Polyester free trousers for work, anyone?

[farnam]

What do you wear to work?

For many years, I've had a certain kind of 'look' going. I call it my 'hippie chick' look.Although its a very 'professional' hippie chick look, and nothing that would be worn by any real hippie worthy of the name. Most of my work clothes have been bought in sales from shops like Monsoon or the per Una range from Marks and

Comments

[sashajwolf]

I can't wear polyester next to my skin either - I come out in a rash the first time they get wet from rain or sweat - but I can usually find something suitable at M&S. You could maybe try these:

Plait Waist Wide Leg Beach Trousers (100% viscose, £19.50).

I have several pairs of viscose trousers from M&S that were sold as "lounge wear" that I think are probably similar to these, and I wore them to work without a problem throughout July and August (when we have a "casual dress" policy so don't have to wear suits, but like you are not allowed jeans).

If you can tolerate a small amount of elastane (lycra), you could also try these:

Limited Collection Cotton-Rich Straight Leg Chinos (98% cotton, 2% elastane, sale price £19)
Cotton-Rich Straight Leg Chinos (98% cotton, 2% elastane, full price £25, different colours from the previous link)
Per Una Pisa Flat Front Straight Leg Trousers (98% cotton, 2% elastane, sale price £25)
Limited Collection Pleat Slouch Trousers (74% viscose, 20% cupro, 6% linen, full price £37.50

[sammason]

Land's End do a wide range of cotton trousers (they call them 'chinos', an unfortunate word imo but it's only a word) and cords. I don't know your body type but mine is such that Land's End has become almost the only place I buy trousers. My taste happens to be quite conservative in trousers, with more colourful top-half choices, so I mostly go for black, blue or brown trousers but that supplier sells all sorts.

I find it a little bit surprising that you perceive jeans as a no-no for lecturers. Your University must be quite different from mine, then. The person who supervised my PhD and who is now my coauthor is a well-respected lecturer who always wears black jeans with a button-down shirt and a fleece jacket. In really hot weather he might roll his shirtsleeves up to the elbow so in that sense, he doesn't look at all like a student: the boys wear shorts in hot weather. But so do a few of the lecturers.

[farnam]

I'm probably a bit more anxious about it than I should be. No one has told me not to wear jeans to work - its just that I've never seen any other female accademic or admin staff here do so.

I think it varies considerably by both subject area and institution. Back in Trinity my old supervisor used to always wear brown cords. We used to speculate that she didn't own any bottoms that weren't brown cords

[sammason]

I hope she owned at least 2 pairs of brown cords so that one pair could be in the wash while she wore the other

[doubtfulace]

Culottes ?

Go for a slightly excentric academic look ?

perhaps