Workplace getting too informal?

[Bri]

My fiancee the other day heard on the radio that some guy was talking about the workplace getting way too informal. People in management positions that were wearing jeans and a t shirt or jeans and a nicer shirt but still jeans. She didn't tell me the whole story as she says she forgot it, but I kind of think that the guy on the radio was right, of course I would like to wear jeans all the time, but then again it's kind of important to exude a professional appearance in a professional environment.

[Sylvain]

Never understood this professional look thing...
Even in a bank, I wonder why guys wear neckties.

[crfriend]

Never understood this professional look thing...
Even in a bank, I wonder why guys wear neckties.

That'd be "tradition" and, perhaps more likely in the modern realm, inertia. But, how else can a bloke jazz up a dress shirt and a pair of tr*users?

Now don't get me wrong: I happen to think that the "casual workplace" (and I work in one) has completely "gone to seed"; it's being taken well out of the context it was originally established in. For instance, since when is beach-wear (think thong sandals) acceptable in a professional setting? How about pyjamas? Is that acceptable professional attire? (I've seen that, by the way.)

So, I may be a bit "old school" in how I perceive things. I don't like the "grunge look" one bit, and in fact am known to once in a while wear a tie just to "fiddle with the boss-class' heads" because they're not used to it any more, and, in terms of stereotypical looks puts me one up on guys at a directorate level in the company I work for (I've seen VPs in the afforementioned beachwear; it does not sit well with me). Even at last Halloween, when I wore one of my skirts at work, I looked more "professional" than many of my superiors.

Personally, and interestingly it's taken my modern fancy of skirts to bring it out, is that I put a higher value on appearance than I ever have before. Looks say something about the person -- and it doesn't necessarily matter what's worn below the waist rather interestingly -- and so long as that look is confident, polished, and pulled together it'll likely work. Those who hold prejudices, and act on them, will likely recoil from a bloke in a skirted look (no matter how pulled-together it may be), but that's more inertia than anything else.

So, don't reflexively slag off on neckties -- they're just a fashion accessory after all -- and, given the current dreadful state of menswear, one of the only things that the average bloke has got.

[Since1982]

There's lots of color in the "suited" look. Multi colored neckties and pocket patches, black suits with brown pinstripes, brown suits with black pinstripes, dark blue suits with dark green pinstripes....The only thing you have to be careful of is to not get in a big patch of suit wearers, you might blend in to disappearing completely. Then again, if you get mixed in with too many suit wearers, you might get an "Atmosphere person" (extra) role in the next Penguin movie.

[SkirtDude]

Deleted.

[Skirt Chaser]

I'm all for people looking presentable and professional but everybody has a different idea of what those mean. To me being neat does not have to be workers looking identical. Since I value individuality my preference is to see variety in employees and it does bother me to see some forms of self-expression squashed. For example, I recently encountered an article (http://www.dailynews.com/ci_9678491) discussing an edict for Los Angeles firefighters to hide any tattoos while on duty. Honestly, if my home was on fire I don't care what the people look like who save me.

When a permanent part of someone's look is not considered appropriate for work that doesn't bode well for removable choices like some piercings and clothes. I am reminded of an article from Law.com (http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1156425446367) covering several employer appearance cases including a woman who was fired from her casino bartender job for not wearing makeup. While employees can be excused from some requirements based on medical needs or religious beliefs it is a loss that personal beliefs which do not affct job performance do not get the same respect.