Going to Indiana for the first time --what to wear?

reb562

Hi, I recently got a job and they are flying me out to Indiana on March 24th for training. I was told to dress 'business casual --well, I'm in Southern California so my business casual I'm guessing is much different then Indiana's business casual???? So , can you wonderful ladies tell me what the weather is like and what you suggest I wear to this training program. I will be there one full week. I'm very excited to see your town. and its for an Aerospace company if that matters. thanks!

perfectpeach

I would suggest you check weather.com a few days prior to your trip to decide on weather appropriate clothing b/c IN weather is very dynamic and changes often.  Now, as far as business casual being "much different" in IN vs. SoCal...not quite sure what you meant by that...I'm assuming you're coming to Indianapolis, which is just like any other major metro area in the US...we're not all farmers here!

reb562

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend...what I should have said was, business casual for me because I'm in So. Cal is very laid back attire, :jeans, tanktops, even flip-flops (if you work in an office) open toe shoe.

I know if I go to the east coast they are a bit more conservative,(dress pants, blouse, etc) I wasn't sure about Indiana since I've never been.

Can I wear jeans? I have to pack for a whole week so I don't want to over dress nor under dress.  Just looking for some help here.

perfectpeach

You can't go wrong with khakis & a button up blouse or sweater out here...and I would say closed toe shoes (as it will probably be chilly here)...another trick is to layer for the weather b/c the AM's can be pretty cold but then by the afternoon things have warmed up!

manda429

I would say it'll be too cold here for flip flops.  I usually don't break out the capri and sandles until May.

I would also say probably not jeans. I would go minimally with cotton slacks.   I don't know many companies that care about the open toed shoes and the like, so I wouldn't worry about that.

What part of town will you be in?  Downtown is not a bad place to be if you are traveling.  There is a lot you can do at night which is nice.

earthmuffin

I would suggest khakis or cotton pants and a blouse with cartigan or twinset... peep toes are usually okay but again check with weather.com since our weather is a mess .... basically what the PPs said. I would however bring a pair of nice denim trousers just in case people end up wearing jeans you will still be dressed up but not too underdressed... does that make sense? Either way, welcome to Indiana! If you let us know where you'll be staying we can give you an idea of what to do and where to eat and all that good stuff :-)

KK06

I'd say trouser pants or dressy khakis and a collered shirt or sweater set. The weather is hard to predict like the PP said. Jeans would be too casual IMO.

The only other thing I have noticed that is regionally different is that ppl here wear ankle/knee high hose with heels or dress shoes here whereas in the south or warmer climates ppl go barefoot in dressy shoes. It freaks me out to see women in spike heels barefoot (IMO as gross as barefoot in tennis shoes) and I think it is a regional thing. Or maybe it is just me!! LOL

Hope you have a great trip!

BunnyMacDougal

I'm not a big khaki fan.  I would say dress pants (BR or JCrew for instance)...and on that date,  you probably still need a jacket.  Maybe just a trench.

cristamegan

Just wanted to say I've lived in Indiana my whole life and I haven't worn panty hose or knee-hi's with my dress shoes since panty hose were cool.  (were they ever cool?)  So, it wouldn't be inappropriate for you to not wear them, in my oppinion.  Don't go out and buy a pair just for this trip if you don't normally wear them.

My office is business casual, so through the week I wear khakis, dress pants, blouses, sweaters.  You could always call ahead and talk to an admin in HR and ask her what people normally wear.  It may differ from company to company.

I hope you have a good trip!

CollegeGrrl219

Do not wear jeans and flip flops.

I would go with a nice shirt and pants. To me, business casual means you don't have to wear a suit, but you still have to dress up.

As far as dressing for the weather, I say dress in layers. Wear light weight shirts but bring a cardigan in case it gets cold. It might get really cold, but it could also be really hot. I agree that you should check the weather online before you leave. There is no way of guessing what the weather is like this far in advance.

My dad always used to say, "If you don't like the weather in Indiana, give it 10 minutes and it will change."

That means, it could be snowing one day, and super warm the next. It could be raining in one neighborhood, and sunny in another. Just be prepared for anything, because we pretty much get it all here.

iluvben

the weather here is like, flip a coin.  might be 70 degrees one day, and snowing the next.  if you will be here for several days, pack accordingly, like the layers someone else suggested.

o, and the only person in indiana i know that wears pantyhose is my 84 year old grandmother

KK06

Apparently I am old fashioned or have always been in conservative environments, but I was raised that going barefoot in dress shoes isn't appropriate. I go barefoot in sandals, mules, peeptoe, etc. in warmer casual months, but with a heel I'd get blisters and sweaty feet and gross insoles without some sort of sock, hosiery, etc. To me that is as peculiar as going jogging in tennis shoes without any socks on. I guess times have changed and I haven't or I have a weird hangup about it! I hope you have a great visit and enjoy whatever footwear you want :-) Sorry for my misinformation about the local trends!

sway26

Well business casual here would usually be some nice kahkis and a nice sweater or top.  The weathers been not bad(cold for Cali standards though!) Being around 50 during the day, 30 at night.  So I would bring a coat and some long sleeved items and close toed shoes.

sway26

Oh and I still wear panty hose but thats only to go to church and with a skirt.  Otherwise heck no.  If my legs didnt look so horrible in a knee high skirt I wouldnt lol.  Sometimes if its really hot and I've got a good tan I will go pantyholess.  But Im like the only 23 year old I know who still wears pantyhose lol

CollegeGrrl219

Personally, I hate pantyhose. I don't get why people wear them. They are so itchy, and they don't stay where they are supposed to.

If you're not sure what to wear, just wear pants. No one will even know if you're wearing hose or not.