The following was ghost-written for a salesperson.
April 9th 2019
Capita’s newest dress code policy, encouraging us all to ‘dress for our work day’, feels like a real move toward the end of traditional office wear. The business suit might be iconic, but a lot has changed since they first became popular almost a century ago. Hierarchy matters less, and collaboration matters more. Iconic billionaires like Mark Zuckerburg and Elon Musk are wearing trainers, jeans and T-shirts in their open plan offices, drinking Frappuccinos and sitting on bean bags. I doubt any of them are shopping on Saville Row!
The shift away from tailoring is definitely more than just a fad for the rich and famous. A 2018 study published in the Independent reported that just 1 in 10 UK workers still wears a suit to work, and 7 in 10 said they felt more comfortable without a formal dress code. Even businesses renowned for their employees’ enforced sense of style are easing up on the rules: female cabin crew on Virgin flights are no longer required to wear makeup (specifically red lipstick) and trousers are now an automatic option.
But what does this really mean in the workplace? We might all dream of lounging around in our onesies and slippers, but at the end of the day, productivity is what counts. Does this added comfort actually translate to meaningful results?
It’s starting to look like it! Research has reported that 61% of employees experience greater productivity in more relaxed dress. Maybe if you’re not worrying about looking immaculate, you have more energy to give to the job at hand; if you feel more able to express yourself, you might feel more confident voicing your ideas. And with 88% and 77% of women and men respectively feeling that dress codes discriminate against women, it’s entirely possible that they’re making half your workforce feel out of place. That can’t be good for morale.
You might also want to think about the impression you’re giving to both potential new recruits and your customers. In both cases, if they’re more accustomed to dressing down, being confronted by an army of suits could be off-putting. Formality of fashion might appeal to a board of directors, but young innovators are more likely to place value on the quality of their ideas. As Australian business leader Anthony Mitchell put it: ‘Telling adults what to wear to work is completely out of step with a 21st century economy… employees should be trusted knowledge workers.’
Don’t start stocking up on silk pyjamas just yet, though. A more polished look in big meetings could be the key to success, both in terms of boosting your confidence and making a good impression. In the day-to-day, there’s some thought that differentiating work from home can help us focus, as well as to mentally sign off and relax at the end of the day. Businesses with high degrees of public visibility may feel justified in saying that the way their employees look reflects on their business ethos.
Maybe everyone looked better in the days of Mad Men, but their professionalism definitely left something to be desired –whisky for breakfast, anyone?! We’d all rather be judged by what we’re doing than what we’re wearing. It isn’t time yet, though, to forget the impression our appearance can make. Next time you reach for the same old tie or skirt, stop and think – am I dressing for my work day?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/time-decide-our-own-dress-codes-dan-lovell/
Grace Thiele 