Optimism...

On the way to Sydney last year, Mark and Wendii were sitting in the American Airlines lounge at DFW. As it was a Sunday, Wendii was reading fashion magazines rather than business magazines. In one of the magazines, there was an article entitled "How to wear sheer in the office'.

In case you don't know, 'sheer' means what the rest of us call 'see-through' in women's clothing and is very fashionable this spring. Unless you work in very few industries in very few towns, we can categorically say that there is no way you should be wearing sheer in the office.

The problem with this guidance is that it starts with fashion. Fashion is at the opposite end of the continuum to business dress. Even if you take what's fashionable and turn it down 20%, it's still 80% of the way from appropriate business dress at the other end of the continuum. In a less conservative office that's 20% of the way towards fashion, there's still another 60% to go before you get to sheer.

So maybe you could work out that see-through clothing isn't appropriate for the office - we'd hope that it's pretty obvious. But nor, in general, are 'comfy clothes', 'big bangles' or 'citrus brights', all in fashion for women for this spring/summer. Men you're not escaping either - brightly colored clothes and shoes are in for you too.. except, we'd recommend in the office.

None of this about limiting your individuality - or your love of fashion, if you have it. It's about deciding what's appropriate for the office work in and the message you want to convey. There are places where sheer is appropriate. But probably not where you work.

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