Professional Dress Code tips

 Dear Don,

 

As a regular visitor to your very helpful website I stumbled across the "dress code" page. This we read with an amalgam of mirth and disbelief.  In the UK there are various Acts of law which would wind a corp up running this stuff.  But, yes, it is very important, agreed.
 

The way we manage this consultant requirement is never hire someone who we even think would need to be told to use a dress code.  Maybe  you should create a "dress code test" as part of your hire eval.  In almost a decade of trading, and with no formal dress code requirement being stated, no client has ever returned an adverse comment to us in the appearance section of our post-contract crits.

 

Best wishes for a successful 2007

 

Mike

 

Dr. Mike Buck
CEO Concentrika Limited

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I understand the need for your employees to make a professional impression
on your clients, and I wouldn't advocate that you do anything different.

However, I find the cultural mindset on the part of your clients which
produces such rigidity depressing. I get the impression of a class
consciousness emanating from the upper echelons of those companies which
smacks of elitism and snobbery, and that rubs me the wrong way. I am
speaking about the executives, of course, who all too often are engaged in a
can-you-top-this contest to bolster their already inflated egos, who are
then emulated in dress and style by the sychophantic ladder-climbing
managers underneath them. These are the companies that provide fodder for
the Dilbert comic strip, with their employees slaving away in standardized
cubicles, terrified of losing their jobs due to some social blunder.

I think you see through all that, because you obviously have a pretty good
sense of humor. I also think that the instructional pages which you put up
on the web represent a true desire to be helpful and show a generosity which
goes beyond merely advertising your services.

I escaped from corporate ladder-climbing long ago and am a much happier person for it, working for a small company in a no-nonsense environment. The company consists almost entirely of technical specialists -- programmers, engineers, etc. -- with almost no management.

For their part, the banks and insurance companies would contend that their dress codes are necessary in order to make a good impression on their clients, but I think one has to differentiate between the necessary dress code for front-line people dealing directly with customers, such as bank tellers, and the dress code of the executives, which seems to be more about making a statement about the wearer's position, wealth, and power.

The only thing which I could perhaps find fault with in your dress code is not the dress code itself, but rather the sense of finality in the
pronouncements of what is stylish and what is not. There is indeed a certain timelessness to a good blue or charcoal suit and a good pair of shoes, but as you yourself noted, hats went out in the 50's. Perhaps in another 50 years, your shiny black shoes will look as outdated as one of those Fedora hats does today.

Also, medieval shoes look stupid to you. The polo hats and funny riding
trousers of the modern day aristocracy look stupid to me.

The people I admire most are scientists, and we know how well Einstein
dressed :-)
 

Scott C. Pedigo
Java Developer (and when forced, SQL writer)
Zurich, Switzerland

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I ran across your dress code page today as I was searching for information on Corfam shoes. It is certainly an interesting point of view, and quite "East-coast" in its formality. In the decade-plus I have been in the technology sector, none of the companies (some Fortune 200) had a dress code like the one you model. I believe, though, that many companies could absolutely use some level of redress, if you'll forgive the pun, of their dress code to get closer to yours.

But I digress. I am also a senior enlisted member of the Army Reserve, and I was concerned when I read your statement:

"To establish a great base-shine, you can easily locate a shoe service at any fine shoe store or military base. U.S. military bases (especially Marine bases) have open-to-the public services where you can get your shoe-mirrors started."

I can say with some authority that the events of September 11, 2001 still impact public access to many military installations. It would be helpful to warn your those who are read your web page that military installations are not as open as they once were, and that they should be prepared to be turned away at the gate. Security levels change without notice to the public;
further, the general public has no "automatic right" to access a military installation, especially if the purpose of the visit is to get their shoes shined.

In all other respects, however, I applaud your efforts to return the
American workforce to a condition in which pride of appearance was at the root of the pride of individual workmanship. One of the first lessons we learned in basic training was that your personal appearance is a direct reflection of your standard of workmanship.

I learned that putting two hours of effort into getting a mirror finish on my boots, even when I knew I would wipe out that effort in the first half hour of the next day's work, showed that I cared about my appearance and it demonstrated my work ethic. That has served me well in my civilian life.

Mark Racicot
Sergeant First Class, United States Army Reserve

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I particularly liked your section dealing with dress codes; it is
spot-on. I spent nine years in the business world prior to returning to active duty after 9-11, and your comments regarding dressing properly for business are right on the mark. Prior to my return to active duty, I spent approximately five years as a Cisco consultant and trainer and to project the proper image, you had to dress for success.

It is also refreshing to see a company that stresses integrity as a core business principle. Unfortunately too many businesses do not understand the importance of honest, forthright business dealings.
Although it might take a lot longer to hire the employees you
seek, in the end it will save you a lot of money due to the reliability of your work force.

Paul Werner
Officer, U.S. Army
 

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I really appreciated your page! I am a 23 year old woman in law school and no one has ever explained professional dress to me! I still have one question: What is appropriate footwear for women? I know open toes are not acceptable but what about the back of the shoe or heel height? And what color should stockings be?

Thank you so much for the great site!

Caitlin Wong
Law Student
Portland, OR
 

Janet Burleson responds:

Hosiery should be plain (no patterns or embellishments) in a color that flatters your coloring. In other words, wear a neutral color.

Wear flat shoes or low pumps in conservative colors. You don't want to call undue attention to your feet! Shoes should be polished and be easy to walk in. And of course avoid dressy designs such as open toes and sling backs. The goal is to look professional, confident and competent not "sexy".

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Loved your article - However there's a lot more to acceptable dress code standards from different places around the world - several of which I have personally experienced (or recommended to conform to).

In certain countries the neck tie is banned, because of its 'colonial era' associations, and must never be worn.

In a similar vein I've found several cultures where wearing light blue or white shirts is a definite no-no.  Blue shirts because they're associated with the Police, and white because it's associated with government officials -  and both are viewed with suspicion, especially the government officials.  While on assignment in one area, I didn't wear white or blue shirts for nearly two years - whether on-site or off.

Overdressing is also a problem - being formal when your client is plainly very casual in their dress code won't likely lose you the contract, but it may well inhibit you getting the next piece of work unless you can 'dress-down' to a suitable degree.  However, I have found it appropriate to never participate in client 'casual Fridays', etc. It always seems to be better to ensure that they understand you work with them (as a contractor/consultant), not for them (as an employee).

Being 'overly' formal can also be interpreted as pretentious and 'out of touch' by the client.  This can be a very dangerous message to send by our dress and grooming, when we're trying to convey the impression that we are up-to-date and relevant.  It is very important to be fashion conscious, never wearing anything obviously out-of-date for the same reason.  Although I have learnt the lesson of never out-dressing your client - unless they are the kind that really enjoy the competition (in a friendly sense).

Your interpretation of 'Tropical Formal' is also interesting.  In the South Pacific 'Tropical Formal' would often mean a plain colored shirt, with long trousers - but not always a neck tie.  Sandals too would often be considered acceptable and in fact more appropriate than shoes.  Clothing that doesn't fit the physical environment often marks the wearer as a little strange in the head, also not the best reflection upon the company he/she is representing - the song lyrics "Mad dogs and Englishman go out in the midday sun" comes to mind.

Thanks, for a great article.

Lee Humphries

Resident of many Tropical places

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May I suggest you make an addition to your dress code page.  Some areas of the country during the summer (desert areas) run in the 100 plus degree weather.

What do you suggest to maintain the professional appearance to clients without diminishing  your physical well being.

Sincerely,

Eric Werny

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(below has been completely obfuscated to ensure confidentiality)

Wanda writes:

I have an issue with an obese female employee. She wears short miniskirts, spaghetti-strapped tops, spandex leggings, and low-cut tops, revealing her huge breasts.  She looks really gross, and our customers have commented on her unprofessional attire.

All of our outdoor employees have a dress code: over-the-ankle work boots, denim pants and company logo shirts. Our dress code also stipulates no sneakers, no body piercing  (for safety reasons), shirts required. But we have not had the need to create a dress code for office workers.

What should we say and how should we breech this matter? We fear that the employee will get upset and feel that it's because of her weight "disability" (she is as wide as she is tall).  It's all-about how disgusting she looks in her clothes, not the clothes themselves.  What can we do?

And we replied:

This is a serious issue that is probably best handled directly. She obviously does not have a clear understanding of generally accepted dress standards within the office environment. Nor does she appear to realize the negative impression she makes on your clients.

You may want to start by reminding her of her value as a member of your team, and then go on to advise her that through her excessively casual attire she is not presenting herself in the proper light as a professional member of the team. Stress that she should not dress for the office in the same manner she might dress for recreational activities. Request that she wear clothing in a style that is compatible with the style worn by other office workers with her physical characteristics.

Keep the focus on dressing "professional versus casual", rather than focusing on the revealing nature of her attire. Remember, discussing the "levels of physical exposure" is a sensitive subject, even for the most seasoned HR professional. To prevent misunderstandings, the HR person should not be alone during this sensitive discussion. A trusted female team member should be there as a witness, just in case your reprimand is taken as an assault on her "obesity" issue, which may constitute a disability.

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Dear BC: I agree with your views on all males wearing only white dress shirts, belts etc as a great attire program. However, I honestly believe that wearing a fine powder blue or light pink shirt, especially with a white collar is totally acceptable. As a 53-year old financial advisor, I have noticed that many younger men come in unshaven, messy hair, and with tees or long-sleeve, round-collar polo's.

The other day, a visiting executive client of mine noticed one of my fellow lawyers sitting in our computer room with a 3 day old beard, and a collarless, maroon shirt. The guest asked me if this was a tech engineer or one of our financial advisors!

I was disappointed and shocked at the sight of my associate's slovenly appearance. Although we work in mid-town Manhattan, Casual Fridays has infected the rest of the work week.

Question:  How do you suggest we communicate a dress-code to all men and women in our office, without insulting anyone?

Answer:  To be effective, any dress code needs clear guidelines and absolute enforcement.  If HR can provide humorous illustrations of violations, that is a great way to communicate the dress code requirements.  As to enforcement, violators should be sent home to change, discretely and immediately.

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Greetings from Germany,

Robert Dettmann

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I write regarding the page on your web site regarding dress codes:- you are joking aren’t you?

Firstly, if such suggestions were made in Europe, even as light-heartedly as this, you would have the human-rights squad on your neck like a ton of muesli!

Secondly, the style you suggest walking in to a UK boardroom would have people worried: we would expect you to start talking evangelism, and after you left, debate whether you were wearing locked combination underwear beneath it. Only a white shirt? Dark grey suits? I am not suggesting I would prefer to see a pale cream suit, open shirt and medallions (heaven forfend), but I do suggest you hire an Italian or French couturier and get some fashion sense in to your code. Looking like a missionary, or something out of the late fifties, would lose my trade quicker than anything else.

The only dress code I have ever imposed on my staff is simple: the first one to wear blue denim in my presence will be asked which service station they would like to work for as a petrol pump attendant. Clean pressed shirt, a tie, formal trousers and proper shoes for the men (lounge suit on occasions outside the office), and neat clothing for the ladies; that is as far as you may go legally.

S. R. Atkinson
 

And our response:

Mr Atkinson,

>> you are joking aren’t you?

If you had bothered to read the page, you would have noted that this dress code is required by or clients, not us.

It’s the same as professional dress codes enforced by large institutions worldwide.

>> you would have the human-rights squad on your neck like a ton of muesli!

Human rights squads? What, are you a communist?

That’s why we treasure living in the USA, where we have freedom from such squads.

Here in the free world, employers have an absolute right to make their employees dress as they see fit.

>> Looking like a missionary, or something out of the late fifties, would lose my trade quicker than anything else.

You think that wearing a well-tailored suit, polished shoes and a white shirt make you look like a missionary?

>> that is as far as you may go legally.

That’s why we went to war with England, to get away from oppression.

Here is the USA, we have the freedom to hire and fire people for any reason.

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I just came across your article, while researching on the proper attire to wear to work.  I recently received a job in the IT department of digital photography lab and was wondering what would be appropriate to wear.  A friend of mine had sent me this article, and I thought that it could be an interesting addition to your website.  I thought it would be a light-hearted way to talk about dress codes.  Anyway, thanks for all of the advice, and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Kelly Kennedy
 

A Burleson review of the linked article yields the following notes of interest:

"IT staff are twice as likely to wear a heavy metal t-shirt as their non-IT counterparts. The study of 1000 office workers, by Intermedia.NET, the leading Microsoft Exchange host, also found IT types 34% more likely to sport a ponytail. . .  One interesting finding from the study was that IT staff are more likely to wear an expensive suit than a cheap one. While business staff are still far more likely to wear any suit at all, IT people shun cheap suits, with 33% more of them choosing a pricey suit over a bargain one.”