Suitable Clothing in the Workplace
What you wear makes a statement about you. It gives insight into your self worth in how you present yourself and it tells the world that you have a sense of balance, or not, in being able to chose clothes which are suitable for the occasion. This is the essence of what is suitable clothing to wear in the workplace.
The type of job you do, to a certain extent, dictates what is tasteful in what you wear. If you are working on an assembly line, then practical, hard-wearing clothes will be more comfortable but if you fancy wearing something a bit unusual, as long as there are no safety issues, then no customer is going to see you and the image of the company is not tarnished.
Professional people are usually expected to wear formal dress. A well cut suit or smart casual items, in other words, the ‘uniform’ of the profession. In this case the clothes chosen state that you are serious in your career and to be trusted to do the best you can for your clients. The type of clothing might not be your personal taste but you are letting the world know you understand the image you must present. To an extent you are conforming to the standards expected of your chosen work.
For some individuals there is a dichotomy between the image they think they would like to offer and what is acceptable. This is where the self worth issue comes into play. Women who wear plunging necklines or very short skirts are usually trying to appear as attractive as they can. However, a good look in a full length, preferably triple mirror so they can see all around their body, will show that this can be a very unflattering outfit. It is possible to have a low neckline if it is balanced by a longer skirt or trousers. Too much exposed flesh in a work situation is inelegant. The images we see often of skimpily clad, skinny models suggests that this is an attractive way to dress. Unfortunately many women are normal in their size and what might suit a thin teenager in an advertisement does not flatter an older women in daily life.
Men can have a problem with ties. While it is fun to have some of the imaginative designs available in this dull item of clothing, if a client looks carefully at the tie and sees some cartoon character charging across it, it ‘lowers the tone’
What you chose to wear in the workplace gives insight into your sense of suitability, your self worth and how you view the work you do. Selective care is needed to consider what is appropriate yet flattering to your personally.
