This is an argument you commonly hear in defense of dress codes. But how much does it really put you off if you enter a place of business as a customer or a potential customer, and some of the people who work there are casually attired? I mean really casual, but still presentable, and not “business casual”. For example, jeans, clean sneakers, and a polo shirt.
I’m tempted to leave law and medical offices out of this discussion, since their practitioners tend to have a perceived “uniform” that they are expected to wear…expensive suit for the lawyers, white coat with tie for the MD’s. But even in that context I don’t think I’d object to someone in jeans. If their diploma says they graduated from a reputable school and they’ve got their license or bar certificate on the wall, I really don’t think I care what they’ve got on their legs.
Seems to me that if I go into a store and the people are wearing jeans, they seem to be happier than the clerks whose employers have stipulated Grocery Clerk Slacks™–which are usually faded, puckery, formerly dark Dockers. The ones in jeans seem to be happier, and that makes me happier too. It makes me happier to be there, and happier to do business there. It’s a comfort to me to know that these low-wage working stiffs don’t have to factor dry cleaning into their limited budgets, or at least not as much.
As long as they can do their job and are not flashing offensive amounts of flesh at me (unless thats what I’m paying for) I don’t care what they wear.
There are some jobs where ‘safe clothing’ is required such as steel capped boots or a hard hat. In those scenarios you want to think the worker is being responsible.
It puts me off a LOT. Are you in business? Then look “business-like.” Of course, I don’t think people should wear jeans outside of the house unless they’re a farmer or something, so I guess I’m the wrong person to ask.
I’m a CPA, and we have “blue-jean” fridays. Our dress code specifically prohibits sleeveless shirts, “split-toe” sandals, and sneakers. (Oh, and leather pants, but that’s neither her nor there). Personally, I don’t think it makes us any less professional. I can still appear “business-like” without wearing a traiditional CPA suit. On the flip side, I can also appear “un-business-like” in a suit. There are instances where you should dress as the client does, if you have outside meetings or are going to their place of business, but otherwise, jeans (well maintained) are acceptable on any given Friday.
I think it’s a matter of how the employees conduct themselves. Our clients in the past have indicated that they don’t have a problem with it ~ if we thought they did, we would change the dress code. I also think that there are times that it puts them more at ease.
So everyone will look like they work at Foot Locker?
But no, I agree with you. When you can dress as you wish (with your own clothes) you do “feel” better. However, there are so many variations of jeans/polos etc that enforcing a dress code easy becomes a personal matter…Also, most places with uniforms are high-turn-around locations that require uniforms so they don’t have to deal with the afore mentioned situation.
What really irks me is when employers make the staff buy theit own uniforms…which usually come at a very high-markup
My only problem would be if I couldn’t tell the employees from the other customers. I’ve been mistaken for sales staff in Sears, J.C. Penny, et. al. before.
I’m perfectly comfortable dealing with people in jeans and t-shirts. I wouldn’t be put off by tank-tops, shorts, and sandals either. The main thing I care about is whether or not the people I’m dealing with are good at their jobs, although basic hygiene is greatly appreciated. I’ve never seen anyone look as comfortable in a suit as the average guy in jeans. The progression is: more comfortable=>happier=>better attitude=>better work, as far as I’m concerned.
I also tend to think of clothing as armor, which inclines me to think that people who insist on fancy suits are trying to cover up a weakness.
I wouldn’t care, but then I have spent almost my entire professional career in scrubs and tennies. I think everyone should be as comfortable.
I would, however, draw the line at the crotch at the knees, underwear hanging out style for the boys. I feel offended just having to look at anyone wearing those butt-ugly things. Also, girls should be prohibited from hip huggers if they have a big fat roll bulging over the top. ick.
I can see the point of it. Employers want you to look neat and be identifiable to customers. Jeans are so varied these days-tight, low riding, loose, waaaaaaay loose that there is a lot of room to look too casual. Shirts? Belly baring, boob revealing, profane slogans-it just seems easier though a “common sense” dress code might be doable. My uniform is lame as hell but I accept it and look forward to casual Fridays (and the rich man I’ll marry someday (; ).
I believe you perform to the standard of your dress. While you’re more “comfortable” in jeans, I believe your mindset is more professsional when you are dressed as such.
Thumbs down: My bank used to have “casual Friday”. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see my banker in jeans. A local “casual elegant” restaurant hires young girls as hostesses. They are allowed to wear pants too tight and stretch tops that show their midriff. Puhleeze.
Thumbs up: My grocer (a large regional chain) requires all of their employees (from stockers to checkers) to wear white button-down shirts and black slacks.
My opinion is that people should look neat. Jeans are fine for most jobs, but they must be neat. I would be put off by someone wearing faded or ripped jeans. I don’t have a problem with open shoes, but in this climate I think it’s cruel to insist on closed shoes. As long as they are nice looking.
If I am buying clothes, I prefer the salespeople to be dressed in the style of the clothes the store sells.
And it is definitely important for salespeople to LOOK like salespeople. I HATE not being able to figure out who to ask for help, especially since I am shy to begin with.
All of that being said, I think that the person wearing the nice, pressed slacks and nice shirt and dress shoes looks better. So if someone was trying to impress me, that would be the way to go.
I find that sad for the employees. Unloading five tons of food wearing dress clothes? When I worked at a small-town grocery store, the video rental department had a dress code of company polo shirts and jeans. The stockers had to wear uncomfortable slacks and button-down shirts. (The boss’s wife ran the video rental dept. We were the pampered employees.)
I’ve never understood casual restaurants that required their servers to wear uncomfortable pants either.
Our company has casual (jeans & tennis shoes) Fridays and business casual (slacks, polo shirts) the rest of the week. The really silly thing is, we’re the corporate office of a retail store. Absolutely no customer sees us. I think we should have a very casual dress code, and my boss must agree, since he basically said we could wear jeans whenever we wanted.
Oh, and I don’t know what it is, but I get mistaken for a store employee all the time, no matter what the store is. I wear baggy t-shirts and gym shorts most of the time, so I can’t imagine what could possess people to think I work there. I swear, in Wal-Mart the other day, a woman asked me where “we” kept the school supplies. I just shook my head that I had no clue, and she gave me a kind of confused smile. I was wearing gray gym shorts, a gray t-shirt, and I was pushing a buggy (trolley).
I was so happy when Kmart tossed their dress code (white shirts, solid colored slacks/skirts and DRESS SHOES-which no one ever wore-we just wore sneakers. Screw 'em. You COULD, however, wear a dress that wasn’t solid.)
It was so much more comfortable and practical-I didn’t have to worry about having a clean white shirt, I was able to wear some of my nice sweaters when it got cold, etc.
What pissed me off was the stock guys would wear ripped, faded
dockers or whatever and no one ever said anything, but I once wore a very nice pair of my mom’s dress slacks that were navy blue with faint white pinstripes and got called on them.
As for the sneakers, all we had to do, if challenged, was bring in a doctor’s note. Even our managers ignored this rule.
I think it totally depends on the store. For instance, at WalMart or its equivalent, it’s nice to have the employees with matching shirts, or at least just all the shirts red or blue or something. That way you can spot them easier. But the pants don’t matter, as long as they’re not ratty.
As for restaurants, it depends how high class it is. If it’s a place where I’m paying $25-$30 a plate, I guess I’d rather have them dressed up a little more just because it goes with the whole experience of paying more and having everything look nicer. If it’s a normal restaurant, then I don’t really care about their pants. Logo-ed shirts or matching color or something to distinguish them as a server is nice, though (and I have experience with this) having to pay for your own shirts as a server can be really pricy, especially when you’re just starting.
For other businesses, it totally depends. I wouldn’t want my lawyer in jeans. (S)he needs to make a good impression on the jury. But in a normal office setting, I have no problem with jeans. Jeans don’t make the “man”, the attitude does. If you’re there to work hard, you’ll work hard, whether you’re in jeans or dress slacks.
I agree, but probably not in the way you’re thinking. I work in the creative section of an ad agency, and the general feeling here is that if you’re wearing a suit and tie as you draw or write, you can’t possibly be creating anything even remotely worth presenting. I know I can certainly work better when I’m not cutting off the blood flow to my brain with a necktie.
On the customer side, our clients are paying us to be different, creative and exciting, so when they see us walking into their office with our casual clothes, sneakers and various piercings, it presents an impression that they’re getting their money’s worth.
I work in a law firm, in a specialty (immigration, non-litigation) where it’s extremely rare for anyone to need to go to court. For that matter, we don’t often have clients in the office, either. Our dress code is business casual, unless we’re having big shots in the office or a client pitch presentation or something. We can wear jeans on Fridays. I think this is very sensible, as it matches the dress code of most of our clients.
Of course, if you’re going to INS or something, one would hope you’d try to look human (not that most of the people at INS would notice or care, but still). Likewise, I don’t care much what people who serve me are wearing, as long as it suits their job and isn’t noticeably ratty or revealing.