The changing office dress code and its challenges

Dress codes are radically different to even 20 years ago, even in some of the more formal professions such as law and accountancy, particularly when client meetings are not taking place. 

From standard 3 piece suits earlier in the 20th Century relaxing to today’s 2 piece lounge suit for formal work wear, dress codes have undergone a lot of change.  It is now widely accepted that suits are not the norm in all working environments. Dress codes have relaxed but without really defining what that meant, what is ‘business casual’, ‘smart casual’? 

A lot of people would argue that comfort is important at work. To a point this is true, we need to feel comfortable in who we are and confident not just in the work we produce but how we come across.
Whilst more casual dressing can be fine, particularly in more relaxed industries such as IT and music, it seems that in some cases it has gone too far. This means:

• If a firm is client or even supplier/stakeholder facing then what image is it really presenting? Particularly if there’s no consistency in dressing level across the firm.

• Lack of respect for the rest of the team and consideration for the imapct an individual wants to make.

It is worth thinking carefully about what image you and your team are presenting at work through your personal image. Some food for thought:

• It is possible to be dressed more casually and present a positive image but attention to detail and personal grooming are still very important. If someone doesn’t look like they have bothered with themselves then they are unlikely to inspire confidence that they will make the best work effort.

• It may be helpful to provide some guidelines.

• Think about what people expect. It’s not that everyone should be in a suit. At a networking meeting, I often get asked about what people should wear. It is vital to think about who you are meeting and the context. Meeting a potential new client is likely to be more formal than once you know a client well.

• Think about how the external people the team interacts with are dressed. It does depend on the relationship but generally more than one dress code level difference is not good as it puts distance between the two and makes engaging more difficult.

• Remember casual dressing often makes people look younger – this can create credibility issues particularly if you have a younger team and are putting them forward to work on client projects and matters.

So it is worth reflecting on your personal dressing style and if you manage people, on their dressing style too.

• What image are they really presenting?

• What are they communicating about themselves and the firm?

It’s about reflecting on what you/your firm stand for, what values you want to communicate and who you interact with to define a way forward.

Contact me to discuss further.