I spent about a year and a half working at a company that was creative in nature. We produced magazines, online segments, crafts, recipes, all that good stuff. One of the best things about working in that environment was the almost complete lack of dress code. Oh there WAS a dress code, but it was incredibly relaxed, and most people didn't follow it anyway.
A large office full of creative types employs a wide variety of personalities. Most people drawn to work in that kind of environment take a distinct interest in cultivating a sense of personal style and expression. On any given day, I might see people wearing the following:
- suits and ties
- wrap dresses
- jeans, t-shirts and sneakers
- skinny jeans in every color
- cargo shorts
- high fashion leather leggings
- 5 inch Prada platforms
- and one woman who sometimes dressed like Big Bird.
Then I left that job, and took a temp job in East Midtown.
Business casual.
Business casual is BULLSHIT, people.
Let's face it, the reason "corporate dress" is a thing is because it is meant to project an image of professionalism (well, all clothes are meant to project an image of SOMETHING). We think that by wearing a suit and tie (or a pant suit with a silk blouse), potential clients will trust us with their money, and give us more.
What if we all, as a society, decided that a suit does not automatically equal "worthy." I mean, you can point out countless examples of how wealthy, well-dressed businessmen and women have fucked up and screwed a lot of people out of money, sometimes intentionally. If we put out a country-wide announcement that said "Hey! From here on in, just wear what makes you feel good," then maybe we could all just look past the outer and get on with it.
Who am I kidding? We'd all just end up judging each other on the casual stuff anyway.
But can we at least get rid of the edict that JEANS are the devil, and that no one could possibly be professional while wearing them? An office of 5 total people, who receive essentially NO clients in that office, should just be able to say FUCK IT and wear whatever they feel best in. The fact that everyone in this office (of 5 damn people) still wears dress pants, dress shirts, ties and oxfords (or in my case, slacks and a non-tee) day-in and day-out is just DUMB.
Of the many things I am looking forward to this coming year, ditching business casual and embracing Adrienne Casual is close to the top of the list.
Mandatory slacks are lame. And do not help me do my job, in any way. I would be just as effective in my jeans and a casual top.
Blargh.
