No more retro jerseys. No more comfy tanks, T-shirts, shorts or hats. And definitely no more bling. With some of you counting down your days into the job market, it might be useful to brush up yourself on the newest job fashion etiquette.
In October, the launch of a new NBA dress code had pro-ballers looking more like corporate America and less like hip-hop moguls. When not on the court, business casual is protocol, which means the likes of Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson will be decked out in dress shirts, sweaters, sport coats and slacks.
NBA players fear losing their style, but the professional attire of today is not the uniform of the 1950s. Tanika White, fashion writer of the Baltimore Sun, feels that it is possible to "find something that fits well, suits your personality and looks good."
The end-days for casual Fridays are near as companies across the nation enstate new dress codes, requiring employees to ditch the tennis shoes and go back to well-tailored suits. As trousers and patent leather were passed up for shorts and flip-flops, professional attitudes were replaced by a more relaxed work ethic. Yet looking good for work doesn't mean wearing your father's stiff white collars or your mother's 80s power suit. Business attire today is form-fitting for a more modern look, and touches of bright color liven up a subtle suit.
While dressing appropriately in a professional setting has always been important, the boundaries of business fashion have been blurred by constantly evolving fashion trends. Adjustments in company dress code, such as "casual Friday," were the hallmark of the 90s. However, with employers becoming frustrated with the carefree attitudes of their "casual" employees and the job market becoming increasingly competitive, clothing in the workplace is making a move toward formal dress again. David Wolfe, creative director for The Doneger Group, a New York fashion and buying service, tells The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "We have a generation of young men who are discovering that it pays off to look appropriate. No one thinks it will be like the 1950s, when men wore a suit and tie. But it's no longer cool to look scruffy. We're tired of young men going around with ratty-looking hair and flip flops." In addition, attire can shape the way a supervisor or potential employer views someone. With a large margin for error and high stakes at risk, professionals are finding themselves seeking work-wear guidance.
Although casual Friday reached its peak in the 90s, the movement toward less formal clothing started in the late 1950s. Originally, it was an attempt to raise enthusiasm for work in the office. Then, in the late 1970s, manufacturers were able to mass produce cheap clothing. In the interest of appealing to markets, a massive campaign was initiated to make "casual" or "dress down" Fridays a standard ritual.
However, as the trend became more prevalent in the professional environment, Casual Friday evolved into Casual Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well. The appearance of polo shirts, khakis, jeans and sneakers put employees at ease -- perhaps at too much ease.
In an interview with Roberta Strickler of the Intelligencer Journal, Jay Filling of Fillings Men's Shop said, "Casual Fridays in the Lancaster workplace really got the ball rolling about 1990. Casual dress at the dot coms, where the workplace is like or is working at home, got out of hand. It became a perk that was hard to define or control, and it spread like wildfire through the 90s."
Casual clothing affected the attitude with which employees approached their jobs. Sue Morem of careerknowhow.com writes, "As time went on, casual dress led to careless dress and carefree attitudes."
The trend toward more "dress-to-impress" clothing is only furthered by the aggressive job market that exists today. White says, "It's a very competitive society, and anything you can do to set yourself apart from other people is a plus. Your clothes are the first thing people will notice about you. It doesn't matter if you're the best or the most qualified candidate."
In Through the Wardrobe: Women's Relationships with Their Clothes, a professional staff administrator of a university said that those in her job position "recognize quality. They know a silk tweed from a polyester tweed. And it says, `I am one of you. I know your rules. I am willing to play by them right now. And I expect from you what you give anybody else.'"
Professionals are becoming more aware of the edge a fashionable yet smart outfit will give them when searching for employment or making the impression that they are prepared to handle the work a higher position would require of them.
White advises, "Guys should always, always, always, always wear a tie. It says, I put thought into this outfit, and I take this interview seriously."
For women, White said, "A nice skirt is appropriate anywhere. If you want, you can put on a nice or unique blouse underneath that has color or flair. A skirt suit says, `I am a serious person ready to get down to work.'"
You can accessorize, but you should look presentable, not distracting. Your jewelry should be discreteor dainty. Diamond studs, slender hoops, pearl earrings or a little necklace, just not all your jewelry. You don't want potential employers to remember you as the person jingling all the way down the hallway when they came in.
White concludes with a tip on fragrance: "You should leave behind the memory of your work ethic, qualifications, etc. At the end, you don't want them to say, `That was the girl that smelled like a perfume bill.'"
