Christian Flanagan / August 18, 2003 12:03 PM

Hmmm...I've not had a job since the economy soured, so I really can't say.

Andrew / August 18, 2003 12:05 PM

I'm in an unusual office -- we're all part-timers -- and since we're not constantly meeting with clients, dress code isn't an issue. I come to work in just about whatever I like, short of a swimsuit and flipflops.

On days when a client is coming to the office, I just wear khakis and a nice shirt. Easy enough.

j3s / August 18, 2003 12:44 PM

I work at home. Most people think that means I work in pyjamas, but I find that discipline really helps. So I am dressed and at my desk every day by 9, even though "dressed" usually means a tank top and shorts or a skirt.

A lex, x, x / August 18, 2003 12:46 PM

I work at a school, and considering many of our teachers and staff are tattooed and pierced (present company included), the dress code is -- as long as it is clean, it's keen.

I can't even fathom dressing like everyone else in the company. I would have to quit.

paul / August 18, 2003 12:48 PM

Ever since I became self-employed I've been wearing shorts to the office. When I was on a salary I wouldn't have even thought of doing that, even in a very casual office.

Even though my office is casual, I'd never wear jeans and a t-shirt. Probably because the age median around here is a bit higher than most 'tech' or design firms.

Eric / August 18, 2003 2:04 PM

I worked for a year as a temp for a company trying to emerge from bankruptcy. It was a fairly conservative company but the dress code was a less-than-orwellian business casual. Friday was blue jean day except when an executive from "headquarters" was expected to visit. We'd get emails thurday afternoon, "Guys, some people from Atlanta are coming up tomorrow. No blue jeans!" One of the rules was that open-toed sandals were not allowed (is there another kind?). Two other temps, females, had been wearing sandals, the stylish kind, as 20-somethings are apt to do. Some old ninny spotted their transgression and reported it to our boss who reprimanded them for wearing sandals. That company is still bankrupt.

Craig / August 18, 2003 2:08 PM

Directly from my employee handbook:

We ask each employee to pay attention to personal hygeine. Some do not realize that lack of cleanliness is offensive to others. Please bathe regularly, wash your clothes to keep them fresh and use deodorant as necessary. Your best friends may not tell you if you have an odor problem, but you can be sure they will discuss it with their fellow employees.

r / August 18, 2003 2:31 PM

I've never had a dress code for any job, besides a handful of temp jobs. My current gig requires a lot leg work and if there is any dress code, it is to not look like a douchebag.

Cinnamon / August 18, 2003 3:21 PM

The job I have now is actually the first job where I could wear cute dresses if I wanted to. My first job was pretty much a photography plant and I had to wear closed shoes with socks and since I was usually cleaning equipment or climbing ladders, wearing skirts or dresses in a not-so-female-friendly environment wasn't an option. Then, my next job required lots of messing with permanently staining inks and hauling boxes of paper and so on. Ruined more clothes in a year and a half than I currently own. But, now I work in a very casual environment, I've seen the most senior people sitting at their desks in shorts. But, they keep the air so cold I can't wear anything but pants and a sweater I keep at work or I'll turn into a a cinnapopsicle.

kathleen / August 18, 2003 3:34 PM

I work for a small office. In the past year, our dress code has changed from "khakis or a skirt and a decent shirt" to "jeans and a tank top." Still no shorts, which is fine because I'm always freezing.

Alice / August 18, 2003 4:19 PM

It's pretty much business casual around here, but "dress denim" is okay and jeans can be worn on Fridays. Whoopee.

stephen / August 18, 2003 4:52 PM

One of the main benefits of being a creative in advertising is they expect you to be quirky, possibly coming into the office after a long night of hard partying with only a few hours of sleep and putting on whatever you find in the early morning blurriness. However I did work on the client side for a financial company that was super strict about dress shirts and slacks or whatever. Does that make you feel and act 'more professional'? Hell no. But wearing pretty much what you want is hella more comfortable and thus makes us more productive.

lacey / August 18, 2003 5:01 PM

I thought at first that having to dress nicely (business professional) for my job would be annoying, but I find that because I respect my employers, it's not only easier to dress nicer every day, it's hard to NOT dress nice. I wear "dress denim" but it's only because I work with youth and need to sorta look youngish too. But I think it's important where I work to look clean, neat and professional.

Kevin / August 18, 2003 7:15 PM

I'm in the porn industry so let's just say every day is business professional. I can pretty much roll out of bed and back in with the knowledge that I'm not violating any Employee Handbook rules.

Seriously, when I worked for Rand McNally, all the carto guys had the rugged-but-professional look; khakis and maybe some flannel or mountain boots. In the IT department deoderant was highly touted as a desireable accoutrement. Not that any of us paid attention.

paul / August 18, 2003 9:28 PM

I remember being told not to wear a tie to a meeting at Rand McNally because they would make fun of it.

liz / August 19, 2003 9:55 AM

My last job was as a temp for a major credit card company, answering phones, so I got to wear pretty much whatever, except for those open-toed shoes (what IS that?) and I've been told to wear 'whatever's comfortable' at my new job, so I consider myself lucky. I always had to wear hateful uniforms before at my terrible retail jobs.

rob / August 19, 2003 10:15 AM

Seeing as how I'm now pretty much a professional member of the service industry (a 9 yr bartending vet), I've got a closetful of black pants, black polos, and black socks. The shoes have changed since I started in college, from Doc Martens (damn uncomfortable w/out some sort of insert) to nondescript Payless loafers to new-millenium slip ons. Like everyone else, open-toed anything is verboten, but for us it's a health code issue; fear of toe-jam finding its way into the garnish trays, methinks.

Funny thing is I've been having dress code envy lately. I think wearing a tie daily might actually be pretty cool. Or putty colored khakis. Or, geez, a button down shirt with some sort of stripe on it. I'm needing some flavah, definitely.

christian / August 19, 2003 10:35 AM

As far as I know, I don’t have a dress code. I tend to work in casual places that don’t require them. But personally I just use common sense, look presentable, unless I know I’m going to be building something, moving lots of boxes or driving all day.

Andrew / August 19, 2003 10:36 AM

Kevin, I don't think your birthday suit counts as a suit in the "professional attire" sense. ;)

Benjy / August 25, 2003 11:10 AM

The dress code has noticable become more casual in the past year at my work. We had huge layoffs and our former parent was trying to sell us or else was going to close us down, so we all stopped caring about things like dress codes. We got sold, are now on more stable financial ground but the jeans everyday have stayed!