Attiring minds want to know Summer worsens confusion over appropriate clothing for work
It's summertime, when temperatures rise and necklines plummet. Women wobble about the office on 4-inch sandals. Men redefine ``business casual" to include T-shirts and Birkenstocks. It's a time that's ripe for office fashion flubs.
Confusion over business wear has been increasing for years as workplaces have moved from strict dress codes toward a wide range of formality. Deciding what to wear to job interviews, client visits, business conferences, and meetings at the local
``It's very confusing. We see things we'd never be able to wear in years past," says Peggy Post , co-author of ``Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business." ``It takes some figuring out what's appropriate and what looks good on you."
Art dealer Howard Yezerski still remembers the day a couple of years ago when his newest employee arrived for her first morning of work wearing a sweatshirt. Granted, it was a designer sweatshirt bearing an American flag, yet it was a serious mismatch for his Newbury Street contemporary art gallery.
``That should have told me something," says Yezerski, who adds ``that person didn't last long." His current staffer, Alexis Dunfee , dresses more appropriately for her dealings with free-wheeling artists and buttoned-down clients. ``There are some people who have an innate sense of what's appropriate and some who are clueless. Clothes do send a powerful message."
Yezerski's sweatshirt-wearing underling broke the cardinal rule of business dress in a casual age: When in doubt, check it out. Ask around to find out what's appropriate for a particular company or event. That's particularly important if you're going on a first interview or starting a new job, says Carly Drum , head of her own executive recruiting firm in New York.
``You want to make sure that you are remembered for your accomplishments and achievements, not for the fact that you have a low neckline," says Drum, who recently had a client who fell off her high-heeled espadrilles the first time they met. ``It was completely distracting," recalls Drum.
As she builds her new consulting business, Needham-based civil engineer Lisa Turnbaugh has been trying to tailor her attire to the standards of prospective clients. It's not always easy. In June, she wore a dark suit to a first meeting at a Charlotte, N.C., bank and was surprised to find everyone there in business casual. But she has no regrets, preferring to err on the side of formality, especially the first time she meets someone.
``Given that the industry I work in is very male-dominated, I dress very conservatively," says Turnbaugh, who shuns sleeveless shirts, worn shoes, and flashy jewelry.
So amid all the confusion, what's a definite no-no for summertime office wear? For women, there's one word that sums it up: skin. Steer clear of bare midriffs, plunging necklines, miniskirts, and all but the most tailored shorts, say fashion experts.
``Young women say, `If Lindsay Lohan is wearing this, I should too,' " says David Wolfe , creative director of the Donegar Group, a New York firm that forecasts retail trends. ``So much that's presented by the media as general fashion is inappropriate to wear in the office."
For men, the danger zone is upkeep, says Patricia Handschiegel , editor of the Los Angeles-based stylediary.net, a fashion e-zine and social networking site. Old khakis and worn polos won't do. ``I see a lot of men in the corporate world who look OK but their pieces are beat up," says Handschiegel. ``Invest in your wardrobe."
To hedge your bets, you can also take a page from law partner Jeffrey Jones , who doesn't wear a tie in the office often since his Boston firm, Palmer & Dodge, went casual about eight years ago. Still, he now keeps a dress shirt, tie, suit, and socks -- a ``back-up wardrobe" -- at work, in case he's forgotten something in the morning or needs to look more formal for a later event.
``There are a fair number of out-of-office events, dinners, bar association gatherings where the suit and tie is pretty much the standard wear," he says.
You could also wait and see if formality comes back in style, as Wolfe and other s predict. The number of companies allowing casual dress every day fell from 50 percent in 2001 to 41 percent last year, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Then again, since it's hard to say how each company defines casual, perhaps a spare outfit in the office is a wise idea for all.
Balancing Acts appears every other week. Maggie Jackson can be reached at maggie.jackson@att.net. 