Whose Dress Code?
I am a regular instructor for WWEE (Washington Women’s Education & Employment) spending time covering how to dress for success. It is amazing how business/professional dress definitions vary based on situation and age.
So many factors play into our perceptions and interpretations that it can be hard to interpret vague dress codes, and harder if an employer doesn’t have a dress code at all. The type of job objectives also may call different types of appropriate clothing to perform the best work.
There are many thoughts when it comes to dress codes. Just two examples:
Dress for the position you aspire to.
or
The more relaxed I am the more productive I am.
Some very sound advice comes from Salary.com. Do your clothes support your overall appearance and aptitude and say “pay me more?” Opinions and impressions are created in 7 seconds, and 55% of your total being is non-verbal communication (which includes attire).
Another thing to keep in mind is that we are affected by what we surround ourselves with. How we feel in different clothing will affect our productivity and overall attitude. Most people LOVE their jeans. If they could, many of us would jump at the chance to wear them to work every day (if we’re part of the group that can’t). Jeans can be dressed up, however they are still jeans.
In general work environments and company culture say more about a dress code than most printed dress codes do. The owners of a company have their mission and values and exist for a specific reason. The business type (service, support, create, etc.) and the targeted client type can affect how a dress code emerges. A company is only as strong as its employees, and the way employees dress will impact the ability for the company objectives to be met.
If you want to be perceived as a professionally dressed professional, this blog has some great articles. It is very cut and dry and spells out business attire. Harsh? I don’t think so… it is the reality for many.
For Gen X and Y women there are some items I’d like to point out for work dress codes that may not comment on:
- Hose is no longer a requirement. It is more business oriented than going without.
- Open toed shoes are acceptable, AS LONG AS YOUR TOES ARE GROOMED and well-kept.
- Bermuda shorts and city shorts are not business attire. They fall into the casual side of business casual, even with a jacket.
- Skirts are considered more professional, and dressier, than pants.
- Flip-flops are not work appropriate.
- Sandals are tricky to work into a business environment. It’s easier with pants and slacks, however with skirts many sandals styles typically go beyond a business environment.
A little conservatism can go a long way. Dressing to achieve the objectives of your position while highlighting your best features helps you build your individual style. Remember, be true to yourself and considerate of others. Too much skin can inadvertently alienate some people from you and can decrease the overall perception others have of you.
My personal mantra for how to dress for work:
Look good, feel good, do good work.
Give yourself enough time to pamper and groom, replace clothing that is wearing out, and make sure you’ve got a dryer handy or learn to iron to remove wrinkles out of clothes.
Dear Jess,
As an image consultant with over 30 years experience, I have to say: BRAVO! People have to remember that when they dress down at work they are literally hurling an insult to their boss, their coworkers, and worst of all their CLIENTS because their shouts “I dress for my comfort rather than dressing to impress you.” A person’s work attire communicates so much more then keeping up with fashion trends—the way you look and dress announces how you feel about yourself. And how seriously they take their job. A person who shows up for work looking careless or sloppy communicates sloppy work performance without even lifting a pencil (or opening a computer program).
GenY, the Millennium Generation, in particular, believes that they should be judged on performance, not on appearance. Sadly, since caveman days, we are hardwired to make judgments about the people we encounter. The way you look and dress also announces the outcome other people can expect from you. GenY tends to dress in such a manner that they are immediately judged to me “greenhorns” with no experience. In other words, a time waster who will have to go ask the boss or look it up in a book. They are dismissed because they appear to have no little or no experience, and therefore, no credibility.
Sandy Dumont
The Image Architect
[...] Having been in the working world for a decade and encountering many different business situations, it is becoming more unclear over time what business dress means. [...]
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