Tag: office dress attire

What to Wear to a Job Interview

business_dress

The question might be “What NOT to wear to an interview, rather than “What to wear to an interview”? I have seen people arrive for interviews with the most interesting outfits. They are drawing attention to themselves, however, it is not in a flattering way. Midriffs, cutouts, holey and/or dirty clothes and t-shirts with arm holes that show skin down to the belly button, are not appropriate attire for an interview. Even if the temperature outside is 80 degrees. Resist the urge to “under dress”. Some companies are more casual than others, so you may not have to wear a suit, but you still want to make a great first impression. Appropriate clothing is just as important as good hygiene.
 
How much to dress up or not, depends on the position you are trying to obtain. A management position would suggest that you wear a suit. A manufacturing position may be less formal. Following are just a few guidelines:
 
Men
Dress in a manner appropriate to the position you are applying for
Suits should match, fit properly and be pressed
Avoid “loud” colors, including ties

Women
Dress in a suit with pants or a skirt
It should be understated, comfortable and well fitting
Avoid anything tight, bright, short or sheer
Makeup, jewelry and nails should also be understated

If the position is less formal, such as in manufacturing, jeans may be acceptable. They should be neat, clean and free of rips and tears. Shirts should be the same. Keep accessories to a minimum and pay attention to hygiene. Dress to impress. Sit up straight and speak clearly. Avoid slang. Smile! Remember – the person that is interviewing you needs to see you as an asset to the company. For more suggestions, check out the web. There are numerous articles devoted to this very subject. Good Luck!

 

Should Your Office Have Casual Dress Attire?

There is currently a trend toward casual dress in the work place. The question in why your office should have casual dress and which form should it take. There are several modes of casual dress that are allowed by different corporations. There is casual business, casual and relaxed casual. The casual trend started in the 80’s & 90’s when people were being laid off in the corporate world. The general thinking was that employee morale would be raised by the relaxed atmosphere thereby increasing work output.

Office_Casual

The casual business dress would mostly consist of khaki pants with no tie or jacket, but with a collared shirt. Golf shirts or button downs would be ok for men. Similar outfits for women, but perhaps a sleeveless blouse would also be allowed. Socks optional but shoes were a requirement. The casual dress code would allow jeans and t-shirts with sneakers, all clean and well maintained. The line was drawn at ripped jeans and tank tops. The relaxed casual introduced the wearing of shorts and sandals (no flip-flops) into the mix.

Although called dress down or casual days, these were initially reserved for Friday. The thought being that everyone would finish off the week by relaxing on their last work day. This led to a general trend of casual dress for the entire week. This spread gathered momentum after the turn of the century until the current day. It is believed that about 40% of businesses (usually who didn’t have face-to-face customer or client contact) have adopted the casual dress week.

There have been several studies done that point to the possibility that this trend has increased productivity 41% of the time. The belief being that when employees are relaxed they tend to feel more comfortable in their position and work at a higher capacity. The relaxed atmosphere is believed to add to greater spontaneity, better work conditions and improved relationships between employees. Several companies offer the casual dress policy as a benefit to working in their company. However, when considering a casual dress policy consideration should be given to spelling out exactly what is and isn’t allowed to avoid problems of poor taste or poor judgment.