Dressing to code
'Business casual,' other rules vary by workplace
(Reprinted from The Record, December 12, 2005) By Kate Macek
The Record (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)
(This article also appeared December 12, 2005 in The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne, Indiana) For some people, dressing for work means donning a suit and tie or a skirt and blouse. For others, it means throwing on a pair of jeans and a
T-shirt. It all depends on an employer's requirements. Those, however, can change as styles and standards evolve, said Bud Bensley, vice president of American AgCredit in Stockton. "What we would deem totally unacceptable just 10 or 20 years ago is now commonplace," he said. "Underwear is outerwear." Mary Claire Attebery, who runs the etiquette  consulting firm Beyond Please and Thank You, said dress codes are the No. 1 issue she faces when advising local businesses. Many companies are rewriting their codes to be more specific about what is and isn't allowed. Still, much uncertainty surrounds the definition of "business casual," Attebery said. Mike Letizia, human resources manager for Community Bank of San Joaquin, decided to revise its dress code when
he was hired in September. He said the guidelines concerning business-casual dress were too vague. Seasoned employees still wear a shirt and tie," he said. "It's the amount of dressing down that we are trying to control." The new code is more specific, prohibiting sneakers, shorts and revealing tops. It also places restrictions on facial hair, tattoos and piercings.
If employees do cross the line, managers face a particular challenge when confronting them, Bensley said. "It's a tough role for supervisors to play, especially when it's men supervising women," he said. "To even comment on attire … that can be taken the wrong way." Attebery recommends talking to employees privately or distributing the company dress code to everyone, rather than singling out an individual.
Kathy Spragia, office administrator for local law firm Mayall, Hurley, Knutsen, Smith & Green, said she has sent out memos on dress-code issues and talked to employees about such infractions as wearing tennis shoes or short shorts and skirts. Letizia said he remembers when bank employees had to wear almost uniformlike blue suits. Strict rules about clothing -- such as requiring women to wear pantyhose -- are now unnecessary, he said. "We've come
such a long way. Employees can be themselves." Bonita Trammel, a customer-service representative for Allstate Insurance, said she appreciates her office's relaxed dress code, which permits jeans,  T-shirts and sandals on casual Fridays. Trammel said she's more effective when she's comfortable. "If it was up to me, I'd come in my
pajamas," she said, laughing. Some dress policies are more traditional. On casual Fridays at Croce and Co., a local accounting firm, employees can wear khakis, polo shirts and dress sweaters, office administrator Sheila German said. Formal businesswear is required the rest of the week. Bob Puccinelli, vice president and business banking officer at Community Bank of San Joaquin, said he's sometimes surprised when visiting other
companies at how casually people dress. "You go to these law firms and CPA firms, and you put on a tie … but everybody's casual," Puccinelli said. At Mayall, Hurley, Knutsen, Smith & Green, the level of formality differs from day to day, depending on whether lawyers are in court or not, Spragia said. Secretaries who don't interact often with clients are allowed to dress casually.
"In some cases, we can't tell the difference between Wednesday and casual Friday," Spragia said. Bensley said that, for his employees, dressing professionally can sometimes mean wearing a neat pair of jeans. "We pride ourselves on being a relationship-type lender," he said. "To go out on a farm or dairy farm in a three-piece suit doesn't make sense."
Though appropriate attire differs from workplace to workplace, wearing sweats, showing too much skin or sporting T-shirts with logos are always bad ideas, Attebery said. When in doubt, it's best to consult the company code of conduct or take your cues from successful co-workers. Lee Miguel, career consultant at University of the Pacific's Career Resource Center, said employees need to be aware of their workplace's corporate culture when deciding what to wear.
"It's a very important thing to be accurate on," Miguel said. "You're an extension of that company." Contact Kate Macek at features@recordnet.com << Return to What Others Are Saying
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