# Office Dress Codes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074 "2006-04-03T15:06:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/41 "2006-04-04T00:59:45Z")
Our office dress code runs to 7 single-spaced pages of our employee handbook. Here are the parts I must follow: > [@my employee handbook](#): > > C. Grooming and Appearance > > As an educational institution, it is essential that \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ (name of employer removed) Private Schools project a _ **neat and professional image** _ to students and parents, as well as to the surrounding community. We are all professionals, and must dress professionally. For this reason, all \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ personnel are expected to maintain a neat, clean and businesslike appearance that in no way detracts from the learning process. If you arrive at work improperly dressed or groomed you may be sent home to change and the time lost may be deducted from your paycheck. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ management reserves the right to make final determinations on appropriate attire based on criteria addressed in this policy and on basic standards not explicity addressed in the policy. > > We expect all employees to present a neat, well-groomed appearance and courteous disposition. The Company’s professional atmosphere is maintained, in part, by the image that its employees present to students and parents as well as other personnel present at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Private Schools. Employees must, therefore, utilize good judgement in determining what is appropriate attire and grooming. Personal hygeine is also important. Do not be too extreme with cologne, perfume, or makeup. Also remember the importance of god hygeine in presenting a pleasant image. > > 1. Examples > > Attire which is not appropriate in the workplace includes the following: > > [list=a] > [li]Sexually suggestive, flashy or skimpy, ill fitting, or revealing clothing;[/li][li]Non-business clothing for teachers, management and office personnel[/li][li]Footwear without socks or nylons[/li][li]Bare feet, bare midriffs, or pierced body parts that are not considered appropriate attire in a professional atmosphere;[/li][li]Leggings, stirrup pants, stretch pants, or leotards (e.g., spandex, latex, or otherwise); and [/li][li]Culottes, shorts shorter than mid calf, or capri pants.[/li][/list] > > 1. Specified Positions > a. Male teachers and Staff > > Male teachers, administrative staff and office staff must wear professional aopparel consisting of business-appropriate footwear, coordinated dress slacks, collared shirts and ties (and jackets when appropriate). Sweaters may be worn, but should be accompanied by appropriate apparel stated above. All items worn should be color and fabric coordinated in such a way as not to “clash” or appear unprofessional in any way. Shirts should be tucked in and pants should be belted (suspenders are an acceptable substitute for belts). > > _Definition of slacks:_ neat, pressed slacks made of a cloth or fabric (i.e., cotton, wool, polyester, gabardine, rayon, silk, or blends of the afformentioned materials). _ **Jeans of any color, denim of any kind, sweat pants, are not acceptable. Also, business shorts and culottes that are shorter than mid calf are not acceptable.** _ > > . > . > . > > j. “Business Casual” Dress Standard > > Whenever “Business Casual” Dress is invoked as an option ot employees an/or to specific departments for special circumstances, the following dress standard will apply. > > Males may wear casual (non-denim) slacks and collared shirts (i.e., polo shirts) in lieu of suit-type slacks and more formal, button-down shirts and ties. All pants should be belted and shirts should be tucked in. Closed toed, casual shoes or tennis shoes may be worn. All apparel must be neat and clean… > > \ > > …Please keep in mind that although “Business Casual” Dress may be in effect, more formal attire is encouraged when you have scheduled appointments, interviews, and/or meetings with persons outside of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ where more formal attire is appropriate. Business casual dress represents the minimum-required standard and good judgement must be exercised at all times in determining appropriate dress. > > . > . > . > > l. “Event-Specific” Dress Standard > > In addition to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_'s formal and business casual dress standards, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ may allow for an “event-specific” dress standard during special days and/or under unique circumstances. Examples of these include: Halloween, carnivals, field trips, coming in on “off” days to perform specific tasks, a physcially demanding day involving the moving of boxes and/or furniture to storage or another location throughout the day, etc. Under these unusual circumstances, employees may dress more casually provided they have _ **received advanced supervisory approval and maintain a neat and professional image.** _ (Employees may be asked to bring an extra set of clothes in order to change if the “specific event” doesnot last the majority of your work shift or is not intermittent throughout the entire day.) The standard for “event-specific” dress will vary depending on the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/42 "2006-04-04T01:10:14Z")
> [@Tamryne](#): > > Hair also had to be styled nicely, and we had to wear makeup. They had makeup in the back if we forgot to wear some. Nails technically had to be painted, but with my short bitten ones they let me slide with clear polish. That job sucked. Ugh. Do you mind if I ask what type of job this was? I’ll dress to code, but no way in friggen’ _hell_ anyone is going to mandate _makeup_ on me. And nail polish??? I work in a medical clinic–dress code is… well, I don’t know what you’d call it. Most people wear nice-ish pants that are not jeans, or a long skirt, and a non-t-shirt top, or scrubs. We can wear tidy jeans and a Planned Parenthood t-shirt on Fridays. I looooooves me some scrubs, so that’s what I wear. Like wearing jammies to work every day! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/43 "2006-04-04T01:27:54Z")
I have to wear pants. Probably a shirt too. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/44 "2006-04-04T02:03:36Z")
The company dress code says “business casual”, so I’ve been wearing nice trousers and fitted but comfy shirts every day, and some general black business casual-y Timberlands that I hate. I saw a few of the engineers wearing jeans and athletic shoes, but I dunno if a lowly clerk could get away with it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/45 "2006-04-04T03:57:53Z")
Business casual here. But my employer has a weird idea of that term. I actually got some polos with the company logo on them, only to be told they were too casual! One woman consistently wears 3- 4- and 5-inch heels and super short skirts. She’s worn tops so low you could clearly see her bra, as well as sheer fabrics and hot pink outfits, yet she’s been complimented twice in my presence by our HR director as the “epitome of business attire” 😕 Another coworker was ‘warned’ recently for wearing capris. We both wear skirts often, which show more leg than capris. Her capris fit well, weren’t tight or neon coloured, so we were both left scratching our heads at that. I don’t get the resistence to capris. Sometimes I wish we had uniforms…I’d rather spend my money on clothes I WANT to wear rather than clothes that conform to whatever is subjectively deemed appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/46 "2006-04-04T04:29:01Z")
> [@MixieArmadillo](#): > > Ugh. Do you mind if I ask what type of job this was? I’ll dress to code, but no way in friggen’ _hell_ anyone is going to mandate _makeup_ on me. And nail polish??? It was at an antique store, where people would regularly come in and drop 3-4k on furniture, artwork, exc. I was mostly a decorative piece, I wasn’t even supposed to talk, truly. I did filing in the back when we weren’t busy, and then was on the floor standing unobtrusively(sp?) when there was someone there. I also made tea and wrapped purchases. Technically I was hired as a clerk, but I also did some assistant work on the sales floor. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/47 "2006-04-04T08:06:57Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > At 5’8" and a 32" inch waist it’s _really_ hard to find slacks that really fit. And by that I don’t only mean that you can put them on and they reach your heel when you stand up, but that you can sit down and not have the hems hike up past your ankle boots. It’s worse if you wear 28", believe me (and I’m about an inch taller). A friend of mine used to work for Sun, which had the greatest dresscode I’ve ever seen: > [@Sun Employee Handbook](#): > > Sun’s dresscode is very simple. Sun requires that you dress. Please exercise your best judgement. That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/48 "2006-04-04T13:43:17Z")
Sometimes on “Casual Friday”, I go to work naked. I find it helps break up the tension built up over the past week, and can be a great icebreaker at staff meetings. Tripler It really does help. Trust me. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/49 "2006-04-04T14:32:02Z")
ugh- my college and the hospitals I works in are possibly the least helpful institution when it come to telling female medical students and doctors what to wear. I mean, they tell the boys (shirt, tie, white coat, no jeans, no shorts, chinos acceptable, sports shoes acceptable, leather shoes preferred). Female students are told “don’t bare you midriff or wear anything which will give elderly male patients a heart attack- use your common sense”. Usually I wear smart trousers or a knee-length or longer skirt and a blouse or jumper (with a t-shirt or cami underneath if it has a v-neck), which seems to be fine, but female doctors wear anything from full corporate dress, t-shirts and chinos with flip-flops or kinky boots and miniskrts with low-cut blouses. Obviously my sense of “appropriate hospital wear” and “common sense” differs from some of my colleagues. Some sort of dress code would be nice (if only for the patients’ sakes). ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/50 "2006-04-04T19:15:22Z")
The Sun dress code sounds very much like the one for my division - don’t be naked or obscene. We have no contact with the public and rarely if ever have in-person contact with anyone internal that we’re doing work for. (You could easily call us the Skunk Works of the financial world - even the physical address for us on the internal directory is intentionally misleading) Of course, we do have divisions that meet the public. For them, it’s still pretty loosey-goosey: \*\ promotes a casual dress environment while maintaining an image that is conducive to respect, credibility, and professionalism. We need your help to maintain that image – and you can help us do that my making smart choices about what you wear to work. You should be able to use your good judgment to determine whether something is OK to wear to work or not. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If what you’re wearing DOESN’T help convey an image of professionalism and respect coworkers, DON’T WEAR IT! \* ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/51 "2006-04-04T19:33:01Z")
> [@MrJackboots](#): > > > [@pectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > > > At 5’8" and a 32" inch waist it’s really hard to find slacks that really fit. And by that I don’t only mean that you can put them on and they reach your heel when you stand up, but that you can sit down and not have the hems hike up past your ankle boots. > > It’s worse if you wear 28", believe me (and I’m about an inch taller). Hmmm…That’s odd, because when I was able to wear 30" slacks everything fit me great, and I never had problems buying dressy clothes off the rack. But that was about 13 years ago, and I suppose the pants are cut differently nowadays. Still, as I look around me today it does seem to be the very slender guys whose dress pants fit the best. They break correctly when standing, and when they sit down, their pants still reach almost all the way to the shoe. ---
**Author:** ![Wensleydale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@Wensleydale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wensleydale)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/52 "2006-04-04T19:34:01Z")
I work in a high school and have to wear long pants, colloared shirt and a tie. Along with that all academic staff have to wear an academic gown at all times. We are allowed to remove the gown when teaching but should wear it when greeting the class and moving around the school. This rule does not seem to be applied to the music department, they are a law unto themselves. I have a thermometer in my classroom and I have recorded temperatures of 35 degrees Celcius during the summer. The kids also have to wear ties as well all year round. ---
**Author:** ![ems](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@ems](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ems)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/53 "2006-04-04T21:40:56Z")
I work in the oilfield and if I am out in the field it is full PPE - Hard hat, coveralls, steel toed boots & safety glasses. What we wear underneath is up to us. In the office there are no rules other than be neat & tidy and with an added proviso for the girls “no butt-no belly-no boobs”. Generally seems to work. I am really not looking forward to the day if and when I move on up the food chain of wearing a suit ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/54 "2006-04-04T22:16:01Z")
My current workplace has a “business casual” dress code, though it seems to be enforced by a combination of honor system and peer pressure; I haven’t heard of anyone actually being disciplined for the way they dress. Shorts aren’t allowed, but the building is so air-conditioned the temptation to wear them is mostly lacking. Other disapproved items are tight and revealing clothing and T-shirts with offensive slogans. If I see my departmental head wearing a jacket and tie, it means he either has visitors coming or a meeting with the big bosses. Most people seen wearing suits work in sales or training. I used to work in a university, where the only dress code seemed to be “Don’t show up naked”, and a law school student became moderately famous for flouting that. Every so often the safety people would remind us lab workers we were supposed to wear trousers and closed-toe shoes when working with chemicals. It never made any difference that I could see. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/55 "2006-04-10T10:34:11Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Hmmm…That’s odd, because when I was able to wear 30" slacks everything fit me great, and I never had problems buying dressy clothes off the rack. But that was about 13 years ago, and I suppose the pants are cut differently nowadays. Still, as I look around me today it does seem to be the very slender guys whose dress pants fit the best. They break correctly when standing, and when they sit down, their pants still reach almost all the way to the shoe. Whoops. Missed this one. Hope this isn’t too much of a zombie. Some brands don’t _make_ pants in 28" waist anymore, and most stores won’t carry them in any meaningful length; I always have to wheedle the salespeople into taking special orders for me. If you’re finding something good that makes 28x32 (or 28x34), I’d love to hear it. Just to keep in-topic, I think the strictest I’ve dealt with was clean-room garb. We weren’t in the full-enclosure suits, but there were Class 10 sectors, so there were even regulations about how much hair you could have exposed (eyebrows OK if you were wearing low goggles, but that’s it) and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Adversary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@Adversary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adversary)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/56 "2006-04-10T14:05:50Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > Did I mention they are black with a big yellow stripe down the center so we look like a bunch of bumble bees? Wow, guess I know where you work now… I thought the yellow and black might be a little more comfortable than the last one. No one seemed quite happy to wear them though… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/57 "2006-04-10T20:45:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Auntbeast** > Did I mention they are black with a big yellow stripe down the center so we look like a bunch of bumble bees? I know you might not want to say where you work for privacy reasons, but I’m dying to know where it is that makes their employees dress like this… ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/58 "2006-04-10T21:48:10Z")
I don’t think we have a dress code. I normally wear decent trousers, shirt (often double-cuff), tie, and sports jacket. The jacket comes off inside the office. In summer, I’ll add a panama for outside. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074/59 "2006-04-10T22:01:41Z")
Our school doesn’t really have a dress code for teachers. So for the last 5 years I’ve been showing up to work wearing black jeans, running shoes and a Hawaiian shirt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-dress-codes/351074.md?page=2)