Corporate Dress Code: How Relevant Are They Today?

What would you wear to an interview for a position at a nudist colony? Would it matter? The answer is an unequivocal yes. Your prospective employer will want to learn as much as possible about you as he/she could, and your clothes are one very reliable way of doing that.

Contrary to what we think, only 7% of communication is relayed from what we say. On the other hand, 55% comes from non-verbal communication - gestures, facial expressions, stance and attire. We constantly judge each other by our clothes, even though we are not aware of it.

To what extent should an employee have freedom of dress, and does this reflect on their performance?

At the workplace, the universe is divided between those companies that provide a uniform, and those that don't. There may be a formal dress code that is adhered to, otherwise people operate on a trial and error basis, wearing what they want until they are told otherwise. Hence flip-flops, transparency, mini skirts, very visible panty lines and cartoon ties have crept onto the office scene.

But it's not only a pleasant visual effect that comes into the equation: dress codes signify corporate image, have a bearing on performance and on a more basic note, keep employees' minds on the job.

In the hotel sector, female front-of-office employees are informed that they should wear dark tights, presumably, so their uniform will appear attractive as possible.

In the publishing sector, one local company used to forbid the wearing of bright colours and sleeveless tops for women. If a company feels so strongly about their employees' image, why don't they come up with a uniform?

In the US, land of the free, dress codes for women is surprisingly quite strict. According to Glamour magazine, no sandals should be worn at the office in summer, and bare legs are frowned upon. Suits are de rigeur, jewellery is understated, and transparency and tightness are absolutely forbidden. Men too are expected to wear trousers that are not too tight on any part of their anatomy.

You can spot a British born or UK trained sales executive a mile away. Along with the polished spiel and innate politeness, they are immaculately turned out, from head to toe, with full yet discreet make-up, hair no longer than shoulder length, suited or formally covered up, with classic, matching jewellery. Locally, female sales executives are more often than not the sexiest women on the streets, using their wiles and talons to sell. And when sales are the bottom line, management does not shirk from allowing whatever sales pitch may be used in an increasingly difficult market.

But can you be taken seriously if you are wearing the same clothes for the office that you wear on a night out clubbing? On a night out you want to look attractive, while at the office your emphasis should be on the job at hand. Long-term thinking should be the rule of thumb.

There are undoubtedly differences between creative jobs where a certain amount of individuality and freedom of expression is allowed, and those others where you go to do a prescribed job. In the advertising sectors abroad, where creative have to come up with global-hitting, sensational ad campaigns, a certain amount of quirkiness in dress is allowed - and even expected - because it portrays the creativeness of the company.

Think of Richard Branson, who has given the business suit the boot and made a sweater his signature style. His birthday suit, too, was recently 'worn' to launch his mobile phone company in New York. Only the seriously rich can get away with flaunting dress codes, you might say. Sir Richard has done so, while creating a new dress code that is also a marketing ploy. The less flamboyant of us must decide who and what we are marketing - is it our company or ourselves?

Uniformity

It used to be said that all Chinese dressed alike. The men were copies of Chairman Mao, with their single breasted standing collared suits. But if you look around you, you'll notice that even Western men adhere to a uniform of sorts, albeit with the illusion of freedom of choice. There is little variation in the theme of work wear: dark suit, lighter shirt and splash of colour in the tie. The young, who feel that they have more freedom, are slaves to fashion, and would not dare to veer from cool and trendy mandates.

Since globalisation makes us increasingly look alike, wearing only slight variations on a theme, it is even more important to delineate between rank, status and role.

Eve Popcorn, trend-spotting guru and best-selling author of The Popcorn Report and Evolution, decided that her company BrainReserve should have a 'brand look'. When clients, visitors and press came to her office, the employees could meld with a sharp, well-defined way of dressing that establishes their professionalism, their lack of hierarchy and their unity. BrainReserve's dress code is black, navy, grey, summer white or khaki, and can extend to pinstripes or subtle checks. As a sign of belonging, employees wear a specially made badge. On Casual Fridays the dress code is dropped, as long as no clients are being met, yet still no jeans or exercise clothes are worn. Hair must be well groomed, nails 100% presentable, and stockings worn with skirts at all times.

Popcorn acted on the premise that uniform style and good taste creates an impact, a sense of power. How would that be met with locally?

A female manager in the media laments: 'Why should I have to dress like a man to be taken seriously? Can't I dress like a woman? I find a jacket and straight skirt to be uncomfortable and restricting, so I wear them as little as possible, and only for meetings.'

Should the car spare parts salesman be allowed to wear his rocker T-shirt to work? What about spiky gelled hair and earrings on young men? There will invariably be some clients who will be disappointed in this casual attitude to the company's image, and will feel ill at ease. Subconsciously, there will be a feeling that the service (and as a result, the client) is not being taken seriously. It is quite one thing to shirk the smarts when you are teaching English to foreigners - it is the right place for you to dress down in order to strike up a friendly relationship with your students. It is quite another matter when you are representing a company's goodwill.

Most women, when asked, will state that they would love to have a uniform in order to save on money spent on work attire, and also to alleviate them from the dilemma of what to wear to work. They would welcome the freedom from competition that a uniform brings, as well as the fact that it delineates their work and private lives. You can shake off the workday along with the uniform.

However no uniforms for women spring to mind that are flattering on all figure types. Think banks, insurance agencies, and Western airlines. Colours too, are more often than not from the murky range of the spectrum. This is not necessary, and comes from the other end of the spectrum, an excessive desire to be taken seriously.

Are dress codes actually a form of discrimination? Whether we realise it or not, we all adhere to dress codes out of our own free will so that we can fit in and reduce uncertainty. But there will always be the oddballs who feel that as long as they are dressed, full stop, they are fine.

The under-thirties have not been hounded by the distinction between street and work wear. They are not embarrassed by their underwear or by their bodies. They work to be able to party, they want to look as good at work as they do elsewhere. They do not have the fear of being frowned upon that has so shackled the children of the Flower Power generation. It is the young who have entered the workforce wearing leopard prints, velvet, denim and sparkle. What a relief from the sameness of office wear, that is so often an extension of the old school uniform.

The 1980's film 'Working Girl' starring Melanie Griffiths was a humorous look at how appearance can change the way you are perceived by others. By cutting her hair short and wearing suits, she could fake her boss's role without raising an eyebrow. Of course, no clothes can make up for inefficiency, yet they are the first base of communicating that you are and what you stand for. Power dressing came to be understood as women's way to stampede through the glass ceiling.

Do you want to be taken seriously? That is the question. What is on your mind, work or pleasure? The old maxim goes: dress for the job you aspire to, not the one you've got. It's not clear that this will strike a chord in the young, but it does remind us of the message behind clothing. What you wear speaks reams about the way you see yourself.

Who is in control of the company's image? Marketing people take note. There's more to public relations than billboards and logos. Every detail counts.

Article prepared by Commercial Services Bureau (CSB) Ltd.

Since 1987, CSB Ltd. has been servicing the local and international business community with its range of employment/recruitment related services. It has helped thousands of employees improve their job conditions and careers, and employers obtain the ideal staff for their organisations.