Dressing Up To Code

I went to a private high school with a professional dress code. We could not dye our hair unnatural colors or pierce anything aside from earrings for girls. Boys could not wear facial hair. Clothing could not be tight. Skirts and tops could not be short. Above all, we could not wear tee shirts or blue jeans. My friends who went to public school were amazed that I could dress myself with that last limitation. In truth, I just turned off the weekend casual part of my brain and used it as an opportunity to indulge my inner skirt lover. By senior year, I'd settled into 1950s sweetheart meets goth with long black satin skirts, chunky shoes, pearl jewelry, hair scarves and sweaters.

Needless to say, my high school's dress code prepped me for dressing for the business world, yet I still meet people who mystify me with their fight against dress codes. If I'm going to pick something to complain about at work, I'd much rather fight for an ergonomic desk and chair than the "right" to wear flip flops.

Doha2 is a member of Polyvore who, like me, has chosen to work stylishly within the limits of a dress code. I've been impressed with her sets, because even though you can do anything in Polyvore, Doha2 still makes outfits that fit her Islamic dress requirements -- covered arms, legs and head. She's a perfect example of how limits on what you wear doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your sense of style. (Click the link to see more. Polyvore's latest update is creating code issues.)

When you have restaints put on how you dress, how do you respond?