Business Dress Code Policies Are Crap
I was standing in a Macy’s dressing room, clutching a Calvin Klein electric blue blazer with tears rolling down my face. The price tag was dangling from the jacket and I couldn’t bring myself to look at it again.
In my previous post I mentioned my first ever HR position, that grunt worker position I landed wearing a $12 Target dress. The HR Director that hired me, the one I was now reporting to, never wore anything less than Gucci, Prada, or Calvin Klein. She was the most professionally beautiful person I had ever met at that point in my career.
I was told by the Director herself the dress code was “business” except for on Fridays when we could wear jeans. When I was told about the dress code, I decided to quit. I looked around at the department and saw my new colleagues dressed in seemingly quality clothes that I could never afford.
I went home after my first day, called my sisters, and cried. I told them I would have to turn down the job because I was too poor to meet the dress code requirements. Even working a month at $12.50/hr, I knew I couldn’t keep up with the cost of the dress code this company required of their HR department. My sisters, older and wiser, knew I couldn’t give up this position. Both of my sisters sent me $250 each, a total of $500, to start my professional wardrobe. They never expected me to pay them back and I honestly knew at that hourly rate I couldn’t. But I gratefully took their money and went to find work clothes.
So there I stood, in Macy’s, crying (again), wondering if I should spend 200 of my sisters’ dollars on this one blazer. I was overwhelmed, intimidated and had never felt so poor. I bought the jacket that day, and I wear it to every big event in my life - my professional head shots, big presentations, and life changing interviews so I never forget how fortunate I am to have this career, and how it takes a village to get there. I love you Candice and Kelsey.
I tell you this story because after my years in HR I am convinced that business dress code polices are absolute garbage. As a whole, we are not paying our entry level, or maybe even mid level employees, enough to wear business attire.
We as American employers have to stop expecting our staff to obtain and maintain a level of everyday work clothing that is beyond their salary means.
I can’t tell you how many managers have complained to me their receptionist isn’t dressing as professional as they want even though that receptionist is barely making above minimum wage. “This receptionist is the face of our department. Can you help me talk to them about wearing more professional clothing?”
There have also been plenty of meetings where I have had to tell an employee their clothing is sexually suggestive and inappropriate. I’m not referencing these types of issues.
The point here is we have to be better at creating dress code policies that are attainable for entry level and mid level members of your staff.
The more important point here is that we must level the playing field for all socioeconomic classes within our workplaces to ensure diversity and opportunity.
Dress code policies should be less about a specific “look” for your company and more about a hygienic, appropriate, attainable standard of presence for our work forces.
If your organization truly needs your receptionist and entry level employees to present in full business attire, clothing stipends and/or uniforms should be provided. Companies such as ICO Uniforms (http://www.icouniforms.com/default.asp ) are a great place to start reviewing the business uniform option. Uniforms for law enforcement heroes, field employees, and medical professionals are the norm, however the HR I am empowered by refuses to continue to do things the same way just because that’s how it’s always been done.
On my last day at the first HR position I held, I told that story about the blazer and my director came to me and said, “Kayla, had I known this was an issue I would have given you a clothing stipend. I’m so sorry.” It was a great experience for me to learn to speak up when I needed, and it was also bold for this HR Director to even suggest a clothing stipend. Have we thought about that for our administrative workforce? Details and payroll deductions aside, are we willing to get that creative to help our staff?
Are you an employee struggling as I did to meet the dress code requirements of your job? I’m here for you, friend. Looking on those days of needing to buy quality clothes at a discount price, I wish I had advice on where and what to buy at reasonable prices. Because of this, I have asked my dear friend and professional fashion expert Alexa Burnett to provide a few tips and tricks to assist in your wardrobe journey:
“Workplaces are becoming more casual in general, so I think it [business clothing] is becoming more achievable. Stores such as Asos, Nordstrom Rack, Banana Republic Factory Store, Jcrew, and even the INC line at Macy’s are great resources with basic, on trend pieces.
The key is to know when to shop. Buying anything at full prices is a terrible idea. Don’t go shopping until there are sales. Retail used to be seasonal, but recently retail has begun to operate on a swinging sale revolving door. Companies are ushering in new pieces all year long so they’re constantly marking items down to make way for new items.
A great foundation for your business wardrobe could be: a pair of black and a pair of navy trousers, a black skirt for those presenting as women, a white button down shirt, a solid cardigan, a couple solid shell tank tops to go with your cardigans, a black blazer, and one or two blouses would be amazing. If you’re going to have a pair of heels, a moderate black 2.5 inch closed toe (not patent) leather heel is the way to go.”
Now, as much as I’m an advocate for assisting entry and mid level team members with meeting business to business casual attire requirements, I am also a supporter of executives dressing at a Business Professional level. The psychological impacts of dressing as an executive are proven, and in an article posted on scientificamerican.com, studies proved dressing at a more professional level produced better performers.
With the performance expectations and incomes of executives at an all time high, it could be an organizational game changer to have an elevated dress expectation for your upper level management and director level positions.
I have sat across from C-Suite members saying to me, “My director is incredible, intelligent and the right person for the job. But they aren’t presenting themselves in a way that I find professional.” Although we need to walk the line of allowing staff to dress at a level comfortable to them, we know elevating dress attire also elevates performance, therefore providing your executives the encouragement, tools and means to support this could be another step up.
Before you send me a long message about how executives aren’t “made of money,” there are companies and exceptional individuals that can help step up your executive team’s clothing game without breaking the bank.
When I met Brian Burnett I instantly knew this entrepreneur was special. Brian opened his own remarkable Alteration Boutique that specializes in executive clothing.
Glenwood South Tailor & Alterations (https://www.glenwoodsouthtailor.com/), or a company similar to it, just might be the connection your executive staff need to make the professional clothing jump.
Overall, my hope is that our goal as HR professionals is to create attainable attire standards while also exploring creative and innovative options to provide our employees.
Let me know your thoughts below! Do you love your current dress code policy? Do you hate it? Do you think I’m completely insane for advocating for attire equality for all socioeconomic classes? I would love to hear your thoughts!