Dress Talk

We are groomed from our childhood to watch out for and respect
professional dress code. It could be wearing the school uniform, or knowing how
to differentiate a police officer from an army officer. In today's wired
world, professional dress code has become one of the important factors in
determining the suitability of a person for a job. In some countries, companies
are allowed to legally fire anybody, if he or she doesn't follow the company's
dress code. Inevitably, all companies have a dress code policy.

There was an outcry last year, when one of the top engineering
universities in India, namely Anna University declared a dress code for its
students, both boys and girls. It banned punk rings, nose rings, metallic rock
hand rings, jeans, T-shirts and tank tops, flowery shirts, caps and skimpy tops
in classrooms. All boys were required to wear neat, crisply ironed shirts in
checks, stripes or plain design and pants with no patterns, or pockets at the
thighs or knees. They were not allowed to leave their shirts unbuttoned to
reveal the chest area. Male students weren't allowed to have long hair
imitating the "Mangal Pandey" style or beards. The girls were asked to
dress in salwars, churidars, or saree. The saree blouses could not be the string
type made famous by actress Mandira Bedi during the world cup cricket matches or
window and patch type blouses made famous through TV serials. Mini skirts, tank
tops and extremely short kurtas weren't allowed on campus. If the girls chose
to wear pants, then they could only wear knee length tops. The reason for the
dress code, as explained by the university administration, was that it wanted
its students to learn how to dress like engineering professionals, as that would
be required of them in their future workplaces. The people who were protesting
against the university dress code were not the students, but organizations and
media that said the students' human rights had been infringed! The protestors
could not counter when the university administration asked them why they didn't
oppose school uniforms.

Let us forget the whole argument about rights and freedom of
expression. Do we understand the importance of dress code when we want to be the
technical professionals of the 21st century?

Dressing for an Occasion

Is it okay to dress cool or should emphasis be given on the relevance to the
occasion? For example, would you go to an interview in a mini-skirt and tank
tops because the weather is unusually hot or you feel comfortable in it? Would a
guy be considered professional if he walks into an interview with unkempt hair
and punk rings adorning every finger? How does fashion influence your dress
sense? Should you dress for the occasion or do you pay importance to the latest
styles because it is in vogue?

Akshara, a software executive says, "I don't wear the
latest styles but choose my dresses relevant to the occasion. However, I don't
try to blend in or just stand out. I'm my own person, but I would never dress
inappropriately like wearing a flashy saree or glittering jewelry to a funeral
or to my office. I think it isn't just bad taste but insensitive."

Ananya Tiruchelvam, a computer student in Trichy says, "I
admire Usha Uthup. She is a famous celebrity but she doesn't forget that she
is representing our culture when she dresses up. She is the only pop star I know
who is comfortable in a kancheepuram saree, bindi and also swaying to a western
beat. She never looks out of place." However, when asked if she would
follow the professional dress code dictated by the university, she said, "I
will. I think learning how to dress in a workplace is also part of our
education. It is not that the university is telling us how we should dress
outside the college."

Jai Puranik, a human resource executive for a Mumbai based MNC
says, "Appearance matters a lot during interviews. After all, these people
would be the face of the company if they were hired. When a guy walks in for an
interview wearing flashy jewelry like a gold bracelet or a T-shirt, that is the
first negative point against him. If a girl walks in dressed up as if she is
going to participate in 'Koffee with Karan', that will create negative
impression on her. Mind you, we have nothing against fashion. It is just that a
person who doesn't know how to differentiate between dressing for a job
interview and a TV show, can't really be bright, can they?"

Professional Look

Image is not everything, but it can still mean the difference between
success and failure.

According to a survey conducted by renowned psychologist Jeffrey
Magee in 1998, relaxed dress codes actually had a detrimental effect on
business, resulting in relaxed productivity, punctuality, ethics, manners, and
quality.

Fields such as law, banking, medicine, sports, and accounting
frequently have a stricter set of guidelines than say engineering or IT, which
allow casual dress. Administrative positions in all fields have a more formal
dress code than lower positions in the organizations.

When you think of a doctor, you expect to see a crisp white coat
and a stethoscope. A dentist better have clean, white teeth. Would you entrust
your dental hygiene to a doctor who wears baggy, dirty clothes and has yellow
teeth? Would you entrust your money with a bank whose employees look like they
have stepped off a Halloween set? Would you board a flight where the flight
staff look like they need a bath? Your answer would be no. The reason for this
is simple but important. A professional should not be just good at his or her
job but should also look good. This is because we are unconsciously biased
against the person who doesn't take care of his or her appearance.

Whom would you approach at your own workplace for a
clarification-a person dressed in a formal suit with neutral tones seated
gracefully, or someone dressed like a rock star slouched across the desk?
Professional dress codes are increasingly becoming important in the corporate
world.

In the book, "You're Fired: The IT Manager Guide for
Terminating with Cause", the author Robert Papaj says that improper dress
and lack of professional appearance can actually be a valid reason to fire an
employee! The author argues, "IT employees are professionals, and that
includes how they maintain their appearance in the work environment. Appearance
reflects upon the basic character and work ethic of an individual. Isn't it
conceivable that someone who does not take the time to present a decent
appearance or wantonly flaunts indecency would have the same attitude carry over
into his or her work activities? A professional environment should have some
level of professional appearance. Structure begets structure. Professional
appearance and decency tend to beget a professional work ethic."

First Impression Matters

In interviews, business trips, conferences, and project presentations,
whether we like it or not, people will judge you based on their first
impression. It does matter if the job, contract, client, or the project is
important to you. Being well groomed is good for business and a pleasant
appearance is always helpful during an interview. Therefore, in such situations,
first impressions can actually help!

Dress code is important to convey others that we are competent
in our jobs. However, it is important to understand where and when to emphasis
it. Wearing a suit to the beach is taking the professional code too seriously.

The Downside

While dress code may be important, it becomes a problem when stereotyping
starts to take place.

A fashion model for example endangers her life by becoming
anorexic or bulimic because the profession demands not only she wears certain
types of clothes but certain sizes of clothes.

Also by attributing certain dress codes to certain professions,
we are inadvertently socially conditioning ourselves to attribute certain
qualities to certain dresses. For example, a girl with her nose pierced is
automatically assumed to be non-professional and unfit for an administrative
position even though she may be extremely capable. A guy with pierced ears is
assumed to be not competent for high-level programming. A girl from a small town
dressed in a professional suit or in a salwar with bold colors is assumed
arrogant while a person who wears eyeglasses and looks like a geek is assumed t
be an IT genius.

This is what we need to protect ourselves against, as once we
begin to stereotype we are closing our mind to reality.

Usually, women are targeted more by the cultural police or
religious people when women dress up in formal dress like coat and suit or some
other unconventional dress as demanded by their profession. Being an engineering
or IT professional in the 21st century, it is important that we learn to balance
rights and appearance. When some self-appointed keepers of culture try to
meddle, it is also important to unite and support the people who are targeted.

Remember, appearance matters but actions matter even more.

Deepa Kandaswamy

The author is the founder-moderator of the IndianWISE e-group

maildqindia@cybermedia.co.in

The views expressed here are personal

© Deepa Kandaswamy.

© First Indian Serial Rights, CyberMedia 2007. 

Any quotes from this article must link to this article and credit both author Deepa Kandaswamy and Dataquest.

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