Dress Codes

[uppi]

So you don't plan to attend any weddings, funerals, awards ceremonies, or banquets?

I attended all of these without a suit or a tie.


At work there was an unofficial rule in my department that shorts were unacceptable. Until one hot day we convinced 2/3 of the department to come in shorts. A few weeks later there was an official communication regarding how to deal with the heat (I guess so that the company could continue skimping on air conditioning), and one of the recommendations was to wear comfortable clothing. We took that as vindication of our new dress code.

Later a new low for the dress code was reached, when someone came to work in a horse costume on a dare.

 

[Synobun]

At least I don't have to wear a white coat on rounds anymore though that will probably change again soon. Those things are hot and uncomfortable, and they make patients nervous.

Is this an actual thing?

Not necessarily doubting, of course, but going off of my own experience. I've probably seen upwards of 30 different doctors in the past 4 years and can't think of a time when I noted or otherwise cared about their clothing.

White coat is standard here, though, I think. I can't recall a doctor of mine ever not wearing one except for psychiatrists/therapists.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Is this an actual thing?

Not necessarily doubting, of course, but going off of my own experience. I've probably seen upwards of 30 different doctors in the past 4 years and can't think of a time when I noted or otherwise cared about their clothing.

White coat is standard here, though, I think. I can't recall a doctor of mine ever not wearing one except for psychiatrists/therapists.

My doctor always wears a white coat. The only thing I've noticed about her clothing otherwise are the high heeled shoes, which seem to cause a bit of discomfort. She's likely too used to them to wear anything else, though, and old habits are hard to break (she's been my doctor since my late teens).

 

[Camikaze]

I wear a suit and tie to work every day. That's the dress code for guys at my work. This is understandable to a large extent; there are certainly core functions of the job for which this is absolutely socially non-negotiable. There are also enough impromptu occasions during which a jacket & tie would be quite appropriate that you would definitely need a spare in your office at all times. However, my work goes further than this in requiring ties at all times, even on Fridays (though obviously we're not wearing jackets at our desks), and I don't think it's purely a matter of inertia. I think it's a continuing deliberate choice designed to project a higher degree of professionalism, or more likely, importance.

It's pretty rare to see white-collar workers wearing jackets & ties for day-to-day office work in my city nowadays, but the norm is still more formal than business casual, i.e. suit pants and a suit jacket in winter, rather than chinos and a sweater.

 

[Zkribbler]

Once upon a time, I was doing freelance legal analysis for a law firm which had no dress code. I immediately jettisoned my suit & tie and went in wearing plaid shirts, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. Within a week, I was back to suits & ties because they made my thinking more focused.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Is this an actual thing?

Not necessarily doubting, of course, but going off of my own experience. I've probably seen upwards of 30 different doctors in the past 4 years and can't think of a time when I noted or otherwise cared about their clothing.

White coat is standard here, though, I think. I can't recall a doctor of mine ever not wearing one except for psychiatrists/therapists.

Yes. White coats sometimes make psychiatric patients nervous. One thing I hate about the hospitals in this province is the stupid dress code. The poor nurses have to wear these ridiculous uniforms to differentiate them. Apparently it wasn't easy to tell the difference between a doctor and a nurse before, oh no. Nurse's scrubs weren't a clue at all. Doctors practically have to dress like they are off to the theatre or something, or they work on Wall Street.

This, by the way, is the drab way they dress nurses in this province now:

Spoiler :

I miss the old days when we wore street clothes in the psych ward. The patients could relate to us better, and they weren't as afraid. And we had style.

 

[Zkribbler]

I miss the old days when we wore street clothes in the psych ward. The patients could relate to us better, and they weren't as afraid. And we had style.

Dr. Murray Banks tells of when he was working at the Bel-view Mental Hospital in NY.
One of the patients told him: "We patients like you better than the other doctors."
"Oh really? Why is that?"
"Because you more like one of us."

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I think it's definitely a geographic thing. People don't care for the most part in California. A button-down shirt or polo and some nice-looking jeans/tan pants will get you through most social settings in California unless you're running in some super classy circles. I come out to Chicago and people are wearing dress shirts, jackets/blazers, slacks, and leather shoes to literally everything. It's the same when I visit my sister out in Boston.

Another thing I've picked up on while here is that the lack of dress codes are a conscious decision. For at least the two companies I've worked at here, the lack of dress code was intentional, not accidental. I dig it.

If everything goes according to plan, I'll never wear a suit or tie in my adult life. I have strong feelings about such dress codes.

Unless the awards ceremony is the freaking Grammy's I can't imagine one filled with suits. Same for banquets. Not attending the first two would be nice, but I realize it's not an option for my family at the least. I haven't thought about it a lot, but there has to be an alternative.

For weddings and funerals and anything involved with family, it's probably best to go with what they demand. If your family aren't the type to make a fuss over a lack of formal wear at those events then don't. If they do, then do - or else know the consequences can be pretty painful. Most families that care enough to expect formal wear won't let it go if you dress down and can make you miserable about the faux pas in a hurry.

Sigh. For me it's business casual. The hospital does have a dress code, after all. At the very least, I have to wear a dressy blouse and slacks or skirt. No denim or t-shirts for moi, unless I'm at home or on weekends.

At least I don't have to wear a white coat on rounds anymore though that will probably change again soon. Those things are hot and uncomfortable, and they make patients nervous.

I've always thought of nurse and doctor attire as part of uniform. I don't particularly enjoy donning these when I work in the clean room but it's a necessary uniform that serves a purpose:

Spoiler :

Do nurse scrubs and doctor's smocks serve no functional purpose?

Yes. White coats sometimes make psychiatric patients nervous. One thing I hate about the hospitals in this province is the stupid dress code. The poor nurses have to wear these ridiculous uniforms to differentiate them. Apparently it wasn't easy to tell the difference between a doctor and a nurse before, oh no. Nurse's scrubs weren't a clue at all. Doctors practically have to dress like they are off to the theatre or something, or they work on Wall Street.

This, by the way, is the drab way they dress nurses in this province now:

Spoiler :

I miss the old days when we wore street clothes in the psych ward. The patients could relate to us better, and they weren't as afraid. And we had style.

I actually like the look of those scrubs, especially compared to this:

And often the pants have a similar designed print on them like this top. I think they're ugly.

 

[red_elk]

Last time I had to wear something formal, was a wedding.
No dress code at my work or job interviews, casual clothes are ok. And we don't have to wear suits at funerals here, just put on something decent without bright colors or sneakers.

 

[sophie]

Another thing I've picked up on while here is that the lack of dress codes are a conscious decision. For at least the two companies I've worked at here, the lack of dress code was intentional, not accidental. I dig it.

Even with Californian weddings. I've never been to a wedding out there that wasn't "semi-formal" dress code, i.e. polo shirt/nice patterned t/button down + nice jeans + non-torn up shoes.

 

[Arakhor]

I think I've worn a suit maybe three times in the last twenty years, but then I do avoid wearing them like the plague.

 

[Harv]

...which is a waste, because so many of us are very good-looking in suits.

 

[Arakhor]

I have mentioned my particular bodily dimensions multiple times before. I certainly don't look good in one.

 

[Synobun]

You always look good to me.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I just purchased what I expect to be my last suit, for my son's wedding. I enjoy looking sharp now and then, but can't imagine that many situations where the restriction of movement is worth it.

 

[Lexicus]

I don't have a problem wearing button-downs, at work I have to dress in business casual. I don't have to wear a tie though which is good because I hate ties.

 

[Traitorfish]

...which is a waste, because so many of us are very good-looking in suits.

Many people look good in well-tailored, high-quality suits, but to go to the bother and expense of obtaining such a suit, you'd probably have to be the sort of person who wears suits on a regular basis.

Most of us have one suit which we pull out when we have to, and whether or not we look any good in it is a lottery of genetics, the quality of the suit, and how much our waistline has expanded since we bought it.

 

[Morty]

Shirt and tie (but not the suit jacket).
I may be ICT Support but I'm public facing enough that the general rule is "wear something that you feel is appropriate if you were to be called into a meeting with a customer at 2 minutes notice".
Each of us in the team interprets that differently, but that's fine by me.
Looking around it seems to be higher up the chain you go, the more formal you're attire becomes....so maybe I'm just casting the right vibes to be noticed by the next level up!! ;-)

 

[Lillefix]

I linked to this guy in the Chinese thread too, but this is relevant since he has strong opinions about work clothing. And he echoes many here in saying that people take you more seriously when you have a suit. And he was an IT guy. So Morty here might be on to something.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqp5zI4Ng_s&t

 

[uppi]

And he echoes many here in saying that people take you more seriously when you have a suit.

The reverse can also be true. There are definitely environments where you will be taken less seriously and get dumbed-down explanations when you wear a suit.