Dressing to the dress code
What to wear, what to wear….uniformed or not, we are all governed by dress codes. Chances are showing up to a black tie event in your most comfortable yoga pants and alumni t-shirt will not win you an invitation next year. On the other hand, going rafting in your best James Bond tuxedo will put a total drag on the whole trip – and ruin your suit.
We all put thought into what we wear, but more factors than you may have considered go into each “Outfit of the Day.” Gender norms, social status, occupation, location, and your daily itinerary all play a part in what you put on each day, and over the last few decades the United States has been embracing choosing the clothing you love, rather than what you ‘should be’ wearing. After all, most recommended dress codes started off as someone’s choice.
Wearing black to a funeral? Queen Victoria set the funeral dressing standard when she wore black for 40 years after her husband’s death. Looking at a white wedding dress? You also have Queen Victoria to thank for that enduring tradition when she donned a white gown for her wedding in 1840.
Because of the amount of time we spend at work, more than any desires, your occupation’s norms define what you wear. Policemen, members of the clergy and military personnel are easily identified by their clothes. Other workspaces may take a more casual approach, like wearing sandals and superhero swag each day at a tech startup, while more strict environments like a law office may follow a more conventional approach of suit and tie expectations.
Some of you may work in jobs with the dreaded “business casual” dress code, but that didn’t even exist before 1992 when Levi’s published a manual called “A Guide to Casual Businesswear” and sent it to 25,000 Human Resources Managers across the country. Find yourself still unsure of what that means? We’ve got all the business casual basics to make sure you are neither under nor overdressed.
Either way, work uniforms help identify who you are, and who you work for, no matter if they are mandatory or just exemplifying your company culture. Some mandatory uniforms may be in the name of safety, such as an electrician wearing a flame resistant uniform that protect from ARC flash electrical hazards, or a home security service technician who’s logo’d shirt helps identify his reason for visiting a family home.
So what dress code are you following today? Your clothes can service a purpose to help you do your job, to lead you on an adventure, or to serve as a form of personal expression. No matter what you choose to put on today, we’ll leave you with a few words to live by, as pronounced over 2,000 years ago by Euripides, an ancient Greek dramatist. “Know first who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.”