The Hindu Business Line : Dress sense

Many years ago, I had the fortune to sit between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre and munch on French fries, surrounded by many of New York's up and coming executives. They were all in what was once called `civil dress', which essentially meant that there was no set uniform.

At the same time, there seemed to be an unwritten code by which the women looked like they were actually in a uniform with five different shades to choose from.

That baffled me since I was used to our colourful sarees and salwar kameezes and men sporting red and black Madras checks.

At times, I had wished that our office had a uniform. Then, my boss would not have chided me on my poor taste in fabric, tailors, etc. But having spoken to people in companies which do have uniforms, I think it is better to let people choose their attire and indulge in cuts, styles, colours and fabrics of their own choice.

Need to Fit in

A friend who had moved to New York began to wear stockings or leggings though shewas very uncomfortable in them. Desperate to fit in, she would carry the leggings in her purse and get in a little early to put them on before she began work. This just highlights the conflict which dressing for work creates.

This conflict is accentuated when someone has to travel abroad to a new country and culture. A young friend who had to go to Europe, equipped herself with formal dress suits, cocktail dresses and so on and almost went bankrupt in the process.

The basics

Once upon a time, the default was to wear `business formals,' which suggested a suit and tie for the men. The code of course confounded the women.

Many companies have now adopted a dress code called `business casuals'. This could mean an open collar shirt with a blazer or a dress pant and shirt with a tie. For women, this would perhaps mean no jeans and T-shirts.

This is clearly different from the companies of the dotcom heyday, which proudly proclaimed, "Our dressing is casual," which usually meant jeans and T-shirts were allowed. There is, of course, a threat that such dress codes could degenerate into ugly and unkempt employees.

With so many companies doing so much for their precious human resources, one often needs `party wear' as well. If you are attending a product launch or a correspondent's dinner, you may have to dress in `business formals'.

If it happens to be informal event, then jeans, shorts, cargo pants and t-shirts are all acceptable. Today , an invite to an informal party should probably have a tagline — "Please do wear something."

The fringe issues

Hair and make-up is an area that causes confusion and the barrage of advertisements do not help. I have often had mini attacks of asthma thanks to the overpowering smell of the perfumes in not just the scents, but also in the mousse and other popular toiletries.

Accessorising with shoes, bags, and jewellery is another vexing and time-consuming issue. The thumb rule for accessories is that they should be attractive, but should not attract attention, as in people staring.

The reality is that most employees may need to vary their attire depending on whether or not they are meeting clients. If you are conducting an orientation tour or addressing an internal group, you should project a confident and professional image. If you are largely working by yourself, anything that does not appear indecent to the security guards around you is fine.

The hemline

The original purpose of dressing was to protect oneself from the elements. The weather should ideally be the benchmark for deciding what you wear to the office. By that token, if you are in Chennai, it should be acceptable to wear linen all year round, if you wish. Unfortunately, the issue is a bit more complicated now.

Clothing often needs to reflect one's profession and personality. If it makes you feel confident, comfortable and competent, you should be allowed to wear it. The caveat is that it should not make the onlooker blush or otherwise feel uncomfortable.

(The writer, an alumnus of XLRI, is a freelance HR consultant and trainer.)

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