Business Dress Codes: Impact and Success

In a business premise, the choices of clothing, grooming, personality and even body language is a very important consideration on the part of both employees and their bosses. Apart from being smart and descent at work, dress code also dictates the business image to the public. Dress code should always be considered because it affects the work performed by the employees, the safety at work and the success of an employee’s career. Clothing style, garment fit, the kind of job and its policies are some the considerations one should look at when choosing an appropriate outfit for a job (Cutts et al.

, 2015). There are also special outfits needed for employees working in places like healthcare departments, fire departments, guards and various locations that can be risky or health-threatening.

The degree of formality of a given business dictates what dress codes for their employees should be. It has been established that many employees are interested in fitting in successfully in their workplaces and succeeding in their careers.

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Therefore simple communicated dress codes and treating employees like adults is always preferred by most employees. This, however, is not always the case as some business premises require strict dress code policies. Various appropriate business dress codes are depending on the level of formality of the business (McKay, 2009).

The standard and most appropriate level of dress code required within a business premise is the business formal dress code. This business attire was originated and was valued in traditional work environments. Today it is still the required policy for most professional business premises like the banks, law firms, and co-operates firms.

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It requires formal attires that include suits and jackets with shirts, dresses, ties, and formal leather shoes. This is the level of business formal attire with the least flexibility in terms of dress code (Naughton et al., 2016).
Some organizations require employees to wear uniforms or shirts with logos, especially when attending business meetings or trade shows on behalf of the organization.  These uniforms and logos make employees easy to recognize in case there a customer that needs help and also gives a good impression to the public. A business formal dress code is supposed to show a high level of professionalism and provide a good public image of the business.

Another level that is acceptable to most business organizations is the smart casual business dress code. Employees and even their bosses wear skirts, pants, and shirts that are formal, well-tailored, and can be worn with sweaters or jackets. These give them a sense of decency and the ability to relax. They can also match them with ties, jewelry, and leather-like shoes. Body grooming is also a very crucial part of a smart, casual Business dress code. One should have neatly groomed hair although most people prefer to shave them. Dreadlocks or shaggy hair are not considered inappropriate and should be avoided. Smartwatches on the wrist are also acceptable for men.

A modest woman in business premises should wear an excellent outfit, for example, a beautiful blouse with well-fitted pants or a skirt and a cute black shoe. This is a smart casual business outfit that portrays decency without any compromises. The blouse should not have any revealing cleavage or words and pictures that offend others. Likewise, the pants or skirt should fit nicely and avoid being too tight or short. Women should avoid wearing conspicuous clothes, sandals, or bling footwear to the office. Women should also be careful not to wear too much jewelry that distracts people's attention or perfumes that are too strong.

Although most business premises require a high standard of dress codes, casual dress code can be acceptable in some business professional related workplaces that require low levels formality. Business Casual does not mean that you wear clothes that are too baggy, tight or revealing. The employees can wear shorts, jeans, t-shirts, sandals and even athletic shoes to work. Even under these circumstances, the employee must ensure that they avoid clothes with offensive words or pictures and also avoid wrinkled and untidy clothes (Nayak et al., 2015).

There are occasions when employees may request exceptions to the dress policies from the organization management. During such times, employers should oblige and heed to the requests. Another limitation is on religious dresses. Some organization covers this exception in their policies after consultations in order to avoid issues of discrimination. A good example is an Islamic religion that requires their women to wear a veil (hijab) that cover every part of their body apart from hands and faces.

Some employees have tattoos and piercing that they believe reflect or promote a specific aspect of their lives. Some companies have strict policies that occasionally ask them to cover these tattoos or remove the piercings, especially when handling customers. This has appeared to be a form of discrimination over the past, and most organizations are today reconsidering this strict policy to accommodate people from various backgrounds.

In conclusion, in a professional setting, having a dress code is very important not only to make employees look smart but also to accomplish business objectives and preserve the public image of the business. When setting dress code policies, it is also vital to consider the interests and needs of the employees. This will ensure that there is a sense of belonging and unity within the business premises. It will also make employees productive and responsible.

References

Cutts, B., Hooley, T., & Yates, J. (2015). Graduate dress code: How undergraduates are planning to use hair, clothes and make-up to smooth their transition to the workplace. Industry and Higher Education, 29(4), 271-282.
McKay, D. R. (2009). How to dress professionally when casual dress is your norm: What to wear when you have to dress professionally.
Naughton, C. A., Schweiger, T. A., Angelo, L. B., Lea Bonner, C., Dhing, C. W., & Farley, J. F. (2016). Expanding dress code requirements in the doctor of pharmacy program. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 80(5), 74.
Nayak, R., Padhye, R., & Wang, L. (2015). How to dress at work. In Management and Leadership–A Guide for Clinical Professionals (pp. 241-255). Springer, Cham.

Updated: Nov 30, 2023
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Business Dress Codes: Impact and Success. (2020, Sep 10). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/dress-code-in-business-essay

Business Dress Codes: Impact and Success essay
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