Job Discussion Forums

[nolegirl]

I am moving to Istanbul in August for my first teaching job. What exactly is the dress code for class and recreational?

I wear nice pants and blazers at my current job, but is a blazer to dressy? Are jeans to casual?

I have read many posts that you can wear western style dress in Istanbul when going out... just verifying if this is true. thanks

[yaramaz]

Istanbul is quite western in its dress, generally, though for women it isn't as casual as it can be in north america or britain. Turkish women are rarely if ever seen in baggy t-shirts or sweats in public. They also dress tight but show little skin. At work, jeans are a no-no as far as I have experienced but there may be exceptions. A blazer may be overkill, but again, it depends on where you'll be working.

[Nmarie]

[CECTPA]

Nobody's grabbed me (knock on wood) but I second that.

There's a certain knuckle-dragger element on the street that thinks (if you can call it that) "foreign woman + tight clothes = hooker/floozy."

Not all of the men you will encounter think like this, but it's better to be defensively prepared against the ones who do.

[birincikat]

It's a good idea to dress modestly until you get a feel for what those around you are wearing. Jeans are appropriate outside of work, but you will find that your teaching colleagues will dress to the nines. Business casual (i.e. blouse and nice slacks) is appropriate for class. I would reiterate Nmarie's comment about tight clothing as a foreign woman, especially if you don't want inappropriate attention. The Turkish gals can get away with a little more (or less, that is) than foreign ones. Happy packing!