The ties that bind...

[furie]

Every day I come to work in an office. It's expected of me to wear a shirt, tie and trousers.

I hate it. While I agree with the idea of "looking smart" and certainly don't take anyone meeting me quite as seriously if they turn up in jeans and an open necked shirt - I just don't like the style of it. I don't think there's really an relevance in society today, I just don't think it's appropriate any more. It's a "fashion" that was been with us for what must be 100 years now.

I used to think that maybe it would show signs of abating as my generation came upwards into management and could quell it. It's not happened though, the entire idea of "suited and booted" still stands.

What do you think? Shirt and tie, suited and booted - is it something that needs killing off and replacing with something contemporary, or should it remain the defacto "smart".

And don't get me started on how much flexibility women have for being "smart" in the office.

 

[Ben]

The whole male/female divide in office wear is RIDICULOUS.

We've got pretty good freedom considering it's a massive corporate bank. It's smart trousers and a shirt, with optional ties, and no-one wears jackets. Like, ever.

So, I generally add a cute little thin black jumper thing over my shirt and it's all quite nice. Often with a thin tie to make it more smart/gay.

In the summer we're allowed more short sleeve shirts, and just generally more of a colourful, summery look.

I think suits are rather sexy, so, I don't mind men having to wear them. I can see why companies like you to wear one, and if I was a manager/owner I would insist that my team wear them as well. I'll be surprised if it survives the next 50 years in terms of being totally normally, cause, I'd say the generation of graduates/starters now and in the last ten years are quite likely to start changing that. I know that it's been changed quite recently in my office at the request of the team leaders we have now, who are mostly late 20s.

 

[nadroJ]

It depends. Cheap suits look nasty, that's a fact. However, a really nice suit, or even a cheap suit that's well put together, can look sharp as **** and super sexy. And they make people take you seriously. I don't know, I'd like to think that today's society has gotten past judging book's by their cover, but clearly not as the suit is still such a powerful symbol of status.

A lot of my friends like wearing suits, it makes them feel good, I guess. Like, Sam for instance (because he's a GOON) wore a suit in Vegas because he felt it would make him fit in more (and because he likes to pretend he is in the movies *eyeroll*). Dressing up smart is something enjoyable for young men, in my experience, because it makes you feel less of a boy and more a man of the world.

But there really is nothing worse than a shabby, badly fitted suit.

Women dressing smart is code for dressing sexy and getting away with it ;] I love women's office wear, it's so slutty <3

Suits <3

 

[Venom2053]

I think it depends on where you work. At least a shirt and tie should be worn for a desk job. I think the more important you are to the company the more important it is to dress smartly. If a person is meeting with clients or pitching an idea, they should be dressed to look professional. I think suits are an important part of business, its hard to wear anything that makes you look more professional in todays society.

As for woman, if they share a position with a man that wears a suit, then she should be wearing one too. Its all about equality right

 

[nadroJ]

As for woman, if they share a position with a man that wears a suit, then she should be wearing one too. Its all about equality right

Couldn't the man wear a skirt and blouse instead? Equal rights and all that. Hate to go off topic but that was grossly sexist </3

 

[Venom2053]

^ They could but, a man in a skirt and blouse doesn't look professional, A woman in a suit does. I'm sorry if it came of that way but woman have the best of both worlds. They can wear a suit or a skirt and blouse. Men are forced by social norms to wear a suit/shirt and tie.

 

[kimahri]

I hate them actually. I don't really give a **** what people think of me, I'd rather be comfortable and walk around in my usual stuff. Granted I wouldn't walk around work in my Zero Punctuation "pants-on-head-retarded" (dispite having worn it at work anyway), that would be breaching my contract of disclosing information about clients at work!

Meh, still doesn't stop me going to work wearing my DC's and a dirty worn hoody and "forgetting" to change them.

 

[Ben]

Granted I wouldn't walk around work in my Zero Punctuation "pants-on-head-retarded" (dispite having worn it at work anyway), that would be breaching my contract of disclosing information about clients at work!

You should never take that off <3

 

[danielfitzgerald99]

It depends entirely on where you work. I don't think it should be enforced per se. I actually really enjoy wearing a suit. I wouldn't object to wearing one in an office environment but if you don't feel like it you should be able to wear whatever the hell you want.

 

[Antinos]

After going to a private school for four years where it was required of us to show up in a button down shirt, tie, dress pants, dress shoes, etc, I got used to it. I don't think it's necessarily comfortable, but I don't mind dressing up probably because I've been told that I look good when I do so. In the working world, I think it depends on the job. Obviously if you worked at a front desk or were a representative or were in some way often dealing with the public and representing your employer, it would be a good idea to look nice. If you're in a back office where you barely saw the light of day, let alone people, I don't think it matters what you wear. A lot of people already wear polos in the work place, but I can see polos being much much more prevalent.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

To be honest, if everyone went to a big, important, corporate office in tank tops and ripped jeans, I feel like they'd be taken less seriously. I think it's sort of the same as McDonalds and any other fast food place having a uniform, and that's because they want everyone to LOOK uniform and like they're part of a distinct company or a group. Obviously the suit doesn't show which company you work for or anything, but like people have said, it makes you look smarter and can sometimes be a status symbol, so I can see why companies do it.

Also suits are hot as well. So, I'm all for it.

 

[tomahawk]

I hate suits with a passion, but with that said I know I will be wearing them. It looks much more professional, unless you are working some place where it doesn't fit.

 

[furie]

It depends. Cheap suits look nasty, that's a fact. However, a really nice suit, or even a cheap suit that's well put together, can look sharp as **** and super sexy.

I only have cheap and **** suits now. I used to spend at least a couple of hundred on a suit, but after years of scrabbling around in them under dusty desks on dusty floors, and walking through properly filthy factories and yards - I just don't bother.

It's one point though. The dress code is "smart", but in reality it means bugger all. You can wear a shirt and tie and look like absolute trash. The lad who used to work for me would easily spend £200 on a new outfit for going out on a Friday night. It seems stupid that this is considered "less effort" than sticking on a pair of £9 Tesco trousers and a £5 Tesco shirt and tie set.

However...

I hate them actually. I don't really give a **** what people think of me, I'd rather be comfortable and walk around in my usual stuff. Granted I wouldn't walk around work in my Zero Punctuation "pants-on-head-retarded" (dispite having worn it at work anyway), that would be breaching my contract of disclosing information about clients at work!

Meh, still doesn't stop me going to work wearing my DC's and a dirty worn hoody and "forgetting" to change them.

Kim is the reason there are these rules in place

Seriously, I think that there has to be some "standard", otherwise you would get people coming in without making any effort on personal grooming/hygiene (not saying you stink Kim BTW). If you can wear whatever you like, then people will take it to the Nth degree (I'm thinking The Big Lebowski here :lol: ).

And they make people take you seriously. I don't know, I'd like to think that today's society has gotten past judging book's by their cover, but clearly not as the suit is still such a powerful symbol of status.

I agree. Though I think it's as much to do with "this person has made effort". You've spent money and time and effort presenting yourself in a way that our society dictates should be respected. What I'd like is a new form of society dictated presentation that doesn't involve some kind of throw-back to early 20th century military officer uniform. That flexibility that women have would be nice. I have jeans that are "smart", and shirts that are "smart" but for a man it's classed as "smart casual" so not allowed.

Sam's a good example too Jordan as his visual appearance isn't generally "smart" (don't take that the wrong way, I once turned up to an ICI board meeting with an earring with a naked woman dangling from it whilst wearing a suit). There are a lot of people coming through who alter their physical appearance and if you have a large earlobe or facial piercings, visible tattoos etc. then a suit isn't really a follow through representation of you - if you see what I mean? A sharp suit in a business environment is a bit of a clash :lol:

For general day to day wear, a less conventional "smart" has to be better. As Ben says I think it will slacken as the years go on, but I thought that 20 years ago too and it's not showing any real signs of abating yet

 

[MouseAT]

I'm fortunate enough to work in an environment that's reasonably laid back about how you choose to dress.

My job involves working with mucky PCs, so there's no point in going OTT. I used to favour the "smart trousers, smart shirt, tie and the fleece(TM)" approach, but as we tend to switch to casual wear during holiday periods, I decided I couldn't be bothered with the tie after the summer last year, so haven't bothered with once since. No-one batted an eyelid - in fact, my boss only noticed the lack of a tie around a week ago, despite the fact that I've not worn one in months.

When I'm DJing, I'll really smarten myself up though. A proper, smart shirt and tie for most gigs. Maybe even a proper jacket for really formal occasions.

There are still occasions when formal dress makes sense though. At the college, it's not a big deal as it's a fairly laid back atmosphere. When I worked in a school, it was more important to dress the part to emphasise "I'm staff, not a student".

 

[kimahri]

I hate them actually. I don't really give a **** what people think of me, I'd rather be comfortable and walk around in my usual stuff. Granted I wouldn't walk around work in my Zero Punctuation "pants-on-head-retarded" (dispite having worn it at work anyway), that would be breaching my contract of disclosing information about clients at work!

Meh, still doesn't stop me going to work wearing my DC's and a dirty worn hoody and "forgetting" to change them.

Kim is the reason there are these rules in place

I wore the shirt and tie over it anyway! It's cold at work and we can't afford heaters practically so a t-shirt underneath helps. The clients hardly see us juniors any way and when they do we're always a mess regardless of what we wear and we have to walk **** loads so trainers are more comfortable.

 

[Gavin]

I have to wear a shirt and tie and work and I hate it. Well, I'm not sure that I have to, but we have to be dressed "smartly"which, for the male teachers at least, translates as a shirt and tie.

For the female teachers it seems to translate as "anything that hasn't got last night's dinner down it".

It's so unfair. I at least make the effort with nice shirts and decent (Lacroix, Sweetie) ties to try and have some semblance of individuality and personal style, rather than the £6 Asda shirt 'n' tie combo that most of them show up in.

 

[nadroJ]

^I bet they're those short-sleeved nasty George@ASDA white shirts that you can see nipples through too </3

 

[Tomatron]

I wear smart clobber Monday to Thursday, dress to impress and the like.

Friday to Sunday is dress down, so shirt and tie ain't required, and gets everyone in a good mood for the weekend.

 

[Mysterious Sue]

I hate suits. I'm an odd shape and can't afford to have one made to fit, so I'm always uncomfortable in them. Also, suits are freezing in the winter - thin suit trousers and heels in the snow? No thank you!
Luckily, I can wear jeans everyday at work and only wear a suit if I'm seeing clients

 

[tks]

Lucky enough to work for a relaxed family run company. Suit trousers, shirt and occasional tie. I literally cannot get top buttons done up in shirts though!! On shop-bought shirts for my size the collar is always just too small for me.

Suits for meetings and when I want to impress though. <3