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
