What are you wearing to work today? I can almost guarantee over half of you answered ‘business casual’ or even ‘casual’ since an increasing number of employers have adopted a ‘dress for your day’ approach to the workplace. Our recent LinkedIn poll revealed that 59% of people currently dress on a business casual basis. 19% voted that they ‘dress for their day’, 11% had a set dress code, and 10% said they dress in corporate attire. Some would call smart casual the ‘modern day dress code’, but at what cost does this come at?
Dress code can be a hot topic anyway, but especially within client facing roles such as recruitment. The deal at Kinetic is you can dress business casual, unless you have a client meeting; then you must be in corporate wear – although you’d be surprised how many of our clients show up to meetings in jeans and a t-shirt! However, Kinetics’ dress code has not always been this lenient. For the past 25 years of Kinetic Recruitment, our dress code was strictly corporate – no jeans, no sneakers, no knits. Our CEO, Kate I could’ve swore had eyes on the back of her head with the number of times she caught us out! In March 2023, KRTB finally caved into the ‘dress for your day’ trend, it was a BIG deal and the company rejoiced.
There were a few justifications for holding out from the change for so long; how do you ensure all offices nationwide aren’t dressing TOO casually? How do you make sure everyone has the same idea when the concept of ‘casual’ varies from person to person? Alongside these reasons, there were additionally a few studies that showed the trend ‘Casual Fridays’ to result in less motivated and productive teams. I can speak from my own experience that ever since Kinetic transitioned into a more casual dress code, I have continued to wear corporate wear. I’ve always felt dressing smarter has put me in ‘work mode’, and on the other side of the same coin, changing into casual clothes once home from work acts a sort of post-work ritual/boundary that tells my brain to decompress and switch off.
Further proof can be found in a study conducted by Professor Adam Galinksy and his colleague Hajo Adam at Northwestern University. This research shows that your alertness if affected by what you wear. This study found that people wearing a doctor’s lab coat displayed heightened attention. When the same people then wore an identical coat, but told it was a painter’s coat, they weren't as attentive as when they wore (what they perceived to be) the doctor's coat. The research found: “The influence of clothes thus depends on wearing them and their symbolic meaning.”
However, an article from Vintti offers another perspective on the situation. He explains that when employees have the option to dress in a way that makes them feel comfortable and confident, they are more likely to feel at ease in their work environment, leading to increased creativity, collaboration, productivity, morale, and reduced stress. Overall if employees feel comfortable and happy while at work, this will lead to retention and more motivated and productive staff across the board, right?
The debate over workplace dress codes is definitely multifaceted. While studies suggest a link between attire and cognitive performance, the evolving trend towards casual dress is rooted in fostering employee comfort and confidence. Striking a balance between professionalism and individual comfort appears key, recognising that a relaxed dress code can contribute to a more positive and creative work environment, ultimately benefiting employee retention and overall productivity. What's clear is that the true cost of a workplace dress code extends beyond the surface, shaping the framework of a company's culture and performance.
