Your uniform

[Roberts]

Just wondering - what type of wardrobe do you wear to work at the office or to meet clients? For example do you wear a suit, sportcoat, polo type shirt? Do you wear a tie?

How did this change over the past 5-8 years.



10 years ago I wore a suit to the office every day.
5 years ago I wore a sportcoat every day.
Now I just wear a shirt and tie. I have sport coats at the office to throw on if I go visit a client.

[JohnH]

Right now I'm sitting here in a knit shirt, shorts, and sandals.
That's how I usually come to the office in the summer months.

About the only time my dress code changes is if I'm meeting with a client at their office or if I'm meeting with an auditor, banker, lawyer etc. Even then, it's seldom coat & tie - just long pants & dress-type shirt. I hate wearing ties, and I will only do so if it's absolutely necessary.

[AuditorTurnedGood]

I've been to both

ends of the spectrum since I started my practice. Went through a brief "shlub" stage, and have now settled on a button down, slacks, and dress shoes, with the occasional sport coat, for Monday-Thursday, and "casual" Fridays. At the moment, I'm in jeans, a polo shirt, and Puma sneakers. During the winter, I step up to some sweaters over the shirt, summer I break out the linen. Or in the case of this spring in MN, both in the same week.

Almost none of my clients wear suits on a regular basis, so I figure dressing to match them is the way to go. Plus, I've never understood why men put a silk noose around their neck to look formal.

[Larmil]

Right now I'm sitting here in a knit shirt, shorts, and sandals.
That's how I usually come to the office in the summer months.

About the only time my dress code changes is if I'm meeting with a client at their office or if I'm meeting with an auditor, banker, lawyer etc. Even then, it's seldom coat & tie - just long pants & dress-type shirt. I hate wearing ties, and I will only do so if it's absolutely necessary.

I'm with JohnH, but I thinks it depends on the clientele. Less than 1% of my clients wear a tie, and that is usually because they are on the way somewhere else like a funeral. For 25+ years my dress in the office, audits etc. has been a western shirt and casual slacks.

[dsi]

I used to wear a suit, then moved to a shirt w/tie. Now days my summer attire is shorts, usually a hawaiian style shirt, and sandals. I've never lost a client because of my clothes.

The only time I wear a tie and a jacket is when I'm attending a city council meeting. Otherwise, I'll never voluntarily wear one again.

[Jiggers]

Uniform

Slacks and a dress shirt. No coat or tie.

If I wore a coat or tie my clients would say "Uh oh, fees have gone up!"

Fridays, even during tax season, are leisure days. Jeans and sport shirt.

I worked for CPA firm before I went out on my own and it was coat and tie every day. And you wore your coat at your desk.

[BP.]

Up until this past season, in the office, the only place I meet with clients, I was wearing dress slacks, good tops, nice shoes. This past season, exchanged the dress slacks for good, dark jeans, making sure the shoes were 2.5-3 inch heels to dress up the look, cotton jackets over a top, bold jewelry. More comfortable, just as nice looking, huge savings on dry cleaning. With the exception of 1 or 2 men in suits (on the way to/from their offices) I don't think any clients dressed more formally than I did.

[JoshinNC]

Depends on the time of the year

Jan - April: Slacks, button down shirt (high quality), tie, dress shoes

May - December: Whatever suits the weather

Today: Golf shirt, khaki shorts, tennis shoes

If I ride my bike (2003 Ultra Classic) to the office I wear my boots, jeans and a button down Harley shirt. Sometimes I'll bring some casual shoes to change into.

Of course, if I'm meeting with a new client, auditor, banker, other tax professional, attorney, etc it's back to the Jan-April dress code.

[tacks]

Depends on what i am doing and who i am meeting with. I'll wear a suit if a situation calls for it (trying for new business). Or i might stay in my pajamas and not even shower (working from home).

[Lion]

Business Casual

When I'm expecting clients, I'm in dress slacks or skirt and a sweater with flats or loafers (nice but rubber soles for my hardwood floors). When it's just me, I'm in my jammies and fuzzy slippers or flip flops if it's summer. If I have an assistant working but no clients, I'm probably in jeans and a sweater or tee-shirt, depending on the season. If I'm working in jeans and a tee-shirt and a client wants to stop by, I seldom change. But, for a new client, I'll change. And, if I'm going to someone's home or meeting with a broker or banker or...,I'll change.

I also picked up new jeans in forest green and a deep slate blue to look more dressy with sweaters. Bought new loafers and flats. (We hit a huge outlet mall right before tax season!) And, I bought a couple of cardigans to pull things together. I try to not wear blue denim when clients are expected, but have done so on Saturdays. I won't wear heels in my home office, too noisy on my hardwood floors, and slippery.

[erchess]

My Choices

Meet with Taxing Agencies - Suit and Tie with scrupulously shined shoes.

Meet with New Client - Dress slacks Dress shirt tie less attention to shoes, sportcoat only if the weather calls for a light wrap.

Meet with existing client - Match what they wore the last time I did their taxes, even going to in a fair number of cases to jeans, tshirt, and sneakers.

Obviously I often do more than one thing in a day and I dress for the most formal thing I have on my plate that day.

[taxxcpa]

Dress code

Dress codes are fading fast. Since leaving the corporate scene, I haven't worn a suit or even a tie to work except once when I was going direct from my office to a state political convention.
Even law firms are becoming casual. I was at a law firm recently and one of the lawyers was wearing shorts.

When I was an auditor, I usually wore a coat and tie and if I were still auditing oil and gas companies, I would probably still wear a coat and tie to work.

[joanmcq]

when meeting new clients, (usually during tax season) I wear jeans and a decent shirt. After tax season, I try to remember shoes. The shirt depends on the weather. Old clients or those that are friends as well; anything goes. clothes, shoes optional. sometimes fuzzy slippers in the winter.

[Maribeth]

When I left the CPA firm where I did my apprenticeship in 1986, I swore that I would never wear a suit again. I took all my wool suits and gave them to charity and I have not worn a suit since. In the office now, we wear slacks and blouses, nice tops, sweaters. On Friday, it is jeans day. For the summer months, we'll be wearing shorts and flip flops.

I always tell my new employees that if they show up for work in a suit, I will fire them

Maribeth

[geekgirldany]

I will wear dress pants and blouse during the tax season or nice pants and button up shirts. Rest of the time it is still a nicer shirt and jeans. I had a customer come in one day that was use to seeing me in jeans. I had on a dress pants outfit. He asked me who died lol thought I was going to the funeral home.