Work dress codes

[sabrinathecat]

Dress code has varied for me.
One time the NY office decided it was time to come down on the CA office for infractions. I "anonymously" (I don't think anyone was fooled for a second) wrote a "California Dress Code" which was a pretty smart-ass document, listing tons of options for clothing. "Underwear: recommended, but there will be no enforcement or spot-checking." Yeah, I was that age. Some people still got a laugh.

I exceeded the dress code at the last place to the point people thought I was the manager. "No, the young lady with the florescent blue hair over there is the manager. I'm just an employee."

But then, I just wear collared shirts (no button down!) and slacks (no pleats) everyday anyway.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

With respect to the job with specific requirements for field dress - yes, Safety.

Yeah, I can see safety issues requiring certain clothing. A hard hat, while uncomfortable to some people, should still be worn in hazard areas. I think there are professions where a dress code is needed. Medical staff need uniforms for various safety related issues. Also, it would be pretty awkward to see the guy about to crack your chest open and perform open heart surgery, wearing flip-flops into the OR.

In my current job, no - because it is only strict with respect certain people. When you're sweating your keister off it's annoying to have someone else comment on how comfortable they are cause they get to wear what is, for all intents and purposes, a tee-shirt (no matter what they call it).

In general, I don't think a certain minimum isn't bad - as long as it applies to everyone.

That's the thing for me. I have to be comfortable when I work. I can't wear a suit and tie all the time. Sure, I'd look awesome and totally professional, but it would be ridiculous. Mind you, I work with some people who are obscenely wealthy. One of the clients I work with gave his wife a Ferrari California for Christmas, and he got one of the limited edition Lamborghini. Still, when I work wight hem, I dress comfortably, which is usually jeans, a polo shirt, though lately I've worn t-shirts and a hoodie because it's been chilly down here, and my toe shoes - every once in a while I wear my chucks when I want to dress up my footwear. The clients would probably think it odd if I dressed in a suit and tie to work. The dress code is the same for the people that work for me. Obviously there has to be some kind of minimum, like no shorts short enough that a nut is going to accidentally hang out.

As for the job that would have required me to shave, it was a yoplait production facility.

Damn yogurt chugging oppressors!

 

[Dioltach]

I began my career at accounting/law firms, so I spent five years wearing suit & tie every day. It was enforced quite strictly. Now I'm self-employed, so the dress code is "whatever I feel like wearing, subject to the wife's approval of course".

I do think that in some environments a dress code serves a purpose -- a professional appearance seems to encourage people to act professionally. I also felt that it helped create more distance between work and private: when I came home and changed out of my suit it was like taking off a uniform. Plus, the ladies like a man in a suit.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Working for a software development company which is owned by an international corporation based in Japan.

The only restrictions are no shorts, no sandals, but whenever some guys from the headquarters in Tokyo visit us, a "Tokyo alarm" is issued, meaning that jeans and T-shirts are banned too, and people directly involved with the visitors are expected to suit up.

The former owner of the company had the curious notion of "Fashion Monday". Each monday everyone had to dress up with suit and tie and fitting shoes. Imagine my astonishment when I started at the company and heard on my frist friday "you know you have to wear suit and tie on Monday?" I was pretty sure the colleagues played a prank on me.

 

[Jhaelen]

We're casual unless we have to meet with customers then its business casual (no jeans, no t-shirts, no shorts). Then for our big user's group meeting it's "smart business" - not quite suits but only about a step down.

That's how it is in my company (software development), as well.
After school, one of my criteria when looking for a job was that I didn't want to have a dress code at work. E.g. working at a bank was out of the question for me.

 

[JediSoth]

I was listening to some people talk about dress codes the other day, and I was wondering how many people actually have a dress code at their jobs. What are those dress codes like?

We have one. It's pretty lax. Clothes have to be clean and free of rips, tears, etc. No spaghetti straps, shorts, workout clothes, etc. Almost like business casual, though I could wear jeans every day if I wanted to. I tend to stick to business casual all the time, though. I prefer to look more professional in my workplace than not. I don't have meetings often, but when I do, I don't get much notice, so I just go to work prepared.

Besides, I dress for comfort, even with business casual, so it's not like I'm stuffed up in a suit & tie.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Business casual here. Technically speaking I can wear jeans every day but I don't. I had a ton of cargo pants from my last job (also business casual) and I sometimes have to carry a bunch of small tools so I tend to wear them over jeans (not on Friday). I tend to break a lot of the smaller, sillier rules like the requirement to wear a collared shirt (though I've started to like polos more and have recently bought some) and the silly t-shirt logo requirements (corporate or partner logo, sports teams only) but so does almost everyone. I'm in IT and my current group has a sort of reputation along those lines so it's all good. I do try to dress a li'l nicer when I'm meeting with a vendor or some Director or VP I don't already have a relationship with. Just how I roll.

Anyhoo, it seems to me that the basic rule here is 'don't look like an idiot' and following that simple guideline is enough to remain left alone. We're professionals and they tend to treat us that way.

 

[tomBitonti]

I've had a number of different codes:

Whatever (delivering newspapers); the weather was the deciding factor here.

Dress shirt and tie; jacket (but you didn't have to wear it at all times): Coding in a health care center. Was nailed once for not wearing a tie one day, so it was mostly enforced.

Suit and tie (software, working as a consultant); the general rule was to dress better than the client.

Jeans and a collared shirt; but, managers tend to dress up, and higher level managers even more so, and some folks distinctly dress down. (Working software in a large corporation; not customer facing.) Here neat, clean, and presentable is most of the rule. However, the real guideline is to match the social expectation, which means there is no single rule, but a set of guidelines.

The biggest nit that I have at times, as to dress, is seeing folks in sandals, or less. I think that is a feature of the southern US, and I'm from the northern US.

From what I gather, different industries have very different standards. Hospitals and financial institutions seem to have the strictest standards.

I'm not counting professions which have distinct uniforms, e.g., police, where the uniform serves a specific social function and is mandated. Similarly, different folks in hospitals have different color clothing to distinguish their role.

Don't have much experience in services, so can't comment on that, but I understand waiters / waitresses usually have either fixed uniforms, or a set of narrow guidelines, so to set a style for the restaurant.

One place which has very strict guidelines across the corporation is Disney. Check out:

http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/about-disney-college-program/disney-look/

Thx!

TomB

 

[Umbran]

My work dress code is Morse.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

My work dress code is Morse.

Dit dah?

The one thing I don't understand in more formal dress codes is neckties. Yeah, I got it that "suit and tie" is the expected "business uniform" ... but why a tie? What possible purpose does it serve, other than to provide a colorful fashion statement and get caught in things? And if for a fashion statement, why does that become an expected element? A suit coat at least serves as external protection for a shirt, provides for additional warmth, and has pockets for carrying things.

(I come from the "dress should first be functional" camp. And in my current job, our required dress literally varies by the day -- different uniforms, suit and tie, business casual -- sometimes all in the same week, which frustrates me to no end. But then I'm institutionalized and mostly wear Granimals for Adults so it really doesn't matter.)