Slacks also means not clingy. Loose fitting, not tight. Straight legged is also fine if loose and long enough. Higher waisted than normal hip-huggers, no midriff showing. A long enough top or blouse. Black means black.

Cute? What would a 19 year old wear? This is a job, not an evening out on a date. She should follow the guidelines as precisely as possible. It makes a difference. Jobs have dress codes when employees wear inappropriate garb so it's there to be followed.

https://www.target.com/p/women-s-straight-leg-bi-stretch-twill-pants-a-new-day-153/-/A-52515757?preselect=52473395#lnk=sametab

Slacks do not have pockets on the backside, don't have double-stitched outer seams, and typically fit fairly loosely below the waist and hips.

I'm unable to provide a link right now, but if you Google Worthington perfect trousers at JC Penneys, you'll see what I think would be appropriate for your daughter's needs. While they lean more to the casual side, I think a pair of Dockers would work as well. Pair them with a classic collared white blouse and some loafers and she'll be all set.

In my world "slacks" have never been the same as jeans and color doesn't change "jeans". Sounds pretty self explanatory to me. They want more of a "dress code" attire, "dressier" (not referring to the female gown) than jeans and a sweatshirt. Hostess at a nice steak house. Tells me a lot right there. If in doubt go to another place and see what they're wearing. If in doubt, wear the dress. Arguing attire from the start isn't going to help for advancement and I don't think she's trying to, but seems like this is a simple thing to get past.

And you don't have to spend a lot to look presentable either. In fact, I'd suggest cheaper stuff from the start with my restaurant experience. Black collects dust and lint and will look bad quickly. Make sure it's easy to clean and maintain. A cheap lint roller might be a good investment too.

I don't know anyone who thinks that jeans are slacks.

Buy something that can be thrown into the washer and then the dryer and comes out looking decent.

I think she asked about the black jeans because she’s been able to wear black denim where regular jeans werent allowed elsewhere...no one said she was arguing about dress attire...??

Your daughter could always ask someone who works there where they get their slacks...

Try old navy Pixie pants. Inexpensive with good reviews. I think they are on sale now $15-20. Machine washable

"old navy Pixie pants."

I looked. To my eye, the pixie pants mentioned aren't trousers or appropriately dressy because they're too tight/clingy through the leg and not long enough. They stop several inches above the ankle bone - compare the difference to the pants mdln posted. These are what someone I knew once used to call "High water pants".

Dress pants-- for sure not jeans--of any color. Shoes are an OCEA safety standard.

elmer, that's the current style. Don't comment on current style if you don't click the link. It shows that's what it really is. And she does have to look good, people (not you, I'm sure because I'm saying, so it's automatically a no for you), do tip better depending on how one looks. Undoubtedly, the restaurant was going for a "uniform" look that is presentable, nothing more. Sounded like they wanted a person to inject their personality somewhat since there are choices, a dress or pants. For instance, I think my pants are identical to mdln, except those posted by mdln don't need to be iron. They'd blend perfectly at the restaurant, most likely their objective. Not to please every single eye.

I too don't prefer them, but thems the times. So you'd tip less, but others might offset it with tipping her more.

I would think it would mean slacks...button, zipper, looser straight leg, nothing clingy and down to the shoe tops.

If they are looking for dressier then a third "completer piece"... a jacket or a sweater ...not just blouse and pants...else scarf and jewelry, and dressier blouse, not just a t shirt. Nothing too low cut.

She needs to dress like she wants to be there, regardless of her age.

People tip the hostess???

I second the Worthington perfect trousers from JC Penny. Its a good brand and has a few different styles,all of them nice work attire. They are what I wear to work. They are comfortable and professional.

Meanwhile, the two newer ladies get away with wearing yoga pants,sweat pants,tennis shoes and jeans. How in the world they get away with that will always be a fascination for me as the dress code is very clear and all of that is forbidden. And THEY work during the day, when all the enforcers are there!!!! I once got a comment from an HR rep about my pink heart shaped sunglasses that I wore for exactly 2 minutes while i walked to my office building. Not an order to not wear them, but a question on whether or not they are "professional."

But they can wear yoga pants so tight i can see the pattern on their undies without anyone blinking an eye???? Ok ma'am.

Anyway, sorry for that. I went off the rails a little. Yeah, Worthington.

I'm glad they mentioned no high heels. For years, hostesses, servers, office workers etc were expected to wear high heels. I think it only came about last year that employers couldn't demand staff wear them.

Slacks break at the instep. Yes even for women. Pixie pants are not slacks. A hostess in an upper scale restaurant dresses in professional business attire. That means nothing extreme. No plunging necklines, nothing sleeveless, no tee shirts, simple jewelry, hair off the face. Forget cute for shoes. Think comfort for hours on her feet. She is not there to be cute. She is there to be as classy in an understated way as the restaurant requires.

The point is to not call attention to oneself. Everything should be neat and neutral. The hostess is the first person the customers see and sets the tone for the venue.

Slacks are dress pants, typically sold where there are coordinating jackets. I also concur that Worthington would be a good compromise considering cost vs. frequent washings. I used to wear that brand for work pants since I often had to crawl under desks (getting dusty) to get to tower computers.

If you didn't click the link, you didn't see the current style... including dress pants. Like it or not. And I repeat, I don't like them.

black dress pants. Not leggings. Not black jeans. Something you would wear in an office setting. Mind you, nowadays, office workers wear jeans........ but no jeans that are black and no leggings.

(LOL 'high waters', the bane of my middle-school years! We'd wear our pant legs trailing in the dirt lest we be accused of walking through a flood and not get our pant-legs wet. The updated style looks cute on some people, but no thanks for me personally -- some memories go too deep!)

One thing we may not be thinking about, what image the restaurant might want. It's such a loose definition, we may be taking it completely out of context. Maybe they're super trendy, and want to attract the type of clientele that likes the current highwater looking pants. Ew. Rather than some high-falutin' fancy-schmany place (the kind I love! with the type of pant I originally posted. With table linens and crystal).

She should have no problem finding slacks that fit her needs. Hopefully she will only need 2-3 if washed in between. Most stores will carry them. I also would stay away from any tight "form fitting" ones. Being as petite as she is, tops could be easily found too. Good luck and tell her congrats!

Well, rob, I clicked the link. Some of the pants there (some of the boot cut and the straight legged ones) almost make it, but the purchaser would need to go a size up from what they normally wear, because slacks in a classy restaurant should not look like they were sprayed on and revealing the wearer's lack of undergarment.

The point was, they're all short now. All highwaters. Nothing more. I didn't say they were what was right. Y'all read in more than I said. I still don't like them.

rob, the conversation is based on very limited info and I don't think the OP has a clear picture of the situation as her comments were a bit muddled too.

If a "professional" or business dressy, upscale image is the goal, the Target slacks you first posted above and also the image of mdln show good examples. Your most recent link above shows casual, perhaps even trendy sportswear and those are quite different to my eye.

I've always found that when young people, male and female, wear timeless classical styles that are more dressy, they look particularly snazzy. I'm not talking about males in tuxedos and females in party dresses but rather those wearing smart, dressy, call it "upscale office" clothing.

I already had the thought, and these slacks can send her on to the next step, office, should she so choose. She'll have an idea of what fit she wants, how to care for them, costs. I don't disagree. I hate the current length. Saw it in a commercial and thought ick! But it's here.

My daughter's college graduation gift was one week's worth of "professional" work clothes. But with the stipulation that I got to choose what she got. We went to several stores. I'd asked my wife to not come, I wanted to handle what I expected to be a rough experience on my own. I was right - we argued and fought, I insisted on stuff she said made her look like her mother on a bad day (I still remember that comment). We left with a collection of properly sized skirts and slacks, mix and match jackets, silk and cotton blouses, two pairs of shoes, all conservatively styled, long and large enough to not be too tight. She was upset and said "nothing that we bought are things I would have wanted to have". "Too bad", I said, "they're right for your job".

After the first busy week of work, she called to let me know that her clothes were perfect. Several in her incoming group had been sent home to change. The training manager had complimented her on her appearance. She was very happy with what she had and thanked me for helping.

Mission Accomplished! We still talk fondly about that day of shopping, it was an unintended father daughter bonding experience.

Do I have some special fashion sense? No, of course not. But a career spent in a daily professional environment was enough to understand what would look right and not right for a fresh college grad joining a company.

My granddaughter works at a sit-down restaurant. She wears black slacks, white blouse, black bow tie, black shoes, and a black apron, with her long hair in a bun. She looks nice and neat and gets very good tips ( which is a reflection of her personality, as well as her looks.) I don't know where she buys her clothes, but they are well-made, nice fabric, and sturdy enough for repeated wearing and washing. The shoes are ones made specifically for restaurant workers. She also works at a steakhouse-type restaurant.

Since your daughter will be a hostess and won't be serving food, I think she could wear clothes made from thinner, dressier fabric. Perhaps she could go by the type of clothes the other hostess was wearing, or even ask where she buys her clothes.

yes, it would make the most sense for DD to ask the other hostess she's working with and of course, to observe what they are wearing. I think the simpler she keeps it the better. I don't know if besides black slacks, if there are any color/print limitations for tops or dresses.

We have a dress code too. I think it's silly because we don't work when patients are here. We work on the phone in a cold basement. Most of us freeze. This past weekend I wore jeans and a thick sweatshirt and a sweat jacket over it. Not the dress code but I knew it would be cold and no one would be around. I do try and wear normal work attire during the weekdays even though no one ever sees us. Every once in a while our manager comes down and talks to us or drops something off and I don't think she even looks that closely at what we're wearing.

Forget trendy. The restaurant has made it clear they want traditional attire. They are not looking for sequined evening slacks and they are not looking for sausage casing dresses cut up their there and down to here however "stylish". It's not about being dressy and fashionable. It's about being conservative, well groomed and standing out as an employee, not a party guest.

We have a small chain family chain of diners here. Super casual and similar menu. However the vibe is different in each one. For years waitstaff wore black slacks and white button down shirts in one. The most casual of the attire in one of the other restaurants was regular jeans and tees. Service was pretty good in all of them. However the one where they dressed professionally. made even the casual diner experience feel more like dining out. I'm pretty sure those workers got better tips.

There was nothing clear about traditional or not. It was slacks. And that was it. Probably, but clear, it was not

Rob, you clearly didn't scroll through the whole site on the link you posted, They're not all short. The first section is the ankle freezer section. After that is the boot cut section and then the straight leg section. Both of those sections have full length slacks.

Slacks are not the same as ankle pants, crops, leggings, jeans or capris. Slacks hit right above the shoe. Almost skimming the top of the foot.

okay can't resist, here's some real Black Slacks!

One thing is clear, but I won't say what!

Express has great dress slacks. Very affordable, esp. with coupons.

Boy, there's a lot of very adamant opinions here!! And I think in many cases we are splitting hairs and very likely.....showing a bit of age as well :-)

'Slacks' are defined as pants/trousers that are not part of a suit. And that's as far as the definition goes except to refer to an implication of a "specific material" although what that maybe is undefined. Most sources also exclude jeans, capris, or very causal cargo/sweat/yoga styles

There is NO specification as to length and the current fashion favorite ankle pants are perfectly acceptable. Yes, us old fuddy duddies may not like them but they are very much au courant!! And wearing them would not be construed as being less than well dressed and professional looking, provided blouse, shoes and general appearance was also.

Daughter needs to have looked around to see what others were wearing. Daughter who is 19 and therefore old enough to buy clothes needs to find out where they got said clothes and go there and get them. How is she going to be responsible at work if she needs a mom to find slacks for her? I say this not to be mean but kind. Life gets harder than finding pants. It is an easy start on growing up. Good luck to her and mom.

gardengal, do you have a daughter(s)? And experience with them or yourself working in a busy professional environment with a lot of public contact and traffic (ie, not just co-workers) through the day where a particular image of appearance and conduct is desired?

Proper professional dress was part of the curriculum or at least class discussion when my daughter was in college getting her degree. I recall her telling me about it. This was in the 90's. My kids held part time jobs from the age of 14. They learned the rules, how to dress for respective jobs and what was required to keep it. They learned through trial and error. I remember DS going to a big computer show when he was still in high school. He was invited to a "jackets for gentlemen required" affair while he was there. He had to go shopping. Came home with a bright gold jacket that made him look like a real estate guy for 21st century. LOL But he did choose a very nice belt and loafers. That was his entrance into learning how to dress for success. He became very adept at cleaning up well when required. Life skills.

Sadly I see a pattern here with the poster's children and jobs and life skills in general. DS wanted to bend the rules on attendance and now DD wants to bend the rules on attire. Doesn't bode well for any good career opportunities in their futures. It's time to let them go and sink or swim. Not going to learn a thing if mom steps in to save the day.

Although the question has nothing to do with the issue at hand, yes Elmer, I have a daughter. With a successful career in a customer service field interacting with the HR departments of other employers. And I had a pretty high level professional business career myself in a very male dominated industry. So if you are somehow implying by that backhanded question that I do not know how to dress for a professional business position without having the slightest bit of knowledge about me, you are even farther off the mark than usual.

I asked because the comments in your last paragraph suggested it was a topic you were not familiar with. In my experience, clothing considered as more "dressy" than regular casual work wear is pretty immune to the fashions of the day. Unless you'd expect to walk into, say, a law office and meet a female lawyer with a top with what I consider the hideous cut-out shoulder style or with a skin tight top with a plunging neckline. No, of course not, but those are among the styles of the day that belong to casual, off-work and are not right for dressy work wear styles.

IMO there is a range of pant styles that would be appropriate for this type of job, but it largely depends upon how fashion-forward your geographical location is and how upscale/modern the steakhouse itself is. I work in NYC, and basically all steakhouses here are 'upscale' in terms of pricing. However, there are some that are very old-school traditional, where this style of slacks might be most appropriate:

biondanonima: you pretty much summed it up...my thoughts too.

"In my experience, clothing considered as more "dressy" than regular casual work wear is pretty immune to the fashions of the day."

Then you are not at all familiar with current women's professional fashion. If you don't think it also moves and adjusts with the times, then you are sorely mistaken. Not as abruptly or as radically as "casual" fashion might but it does change and most definitely keeps up with the times. As does men's fashion.

Clearly our experiences are different. See, I could say that without the insult you included in your comment.