquoisehoe 21 hr. ago Yes! And dress for the job you want!! Those women just feel or felt threatened. Reply Share ... 40 Chaparral2E 12 hr. ago They say "dress for the job you want, not the job you have", but do they have any idea what a spacesuit costs?
    via u/turquoisehoe
  • 23
    catpawspls 17 hr. ago It's not OP's fault that their other coworkers decided to interpret "nice" as jeans. I'm assuming those coworkers made themselves look not very put together and made OP stand out from the crowd. 23 42 Reply Share natnat8991 21 hr. ago That's a nice sentiment but - NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER
    via u/catpawspls
  • 24
    ItBeMe For Real 21 hr. ago S w that! A good boss wants you to succeed. One should certainly be aware of how others might react & avoid embarrassing them. But don't limit intentionally limit yourself just to avoid hurting the feelings of someone with a fragile ego. I've recruited & managed people more skilled than me in some areas. The better they perform the better my team does. I'll take credit for recruiting talented individuals and encourage them to advance themselves.
    via u/ItBeMe_For_Real

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overdressed boss worker fashion outshine employee manager work coworkers stylish working underdressed employees style supervisor workplace coworker casual casual friday
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