How Casual Is Casual For Women’s Dress Codes?
May 5, 2008 by Bridget Wright
Filed under Business
Women in the workplace have a challenge when it comes to how they should dress on causal days. There are many corporate companies who are adopting the policy of Casual Fridays where the employees can “dress down” and be comfortable for the day. My co-blogger put it so very eloquently when she wrote this post about how women dress of the “skanky” variety. While Kristen’s post is rather “interesting”, suffice it to say that it does raise a few questions that I have about casual dress days:
[photo: flickr.com]
1. Why are there separate dress codes, implied or intended, for women in the workplace? Do men have a problem going bare-armed?
2. If we are required to wear hosiery, why shouldn’t men be required to wear socks?
3. What exactly constitutes casual for the sexes? No tie? No coat? No denim? Who made the rules and who sets the bar?
When I worked in corporate America, I can remember very distinctly being told that street attire meant only what you would wear out to eat lunch with your friends on a Saturday afternoon. Well, being a young 20-something, to me that meant jeans, t-shirt and my Birkenstocks. But, as I found out later, that wasn’t what they meant by casual.
In addition to Kristen’s post, read this article that also gives a little insight on what other companies mean by their own version of casual day. Interesting stuff.
I’d like to hear what your version of casual day is. Do share.
In the realm of a technology call center, casual dressing meant your attire was limited to the amount of teasing you could tolerate. So, if you walked in there with flip flops then, whether male or female, you had better not have big scary bunions or ashy feet. If you mistook Khaki pants for a crinkled mess then someone was sure to pull out an iron and set it on your desk. And if casual dress meant a “not so fresh scent” then you can bet someone had a bottle of febreeze just waiting to spritz your way!! So, while our corporate environment had politically correct suggestions for casual wear our tech department knew how to correct blatant offenders!!
The interpretations of ‘casual’ run the gamut. For bankers, that could mean leaving the suit jacket at home. For journalists, jeans and a t-shirt. It NEVER means cleavage or shorts. I’m sorry – I think there’s a certain level of personal responsibility for each gender. If you would be embarrassed wearing it in front of your gramma and grampa, don’t wear it to work. Or if you wouldn’t wear it to church, leave it for the weekend only.
I’m not aware of any separate dress codes between the sexes. I think these days that would smack way too much of sexism and could be actionable in a company. Should women wear pantyhose? God, I hope not! Those are just torture devices, and frankly they’re unnecessary if you have decent-looking legs. And yes – if we must wear hosiery, so must the men (in sock form).
It’s called using common sense. If your coworkers aren’t showing up in jeans and a t-shirt, it’s probably not okay. Besides, it’s much smarter to look like you deserve the promotion than to look like a mail room clerk.
Darolyn, good comment. And what else is so blatant, is that people not only will let you know but they will not hesitate to “share” what they find and what they think with others. They feel that it’s their duty. Sometimes, people just need a little nudging to realize they’ve offended the fashion police. That’s all.
Lori, amen to common sense! It can and should count for WAY more than what it’s given credit for. Know what I mean?
Maybe you’re from a different generation (I’m 25), but as long as I’ve been in white collar America, men have stiffer dress codes than women, not vice versa. Generally sandals won’t get a second look on a woman, but are a definite no no for men. Also, I see women wearing capris even as high as knee length, but I can’t stroll in with shorts and a nice shirt (tucked or untucked).
PS I work with many young people and jeans, a tee and birks would be par for the course on Friday. What I don’t understand is why I have to dress like a mook the other 4 days, as far as I know the rest of the world does not have this corporate standard.