by Kirsty Camilleri, our new contributor. View more of her work here
I’m not really sure how many times I’ve come across articles on the internet titled things like ’20 tips to dress appropriately for work’ but is anyone actually reading them? I can tell you this much, the people in my office aren’t!
Office attire used to be a certain type of clothing but now it seems that most clothes make the cut. I personally think that dressing well inspires confidence and appearance does matter in the office. However, there’s a different way to dress when you’re in the office trying to show confidence in your ability to get a job completed and showing confidence in the outside world.
There are two sides of the scale of course, people who go way overboard to get ready for work then those people who seem to have put no thought whatsoever into what they’re wearing on a Monday morning. Really, if someone can’t be bothered to put a shirt and tie on in the morning then can they be bothered to actually get any work done?
We all make an effort to dress-to-impress at interviews, so what happens after week two? I know, if I were a manager, I would choose someone for an important task who invests some time in their appearance over someone who doesn't. Nowadays, those that make an effort stand out.
There is also the issue of females thinking the office is the place to flaunt the latest fashion. There’s a difference between fashionable outfits and office appropriate ones, ladies. Leggings, shorts with tights, sheer tops, baggy tops & certain skirts should be kept for weekends. You're walking up and down stairs, after all!
Obviously I’m not the first person to have these opinions so I thought it’s best to try to understand why this is going on. Are women who don’t get enough attention outside of work seeking it inside the office? Are men really not bothered about looking presentable because they know they can keep the jobs without the suit?
Is there any point in dressing ‘appropriately’ for work? I think there is, but that opinion could be disappearing in society nowadays. Dress codes exist -although they're often very vague- for a reason, who’s policing this though? It can come across as bullying if someone says you’re not dressed well for work. Everyone’s very careful about how they speak to others about their appearance because they don't want to be seen as judgemental or superficial. And I guess male managers aren’t too unhappy with the sneaky peeks at girls’ curves in their revealing clothing so why rock the boat?