boss has offered clothing allowance.

henpecked1

I work in an oFfice. My boss wears posher suits and shirts than I choose to. I know he thinks I could dress sharper and has offrd me a clothing alwce. I don't know how to feel and whether he is out of order. I can afford to buy my own clothes. We get on well and he sees me as his no 2. Any thoughts?

jdturk

smarten up then, is it that hard especially if he is offering to pay for it. I guess he sees you as a valuable member of staff but feels your not doing the potential you can

cte1111

I think that's a very good way for him to ask you to dress more formally. I would accept and check with him if there is a policy on what he would like you to wear.

I guess he wants you to dress more smartly and realises that could be costly so is offering you an allowance to help cover that extra cost. I know some of my friends were given a one off clothing allowance when they started graduate jobs after university, because the companies that they work for required their consultants to wear sharp suits. I'm not really into power dressing personally but in this case I think it sounds fair enough. I would clarify though what he expects you to buy.

Try to see it as a compliment to your working skills rather than an insult to your sartorial elegance!

bendix

So buy your own clothes then. He is obviously sending you a not very subtle message that he wants you to sharpen up. What else does he need to do - draw you a picture?

dacouch

You would not have this question posted by a woman...

jdx

Hate to say it, take the hint and take up on the offer.

The hint is to look the part - smarter, formal, possibly professional, (sorry not to imply otherwise).

The offer, a bloody good one. How many employers will do that? Especially as things are the way they are.

PasturesNew

Some advice I read once is that if you want to get on in an organisation "dress a level above your station". Take his allowance, get some tips from him.

[Deleted User]

We have a rule when visiting clients - always dress 'a level higher' than them (a bit like the poster said) .. I wouldn't turn down the offer of some money towards a new suit or two.. it doesn't take a lot.

Moss Bros ususally has some cracking ties when their sale is on (far nicer than my nornal M&S ones).

wontfallforit

henpecked1 wrote: »

I work in an oFfice. My boss wears posher suits and shirts than I choose to. I know he thinks I could dress sharper and has offrd me a clothing alwce. I don't know how to feel and whether he is out of order. I can afford to buy my own clothes. We get on well and he sees me as his no 2. Any thoughts?

As others have pointed out, your boss obviously sees something "wrong" with the way you dress - no idea what it could be, as you don't go into too much detail.

I'd accept it as a kind and subtle tip to smarten up, and whether or not you can afford to buy your own clothes, I'd take the allowance! Benefits of this kind are becoming more difficult to find, so take it where you can get it

Investing in a couple of smart outfits using company money will not only please your boss, but will also save you a bit of money too. Establish what your workplace's minimum acceptable dresscode is, and adapt your purchases to suit your own style (no point getting done up to the nines if you really aren't comfortable with it, but you can still smarten up).

Your boss obviously sees some value in you, or he wouldn't have offered this allowance.

Where I work, people are regularly told to dress smarter, and some people have been disciplined for repeatedly failing to comply.

BexInLondon

Sounds like a great boss who clearly values you!

henpecked1

thanks all. I can afford a £500 suit but my role does involve client face to face and dealing with dusty files, on hands and knees sorting computers out, humping stuff around the office so I choose not to waste hundreds on clothes that will get very dirty, but if the boss is paying... just a bit of a hit in pride.