Dress Code / Standards
Discussion
I have worn a shirt and tie to work for the past 20 years, the NHS government office I am in now has no dress code to speak of but I put a tie on everyday, its just automatic for me to do it after 20 years.
Some men in the office wear a tie some dont, we dont get seen by the public. There is also a kind of unwritten expectation to wear a tie to meetings.
Women have always seemed to dress down more as there doesnt seem to be a standard they keep in the office, when speaking to women they also say that its better with a shirt and tie as you know where you are, have seperate work wear and you dont have to cordinate or think about what to wear so much. I kind of agree. I do however think a tie is quite old fashoned and times need to move on.
Was reading this from 2003 and even after this 15 years on there is still this expectation that if you want to look smart you must wear a tie.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2840013.stm
Will the tie ever die its death.
Some men in the office wear a tie some dont, we dont get seen by the public. There is also a kind of unwritten expectation to wear a tie to meetings.
Women have always seemed to dress down more as there doesnt seem to be a standard they keep in the office, when speaking to women they also say that its better with a shirt and tie as you know where you are, have seperate work wear and you dont have to cordinate or think about what to wear so much. I kind of agree. I do however think a tie is quite old fashoned and times need to move on.
Was reading this from 2003 and even after this 15 years on there is still this expectation that if you want to look smart you must wear a tie.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2840013.stm
Will the tie ever die its death.
I work for a big Pharma company and very few people wear a tie. Most of the blokes (middle management and above) wear a shirt and smart trousers, some wear a tie but very few. amongst the women there is an even greater fluctuation in dress code, ranging from trouser/skirt suits to jeans and a Next top.
I'm sure those who work involve customers or other outside parties wear ties suits etc but not us corporate back office types.
In my last role in the same company I worked as a research scientist and there was an unwritten rule that the scruffier the better. If I wore what I wear now to my old job I'd be asked if I was going for a job interview or what I was up in court for.
I'm sure those who work involve customers or other outside parties wear ties suits etc but not us corporate back office types.
In my last role in the same company I worked as a research scientist and there was an unwritten rule that the scruffier the better. If I wore what I wear now to my old job I'd be asked if I was going for a job interview or what I was up in court for.
I wore a shirt and tie at all my jobs (work in IT) until maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I still wear a shirt, shoes and smart pants or chinos but the only people who wear ties here work in sales and have formal suits. Our senior leadership team never wear a tie. Our MD is in a company branded shirt and that's as smart as it gets. Even if I have to look more professional, I tend to wear a suit but no tie. Very much an old fashioned thing and I gave most of mine away.
SpeckledJim said:
Dress for the job you want.
I'm going to start dressing like a pensioner. Funny thing is: ties aren't that a traditional thing, we are only talking a century or so. It's almost like men's formal fashion has got stuck. All that happens is that the shape of the different elements varies a bit.
I'm so glad I get given a uniform to wear, I'd hate to even think about what to put on.
I have worn a tie almost since i went to prep school but last year stopped for a few days in the summer and have only ever worn one since when going to 'big' meetings where i would be the only one not wearing a tie, but those are the sort of meetings where i would crack out the posh suit and shoes as well rather than the usual office fare.
Ties are declining IMO. These days it tends to only be the corporate drones that are expected to wear them, together with the odd place still stuck in 1875.
Ties are declining IMO. These days it tends to only be the corporate drones that are expected to wear them, together with the odd place still stuck in 1875.
I remember a few year ago, we were told to wear jeans on Friday as we were having a clear out of the office archives. Kevin comes in with trousers and a shirt the boss was not happy and said where are your jeans, Kevin said look I get my work wear from Asda/Premark, my jeans cost me £120 from Hugo Boss so if I damage them doing this its gonna be better for you to pay me £18 for a new pair of ASDA trousers.
I work for a Firm of Solicitors with a relaxed dress code (and complete dress down every Friday). Still wear a suit and smart shoes every day and a tie to go to Court or a client meeting
It feels strange with a suit and no tie, even stranger wearing cufflinks and no tie
last job (legal dept of very large insurance company) had no dress code at all and that was very strange...
job before that, small firm of solicitors. Suit and tie every day for ten years plus..
It feels strange with a suit and no tie, even stranger wearing cufflinks and no tie
last job (legal dept of very large insurance company) had no dress code at all and that was very strange...
job before that, small firm of solicitors. Suit and tie every day for ten years plus..
Rude-boy said:
Ties are declining IMO. These days it tends to only be the corporate drones that are expected to wear them, together with the odd place still stuck in 1875.
Part of the problem is fashion keeps bringing the tie back, used to be kippers, then what I call normal size from the 90's to today/forward that is a slim profile tie. They just wont let it die out. I hope that my senior mangers bore off soon and allow us to wear more relaxed business casual wear. Suits and ties create a barrier between us and our clients and it's becoming such a dated look. I think it's happening though as places like tm lewin are selling a lot more biz casual stuff which I think is a sign of times changing.
Hopefully when the millenials are in charge we can dress down.
Hopefully when the millenials are in charge we can dress down.
I agree with that article, it is discriminatory to allow women freedom to 'wear something smart' yet men have to forcibly wear specific items. Although I never wear a tie to work, in fact we are now jeans and top kind of agency, I still like wearing a suit and tie for client meetings, I have bought some expensive clothes for this and it makes you feel very professional and upstanding! But sat at my desk all day with colleagues this isn't required. Ironically I find a tie and shirt the most utterly useless combo of clothes ever. Too hot in summer, not warm enough in winter, many men that are overweight and this look of a bulging shirt and tie strangling them really looks quite terrible.
Dress smart should be applied equally.
Dress smart should be applied equally.
Currently sat in the office wearing shorts and t-shirt.
We get a mix, mostly jeans. Some in proper trousers and shirts but they are in a minority. None with a tie. It is partly because we have quite a young demographic.
There are no formal rules which works well. The only expectation would be that if you were meeting a client, you be a bit smarter.
I went to a school with a very strict dress code (neighbours would phone up if they saw somebody walking home with a shirt un-tucked) - I think some sort of dress code is good at that stage but now, with just office based work, it doesn't make any difference.
We get a mix, mostly jeans. Some in proper trousers and shirts but they are in a minority. None with a tie. It is partly because we have quite a young demographic.
There are no formal rules which works well. The only expectation would be that if you were meeting a client, you be a bit smarter.
I went to a school with a very strict dress code (neighbours would phone up if they saw somebody walking home with a shirt un-tucked) - I think some sort of dress code is good at that stage but now, with just office based work, it doesn't make any difference.
Brainpox said:
Some people can wear a shirt alone and look smart, others look a mess. A tie normalises everyone imo.
A smart shirt bought within the last two years and ironed looks a hell of a lot smarter than a mismatching shirt and tie combo bought 20 years ago. A tie can't fix everythingAmerican company, industry leaders in lots of huge "compute" areas.
No dress code at all, other than smart at customer meetings, which is more of an unwritten rule.
Our UK office has people turning up in shorts and flipflops. Its actually a much nice enviroment to work in that a shirt and tie place (been there, done that).
No dress code at all, other than smart at customer meetings, which is more of an unwritten rule.
Our UK office has people turning up in shorts and flipflops. Its actually a much nice enviroment to work in that a shirt and tie place (been there, done that).
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