September 18th, 2007
Dress Casual for Work?
My friend Robyn has a compelling post on business dress today. I have blogged on this topic a few times as well. I remember dressing up for church, wakes, funerals, plays, travel and going out to eat. I have seen pictures of Ballgames from an earlier time when the fans were dressed upped. In today’s world, all of the events I mentioned, I have witnessed people dressed like they are going to cut the grass. Robyn’s post points out how you dress can impact your paycheck. I invite business people to visit this post and let me know your thoughts. Thanks Robyn!
September 23rd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Hello, Jim.
Read both your and Robyn’s posts. Both are valid and spot on.
There was a time when no one would dare to venture out of the house (unless you were doing yard work, chores, etc.) unless they were dressed correctly.
It was very rare that you would see a woman with curlers in her hair, wearing a bathrobe to do her grocery shopping. Now it’s standard bill of fare.
I remember sports events where men wore suits and ties, ladies wore hats and dresses.
Do you remember how actors/actresses dressed when they were out and about - going to premieres, academy awards, dinner? Didn’t they look fabulous!
I also remember when professional athletes wore their hair short, no jewelry, tattoos, and were looked up to by the masses.
In school we had a dress code which was adhered to without any grumbling, or crying ‘foul’ from those who thought they were being profiled.
In the corporate world as well as in the entrepreneurial, I always dressed appropriately. Today, there are many ‘professionals’ who have little or no comportment.
If those who want to look nice and dress well, they only have to view your avatar.
Take care.
September 24th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Morgan, thank you for your comment. I expected more debate on this topic, jobs are won and lost sometimes over attire. I have posted often on this subject, notice related articles.Robyn’s post was tremendous and should be a must read for young business professionals
September 25th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Jim, thanks for spreading the word here on your blog. Related to this, my mother used to tell me, “You are what you speak,” every time I used bad grammar as a kid, and when it came time to dress she added that how I look matters. As I think back, all of this reflected on her and her standing in community. Knowing the impact of how we dress affects many outcomes, sure grabs attention! We have much in common, Jim!
September 26th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I beg to differ on this one. I think once upon a time this was the case but its not as important anymore.
Many of my business heroes in the UK, such as Anita Roddick, Richard Branson, Ben Way, etc all bucked the trend of corporate dress. Of course initially it was about appearance, but what was important to investors was more about how well the business did. Of course I think people should dress smart and clean but the same effect could be had with casual as with formal wear.
I run an entertainment company and a training company. To be honest apart from when I speak to corporate audiences who might require formal wear when I am conducting business or giving presentations its all about smart casual. Probably because I am more in a media related environment its not as important.
I love wearing suits to formal dinners, weddings and events where such attire is required, but I think you can still look smart if casusal, and to be honest only a fickle manager would base your pay on how you look.
You only have to visit a place like Google or Microsoft to see that success and pay is not corrolated to dress.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Robyn, thanks for the comment.Your post is one all business people should read.
September 26th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
David, we agree,There are many fickle managers who evaluate appearance. You dress for the occasion or audience.I love to dress up but also enjoy a casual look. Most companies today are business casual.My experiences in the UK indicated a more formal business community than USA. Thank you for your visit
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:46 pm
What do you think about professional dress for educators and educational leaders? I go back and forth on this one. Perhaps if we want to be taken more seriously as educators, we should dress up. On the other hand, do we turn off and put up a barrier between ourselves and our clients (parents) that do not dress like this?
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Coach, When I was a student all teachers dressed professionality including dresses for women and ties for men. I think a nice business casual look for educators would help. The teacher should not look like the student!! Thanks for the comment
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I’ll go along with David McQueen on this one. He used the term Smart Casual, which implies a measure of taste and culture that Casual Dress would not. The problem lies in the fact that some folks take casual dress too far and come to work in jeans and sneakers, even at school. Smart casual implies a measure of taste rather than appearing as if you came from the back 40 down on the farm. And, people admire quality… that’s the bottom line. Overdressing is as inappropriate as much too casual, especially when meeting with parents.
October 4th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Robyn, I would rather error by over dressing vs underdressing. The audience is the key and judgement is something young people gain more of as time goes on. This has been aninteresting debate. I love my baggie jeans and hoodies as well as my nice suits and ties.