Clothes make the man and also the woman: Why do women neglect corporate dress code?

Last week, I was part of soft skills workshop in office. There was a discussion on dressing and grooming. While the speaker elaborately discussed corporate code for men, he said, he did not want to discuss on dress code of women as it is very sensitive topic and mockingly said women would get offended if someone gives them fashion advice. It struck to me that in my so many corporate years, this topic was never actively discussed even though women are also observed for professional etiquette, dress being part of it. Frankly speaking, though jeans/T-shirts were not part of my office wear, I was too casual in my first two corporate years. Transition from college to organization needs few changes in wardrobe, I wish someone had told me this. Now, being in management role, I have seen many managers use harsh tone on male colleagues for un-ironed shirts, folded sleeves, extra grown beard, or unpolished shoes. We women get away with few things because we are women ;) Such conversations about women may not be open, but doesn't mean unnoticed.   

  

In the context of work place, 90% of our impressions are formed within the first 20-30 seconds on meeting a stranger.58% of our impressions are based on how we look, 33% on how we sound and 7% on what we say. Irrespective of your designation, your dress to work is an undeniable contributor to your professional success.

Why is your attire important, when all that should matter is performance? 

Because, what others perceive as performance is more important than what we see as performance.

1. Even before we speak, what we wear and how we’re groomed sends a very strong message about our commitment to work 
2. Casual dressing has negative effect on one’s productivity. Studies suggest that dress has an effect on task at hand and our energy level
3. When you dress professionally, you would be respected by your peers, subordinates and superiors. People will take you seriously and start listening to your ideas
4. Your chances of promotion or success in interviews would be higher. Performance is always important, but if a manager has to choose between two equals, preference would be always to the one who exhibits professionalism

Though policies of many organizations are gender neutral, many people inside the organization do not take women colleagues seriously. Women also need to invest time, money and efforts to make that mark in organization.

What to wear and what not to wear to office is always a confusion to many of the women. Many companies in India allow women to wear Indian and also western. Wear what are you comfortable in and what you can carry elegantly. However, we need to follow certain guidelines both for Indian, western wear or lately coined Indo-western wear.

Indian Formals: Plain cotton/semi-cotton sarees or salwar kameez with plain dupatta. Preferably light pastel shades.

Indo-western: Short kurtas, Long tunic like Kurtas with trouser-like pajamas

Avoid: Sleeveless, Jeans, Floral prints, Flashy colours, transparent blouses, Low-cut necklines, embroidered material, leggings, chudidhaars, Anarkalis and tight fits

Western Formals: A dress pant or skirt with matching jacket is considered business formal for women. Use only conservative colors – black, dark grey or dark blue only. Khaki colour (brown) shades are not famous outside India, but acceptable in India

Trouser length: One and a half inches from the floor to the back of the heel. Pants should never be tight fitting.

Shirts: Classic collared, modest silk, High Neck or simple print in white, cream, grey, dark blue, black or pastel colours

Skirt length: Women’s skirt length should not be more than ½ inch above the knee.

Jackets: Long sleeved. Colour should match the skirt and/or pants perfectly.

It is not just dress, the overall look is very important. We should take care the accessories we wear in line with the image we want to portray.

Shoes: Close-toed, low or no heel in Black, dark blue or dark grey color. No provocative styles, no sandals or flip flops. The heel on the shoe should be 1 ½ to 2 inches high. Your shoes should perfectly match your trousers. If you are in Indian wear, you may wear low heel sandals.

Accessories: Stick to the bare essentials. Follow the rule of 13, according to which a woman should wear maximum of 13 accessories including glasses, earrings, neck chains, watches, bracelets, rings, a belt, scarf, ornate buttons and buckles. Invest in good leather hand bag or brief case.

Avoid: Dangling earrings, imitation jewelry, more than one bangle, anklets with bells etc

Nails: Short, well-manicured nails; If you intend to use nail paint, a single tone in light shades of peach, silver or pink.

Makeup: Minimal, Naturalistic. Eyes and lips are most important communication tools. Pastel shades of lipstick with a light eye liner. No loud lipsticks or eye shades. If you want to wear bindi, use a small and plain red or black one. 

Hair style: Try an easy to maintain hairstyle that will enhance your overall look. Hair length should be shoulder length or shorter. If you have a long hair, plait it and never leave it loose or in a pony. [I noticed few women who just leave their hair uncombed after a hair wash and leave it open in office. People may not tell you, but it is definitely irritating for others.]

Avoid: Hair streaks, flowers or stoned-hair accessories.

Dress code differs from company to company, follow the dress code of the company you work for. When you are in doubt about your company’s policy, mirror the highest-ranking female in your company.

Remember, office is the not the environment where you follow the latest trends and fashion. Your attire must say about your seriousness towards your career.  Trust me, if you follow professional dress code, you would soon notice that difference in your colleagues’ attitude towards you.

PS : Please let me know your opinion on importance of attire for professional success of a woman through your comments.

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