Associate
Boomers have lost their grip on the world. Now anything goes.
Are dress codes outdated?
- Thread starter Stu999
- Start date
Man of Honour
You've moved your argument.
You initially questioned making people feel uncomfortable in order to maintain standards.
Now you've shifted to questioning whether actions achieve anything to maintain standards.
What's coming next?
In answer to your second question, I think uniform/high dress standards can contribute to a more professional working environment and sense of purpose, as well as projecting a more credible image to potential customers. Do I think it's always appropriate? No. But that doesn't mean I cannot appreciate why some companies have such a dress code.
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Man of Honour
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2004
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- 46,267
Hopefully, the dress code for women in our place is far more relaxed than for men. I’d happily lose the tie, it’s so antiquated. It’s the biggest downside of my job tbh. I’m actually better at my job without a suit, I feel more myself and a can move around more.
Tbh dress codes everywhere seem to be relaxing, even in some more ‘formal’ venues they accept smart casual now, as long as it’s not sportwear. I’m all for it.
Those days of ‘you can’t enter wearing trainers’ seems to finally be over. The alternative is fine, don’t have my custom. It’s probably helped by trainers being ‘in’ and most of the next generation refusing to wear much else.
Careful not to mention it in my workplace though, it blows their mind that fewer and fewer industries require a suit.
Tbh dress codes everywhere seem to be relaxing, even in some more ‘formal’ venues they accept smart casual now, as long as it’s not sportwear. I’m all for it.
Those days of ‘you can’t enter wearing trainers’ seems to finally be over. The alternative is fine, don’t have my custom. It’s probably helped by trainers being ‘in’ and most of the next generation refusing to wear much else.
Careful not to mention it in my workplace though, it blows their mind that fewer and fewer industries require a suit.
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Don
I haven't worn a suit to the office for years. Last time I wore one was for an interview.
I remember a situation, 20+ years ago when I was at a meeting at one of the major investment banks in the city. I was delivering a presentation to their board on the company I worked for's vision and stratergy for Fin-tech. After the presentation I got pulled aside by one of the secretaries and she said "Great presentation, but if you want to be taken seriously you need to arrive properly dressed in future".
I was wearing a bespoke suit, a pair of Churches shoes, silk tie, pink cotton shirt. The issue apparently was that I wasn't wearing trouser braces!
I remember a situation, 20+ years ago when I was at a meeting at one of the major investment banks in the city. I was delivering a presentation to their board on the company I worked for's vision and stratergy for Fin-tech. After the presentation I got pulled aside by one of the secretaries and she said "Great presentation, but if you want to be taken seriously you need to arrive properly dressed in future".
I was wearing a bespoke suit, a pair of Churches shoes, silk tie, pink cotton shirt. The issue apparently was that I wasn't wearing trouser braces!
Good lord.
We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I cannot comprehend how dressing differently makes someone more or less professional, and especially don't get how 'sense of purpose' comes into it.
I am grateful to be working somewhere far more progressive that that line of thinking. I certainly wouldn't hold any bias because of how someone dresses, if people do then I'd humbly suggest that attitude is addressed for the benefit of all employees.
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Man of Honour
Hey, I haven't worked in an environment where any kind of formal dress is needed for many years. I've no skin in this game at all. But I can appreciate why it's not a universal thing.
Man of Honour
I gigged at a pub called Granvilles in Stone on Saturday night and was cooling down outside.
A young bloke approached the 3 doormen and they asked for ID which he hadn't got but his friends started arguing for him saying "Why would we hang out with somebody underage?" etc.
The Doormen then replied with "Well he can't come in because he's wearing trainers".
The lad then pointed to us four blokes who were all wearing trainers
"They are the band".
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I get it from a health and safety POV, or a place where employees need to be identifiable easy. I did a presentation on neurodiversity a while back and specifically mentioned this topic, in that I wouldn't care if my solicitor was wearing a suit or wearing a tracksuit because their clothes have zero impact on their ability to do the job
Though I do understand some people are the opposite and associate suits etc with people who know what they're doing. I think it opens to the wider topic of perceptions and bias (conscious or unconscious we hold).
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Associate
Still haven't forgiven my school for sending me home because I wore a Dready hoodie to 'wear anything' day.
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I gigged at a pub called Granvilles in Stone on Saturday night and was cooling down outside.
A young bloke approached the 3 doormen and they asked for ID which he hadn't got but his friends started arguing for him saying "Why would we hang out with somebody underage?" etc.
The Doormen then replied with "Well he can't come in because he's wearing trainers".
The lad then pointed to us four blokes who were all wearing trainers
"They are the band".
Yeah, it’s sometimes just an excuse by the bouncers for someone they don’t want to let in.
I see it as a 'skin' that people get into. Same as the faux smiley servers at places like pret.
I can see it's fake (for some it isn't, they love it, naturals of bull****ery). I don't like it, so it's a negative for me.
I see someone who looks comfortable, normal, and not looking like they are trying to be what they are not, way more trustworthy.
But that's just, you know, like my opinion on the matter...
On the "expectations of behaviour" front. Has anyone been to a posh uni 'formal' or a wedding? Always decends into normal levels of drunken chaos if you stick around long enough. The clothes have nothing to do with it.
All of the politicians wear suits...
A suit just plays on first impressions so you can do things many people would say no to. It helps enable liars and conmen to fool people.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
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- 12,463
People hold that kind of bias, especially about customer-facing roles, even when being hypocrites about it.
They'll insist that they should be allowed to wear shorts and t-shirts to work, and that customers should learn to recognise that the clothes do not maketh the man... while also deriding the likes of doctors, newsreaders and solicitors for dressing sloppily instead of having a suit.
Smarter attire for certain roles does foster a greater sense of pride in ones' professionalism, or at least appearance of professionalism. This is why the military, among others, have such stringent dress codes. Same for most of the high-end clubs and similar service roles. Even we have work uniforms that must be worn in certain ways. No untucked polo shirts, work boots must be clean and polished, etc.
Soldato
In my experience, the places most likely to hire people likely to turn up wearing ill-fitting t-shirts with holes in etc are the most likely to have a strict dress code now. Professions that attract a more specific type of person that actually cares about how they look and are perceived, don't really need a formal dress as it's really obvious when you're not up to scratch. Again, you can look very smart in what on paper is casual clothing, and look very scruffy in what on paper is very formal (ill fitting suit etc).
"Don't look like a scruffy ****" should be more than enough of a dress code, but alas, it isn't for some places.
"Don't look like a scruffy ****" should be more than enough of a dress code, but alas, it isn't for some places.
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Associate
A pilot would NEVER dress like that!
How would people be expected to know he's a pilot if he did?!
Soldato
Caporegime
Nothing wrong with a dress code or uniform. If you don't like it, don't go to (insert x). People are just sad in their desperate need to show that they are an individual at all times. The world doesn't revolve around you and sometimes you shockingly have to do things that you don't want to do. Get on with it.
And your point is? Remind us all what Jimmy Savile wore?
I'm minded of the story of the pilot who used to turn up wearing dark glasses and carrying the stick blind people use.