Bogota - Post Report Question and Answers

What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?

At the embassy most seem pretty professional (jacket, some ties, blazers, dresses, skirts, etc.). Around the city there’s everything, but you’ll stick out as a tourist/expat if you wear shorts or flip flops. Colombian women especially love to dress up, being on the frills, jewelry, and color. I would be careful if walking around to not make yourself a target. (For example, I and most married women I know do not wear their engagement rings.) Fanciest all year is the marine ball: many men wear tuxes but you can have those and gorgeous dresses made. - May 2024


More on the conservative side. Women never show their bare legs at work in Bogota; skirts and dresses are always worn with pantyhose underneath. Likewise, sleeveless shirts are very rare. No local will ever wear shorts in Bogota. Expect to dress like it's fall all year round. - Aug 2023


It’s seems pretty casual to me. Depending on which office in the Embassy you work in. Colombianas tend to dress in proper uniform or in more formal dress then USA folks. - Feb 2021


More on the formal side. - Jul 2020


Colombians generally dress well. Business attire at work. Formal dress for formal events. - Feb 2020


Colombians tend to dress well and more formally than in the U.S. Business and business-casual are common in the embassy. Formal dress is required for the Marine Corps Ball, American Society ball, and other galas that some people attend. - Nov 2018


Formal at work (suits). In public, Colombians are more likely to be dressed up, where even casual looks well thought out and put together. You can tell someone is a foreigner if he's wearing shorts in public. - Sep 2018


The embassy is business dress. My spouse wears a suit and tie every day. We haven't had to wear formal dress for anything yet. - Aug 2018


Professional. More formal than in the US. - May 2018


The Colombians dress nicer than the average American. - Apr 2016


Bogota has a well dressed society. - Aug 2015


Professional at work. Less casual in public that the U.S. No one wears shorts or flip flops. - Aug 2014


More formal than in the U.S. Women and men alike dress up with jackets and nice shoes/boots. - Jun 2014


Bogotanos tend to dress up, and the climate requires long pants and sweaters/jackets. At the workplace it is ties and jackets. - May 2013


Fairly formal. - Oct 2012


Bogotanos are typically very formal, so the dress for work (especially if you have meetings outside the embassy) is business attire. With that said, you can wear dressy jeans to nice restaurants and nobody looks twice at you. - Jul 2012


Dressy. Lots of high heels and suits. Imagine NYC business world and everyone taking note. - Apr 2012


Colombians are fairly formal, and the State Dept folks don't come to work if they don't have a suit on. - Dec 2011


Fairly dressy and proper. Ladies are always in high-heel boots and are made up (even at the park/gym). Men in suits. Folks look good! - Jul 2011


Fancy: high heels, makeup, tag clothes, jewelry, expensive purses and watches. - Nov 2010


Dressy. - Sep 2010


Suit or sportcoat/slacks. - Aug 2010


Formal. I would never wear jeans to work, and I often feel underdressed at the grocery store in jeans. - Aug 2010


Nice to formal. - Aug 2010


Dressy. - Jun 2010


Casual-nice. Suits for business people. A perfectly acceptable 'uniform' otherwise is jeans, a nice shirt, nice coat and boots. - Jan 2010


Colombian women tend to dress up more than most Americans. Depending on your department, the dress code at the embassy ranges from suits and ties to jeans. - Sep 2009


Depends who you work for. Some agencies have the majority of their employees in jeans or cargo pants, for others it's suits. - Dec 2008


Definitely a dress up city -- you will never see a woman wearing sweats and sneakers and walking around. They are always wearing boots and nice jackets and have make-up on, etc. - Dec 2008


Colombians are very dressed up, high hills, big hair, big make up you will not see any sweatpants or sloppiness. - Nov 2008


At work business formal; in public, jeans are ok. - Nov 2008


Business. . .many dress casual on Fridays but with all the meetings and constant VIP visits a casual Friday is sometimes just not going to happen. - May 2008


Business Dress within the Embassy. There is an informal dress down Friday, but is often discouraged by many American supervisors. - Apr 2008


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