What to wear to a prospective job meeting?

Possible New Job - Skirt or pants?

• Okay, so I’m looking at taking a new job at a local high-end mattress retailer. I’ve met with the female manager and she’s nice so no problem there. I like the pay, the work and the benefits. I’m expecting to be offered the job soon as the manager has already indicated to me that it’s pretty much mine pending an official offer. My problem is the work attire. I know that seems stupid but my image is important to me but so is my comfort level. The company provides a logo button-down type shirt. The bottom half of the outfit I provide. Rules state females may wear their choice of long black dress pants with a bootcut or flare leg opening or a black above-the-knee skirt. No jeans, no cropped pants, no leggings, no long skirts – so nothing trendy. Dress shoes must be worn. Wearing a skirt requires hosiery. After having a job a few years ago that required skirts and hose everyday I got tired of it. I was spoiled with my next two jobs in retail because I could wear dressy separates and I always wore pants. I don’t want to go back to skirts but I feel pressure to. After meeting and speaking with four other female sales associates I noticed they were all wearing short skirts, hose and high-heels. I mean they all looked the same. They all even had the same French manicure fake nails. This kinda threw me off so I pulled one aside and asked if she always wears skirts and she said all the girls wear skirts everyday. Even though rules indicate pants are allowed, none of them wear pants! My dilemma is I don’t want to feel like the odd one out being the only one wearing pants on a sales floor with all the others in skirts. I’m not self-concious about my body at all and I have a nice figure but I want to wear pants instead of skirts and hose. I have no problem with wearing high heels because I wear them everyday anyway. I’m getting the feeling that skirts are pretty much mandatory. Will management have a problem if I wear pants? Will I fall out of favor? Will it hurt my sales? Does it matter to shoppers if I’m the only one not showing my legs? Do shoppers even notice? Would you care? I’d like some opinions from males & females on this. BTW, If I wore pants, do you think nice black flare leg yoga pants would be okay if I wore heels with them? Thank You!

• Answer:

  Pants is definitley more professional. I know because my sister is a business woman and always wears pants because her job doesn't allow her to wear skirts!