What to wear on your first day of work so you aren't overdressed
First-day outfit anxiety comes down to the fear of guessing wrong and ending up underdressed or overdressed for the office. This uncertainty leaves people second-guessing standard professional dress codes and scrambling to figure out what is actually appropriate.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 13.5× more often in r/Accounting than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
What to wear on your first day of work so you aren't overdressed
- 1Searching online for smart casual examplesDid this help you?
- 2Wearing slacks and a blouseDid this help you?
- 3Dressing slightly on the dressier side to avoid being underdressedDid this help you?
- 4Wearing a full suit and tie regardless of the specified dress codeDid this help you?
- 5Wearing a suit without a tie or a sport coat with a shirtDid this help you?
- 6wearing sweatpants and hoodiesDid this help you?
- 7dressing more casually or slightly more formal than company normsDid this help you?
- 8wearing standard business casual like polos and slacksDid this help you?
- 9Buying a capsule wardrobe consisting of basic trousers and topsDid this help you?
- 10Wearing jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts, and sneakersDid this help you?
- 11Checking school dress codes and expectations before buying clothesDid this help you?
- 12Overdressing the first week to learn the unspoken rules of the school culture.Did this help you?
- 13Checking with the specific school before buying a new wardrobe.Did this help you?
- 14Defaulting to business casual attire like khakis and a collared shirt.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“now I’m scared of being under or overdressed on my first day of work.”source ↗
“It does; my office is very casual and I am always slightly more formal. It's made a huge difference not just in my confidence, but in how I am treated as a young woman.”source ↗
“Hey, what should I wear if my Big 4 interview specifies business casual for the back to back meeting with SM & Partner?”source ↗
“Whenever I go to the office, it's business casual, which is a lot more dressed up than I am when working from home. As for it making a difference at work, it absolutely does in both directions (i.e. underdressing v. overdressing).”source ↗
“i just got a job as a teaching assistant and i’m soo lost on which outfits to wear! i start in two weeks and i need to buy some decent clothes for work. i live in crop tops and jeans which is obviously not school appropriate”source ↗
“i’ve only ever worn a uniform at work so i have no idea on what to wear”source ↗
“I haven't joined a specific school yet but before I join I would like to know what is expected of me like are shorts okay in some public schools and are suits mandatory in private school.”source ↗
“My first year I never thought I’d ever wear shirts, but once it hit 100 degrees without AC I got over that quickly.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Should teachers wear costumes for school dress-up days?
- 2Can you wear mismatched suit pieces for an interview?
- 9How to choose between two wedding dresses
- 10What gear and supplies do you need to buy for a new job?
- 2Should I buy a new wedding reception dress if mine is too tight?
- 12What should I do on the first day of teaching?