Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women On Business writer
As women, we often find it tough to establish authority and leadership in the workplace – so why throw it all away with one “casual Friday” mistake?
Dress down or “casual” days are a great idea – at least in theory. They allow employees to be a bit more comfortable and give latitude in what is acceptable attire in the workplace. On the other hand, I’ve seen so many women make poor judgments about their casual appearance that I have to wonder whether the idea is really an employee benefit. There have been a few times when I’ve been so surprised by a usually professional colleague’s appearance on a Friday that my jaw dropped. All in the name of “casual!”
Let’s face it – image is important and 55% of the impression you make is the visual, not the vocal or the verbal. Whether you are going out to an important client meeting or working in your office on a hot summer afternoon, your appearance should always be professional. You never know who might drop by, or which contact or prospect you might see as you’re running a lunchtime errand. Call me crazy – but when you’re “working,” I believe you should look that way. I’m sure there are exceptions to this rule – for example, if you’re holed up alone somewhere working on a project. But by and large, I find it a good guiding principle.
In Breaking Into the Boys’ Club 2009, we advise women to take advantage of a “dress down” code if the company has one, but be careful not to carry the informality too far. Women who aspire to get ahead in their organizations should dress a notch higher than their peers. This sets an example for employees and makes an impression on those higher up. Wear casual pants, not jeans or capris, and keep a neutral suit jacket, scarf or fancy sweater in your office to dress up your outfit. Even on “dress down” days, it is wise to look professional enough to attend an impromptu meeting if the need arises. There was an episode of the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm in which one of the characters went to see his attorney dressed in a suit. When he saw that the lawyer was in casual garb, he fired him saying “My legal business is far too important to give to someone who looks like that.”
By looking professional every day, you set an example and show those around you that you care about your appearance. It’s easy to fall in the trap of “casual” – but this Friday, take the time to give it a second thought as you get dressed. And OFF with those flip flops!
How do you usually handle casual days at the office?
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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I like how you point out the importance of first impressions and 55% of the impression you make is visual. I think it’s very true. However, I live and work (at a startup) in Boulder, CO where hardly anyone I know wears a suit or dresses up in the workplace.
In general, the vibe is more laid back but there are over 170 startups, venture capital firms and even large companies like IBM and Sun Microsystems. There is less emphasis based on the clothing you wear and more on your intelligence, passion and drive. I for one, don’t prefer to wear just jeans and a t-shirt, but the point is I could if I wanted to.
I think another important point to bring up is how often you work with the public. At a bank for example, presentation is important, always. Clients almost never come into our office because we’re a tech startup and work with blogs. Someone might drop in, so I use the rule to always be presentable but it’s also important to dress the code of your company. If I wore dress pants and a dress shirt to work everyday, there would be a lot of laughter and I might be seen as a bit uptight. It’s an interesting dimension, so we find a balance, work hard, look presentable but don’t have a rigid dress code.
Thanks for sharing!
I completely agree with you. I used to be a marketing executive and casual Friday were just a little more laid back, but not much!
The tip about keeping an accessory to dress up an outfit when there is an improptu meeting is great. Scarves are by far the mist flexible accessory and there are so meny ways to wear them. If you go to http://silkartfrombrazil.com/howtowearascarf.aspx you can check out many ways to wear them, some more formal and some more casual….
As a Business Etiquette trainer and a fairly young woman, I know how essential this point is. So often, we want to be sexy selves and appropriate and finding the line is tough! A good rule is to wear something that will not look good out with your friends after work- and I mean this in a nice way. Something that will make you seem a bit stuffy. It will look more professional than the happy hour were expecting. It might even get you preferential treatment! Consider your customer, consider your business impression, that is the preferential treatment that pays the bills. There was a study done about sexy sales women that showed they get longer meetings but this lessons the chance that they get the deal. Smaller paychecks? Just wear a suit already!
Great article, Jane. Coming from a generation where there was a professional dress code (often unspoken one), I’m not impressed with the very, very casual dress down, especially in jobs where one meets the public. If you’re in a situation,like Grace describes, where you almost never meet the public, then more casual is okay. But torn, worn, sloppy and belly button rings don’t quite cut it if a client of the older generation stops by. Considering your customer, as one commenter above mentions, is a good rule of thumb, if you want to pay the bills.
Because I work with younger people in my business and two of my jobs, I’m becoming more flexible in my views about dress, but still am horrified with what some consider business dress. And don’t get me started on teachers who dress as though they were “one of the kids” with torn jeans and stained t-shirts, belly button rings, and tattoos on their butts (visible because of their low waist jeans).
This is a great article, but I think it misses a big point: if we all simply do a great job, isn’t that what should be rewarded? I think it’s about common sense: don’t show an abundance of cleavage, too much thigh, etc. Haven’t we come far enough to be recognized for what we do rather than how we dress?
Frankly, I think it’s silly to presume that the one in the suit is doing the better job. It goes against logic to even think so. Being comfortable elicits better job performance. Same goes for men—who could possibly be comfortable in a necktie? I remember that episode of “Curb…”, and I think Ms Gunelius misses the big picture, the joke was on those who think the suit makes the job [dressing up to go to your lawyer’s office? It’s not 1955… and this was in LA!]
I’ve run a business as well as been the employee of large corporations. My employees appreciated the lack of dress code which translated into respect and trust that they’ll wear appropriate garb to client meetings. Conversely, at the larger corporations dress codes were sort of insulting and presumed that employees didn’t know how to dress themselves in the morning—the result? Low morale.
Dressing up is fine, even fun, but isn’t [and shouldn’t be] the measuring stick for promotions, raises and kudos. That’s where doing a darn good job comes in.
Hi Anais,
Thank you for the comment. I actually agree with you on this point (one of the Women On Business writers wrote this post, not me). I’m very anti-corporate attire, and I find myself to be far more productive when I can dress comfortably. For me, it’s about comfort and productivity, not to mention the fact that I refuse to ever purchase a garment that requires dry cleaning again in my life. 🙂