WHAT DO I WEAR TO WORK?

WHAT DO I WEAR TO WORK?
from the article "Do Women Need Grooming Advice from Employers?"
By Sean Silverthorne | February 10, 2011

Women on the executive ladder face impossible choices when it comes to dressing for success. Here’s some conflicting advice I bet many of my female readers have received at one point or another:

Dress conservatively, nothing too tight, plunging, or short. But don’t dress too manly. A little makeup, but not too much. By the way, if you want to advance, stand out from the crowd!

So where is a get-ahead gal to turn to for sensible fashion advice when it comes to work? Sylvia Ann Hewlett, a blogger on gender issues for HBR.org, makes the controversial case for companies to write up fairly detailed do’s and don’ts for up-and-coming employees.

“Since leaders shrink from suggesting that subordinates don flesh-colored underwear, a 43-page handbook on dress, decorum, and grooming is precisely what thousands of would-be professionals need to negotiate treacherous fashion fads,” she writes in her post, Dress for the Job You Wan’t?

Companies should couple sensible dress codes with courses such as executive presence, she suggests.

Sure, many women would be turned off by being told what to wear and how to act — you’ve dressed yourself and held a job for years! But many others — especially younger women at the beginning of their careers — might be grateful for the advice, especially given the fact that women much more than men are judged on appearance.

“Until more up-and-comers — predominantly women — get the constructive feedback they need to succeed, the executive suite will remain the domain of those whose social privilege makes ‘obvious’ what patently isn’t to the majority of the workforce,” Hewlett writes.

Certainly the employer has a right to demand a certain level of professional grooming, but how detailed should that go? It’s a slippery slope for managers — just ask Swiss banker UBS AG. A few weeks ago it rescinded its dress code after being ridiculed around the world for advising employees on everything from proper lunch ingredients (no onions) to underwear color (no red).

How about you? Would you welcome a little grooming advice — maybe even a dress code — from your company?

MY THOUGHTS

most definitely - companies have every right to dictate what we should wear to work. after all, they have an image to protect. but then, companies should also think of what's an in but comfortable. companies should seriously think of what employees would also like to work. this is the best way to get willing cooperation. and that's what makes it exciting. how do you put together an appropriate dress code that can please a hundred, maybe a thousand, different needs and wants.

Black Tie, Formal, Dressy Casual and More

Party Definitions
Black Tie, Formal, Dressy Casual and More!
By Cynthia Nellis, About.com Guide

Banish pre-party jitters about attire with our quick reference to dress codes for social events.

Black Tie
A Black Tie invitation calls for formal attire. Men wear tuxedos, women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

Formal usually means the same as Black Tie, but in some trendier cities like New York or Los Angeles, it could mean a black shirt, no tie with a tux. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

A White Tie or Ultra-formal invitation requires men wear full dress, with white tie, vest, shirt. Women wear long gowns.

Black Tie Optional
A Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited gives you the option of wearing a tuxedo or formal dress, but it should clue you into the formality of the event, meaning a dark suit and tie would be your other option. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

Creative Black Tie
Creative Black Tie leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go more modern with a tux -- maybe a black shirt, no tie. She wears long or short dresses or evening separates.

Sometimes, themed parties call for dress codes like Texas Black Tie or other variations of Creative Black Tie. In that situation, you can have more fun with it, choosing a dressy look with a theme (for him, it could be a tux with boots and for her it could be a long dress paired with Southwestern style silver belt and jewelry).

Semi-Formal
Semi-Formal or After Five means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6 PM) would still dictate dark suits for him, and a cocktail dress for her. Daytime semi-formal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.

Business Formal is the same as Semi-Formal for him, but for women it suggests that women opt for more tailored dressy suits and dresses (nothing too slinky or sexy).

Cocktail Attire
Cocktail Attire means short, elegant dresses for her and dark suits for him.

Informal
Informal is often interpreted as the same as Casual but it actually calls for the same dress as Semi-Formal -- dark suits for him, short dresses for her -- especially when associated with a wedding or special event.

Festive Attire
Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Informal or Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e. a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt).

Casual
Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sportcoat, for her a dressy pants look. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual.

Casual generally means anything goes.

MY THOUGHTS

i didn't know that informal is not the same as casual. i go for casual, then. all the time. i love jeans. and shorts. any attire that won't take too much effort or time.