The Laws of Khaki Revealed

On this Tidbit Tuesday, I'd like to begin with a great quote I found from Mary Pickford, that Hollywood legend who had a way with words: "You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down..."

As for some items I think you might find of interest:

* Tuck in your shirt and stand up straight: Many men seem to be confused about what to wear to work when the dress code is casual (why else would anyone think Crocs were OK??), but Esquire magazine does a terrific job in its latest issue to illuminate more males about what is appropriate. Advice ranges from the fact that you should never wear a beret, to the the idea that any man who wears a shirt with a saying on it "has neither the intelligence to form a cogent opinion nor the good sense to keep it to himself." This is the kind of article to tuck into your sock drawer and study every night before bedtime. An example: "There are worse things in the world than being known as the guy who always wears a blue button-down. Like being known as the guy who looks like he just rolled out of bed or the guy who always smells a little funny. If you're going to settle on a look, get it right."

*Sorry, I've got to wash my hair: Next time you ask a co-worker to hang out after work or on the weekend, don't take it personally if you get some lame excuse. Seems most of us would rather ditch the colleagues and hang out with people we well, don't work with. A new studyby the University of Michigan found that only 30 percent of employees have a close confidant at work, down from nearly half in 1985.
On average, U.S. workers spend time outside of work with less than half of the co-workers with whom they regularly interact on the job, compared to 74 percent for Polish workers and 78 percent for Indian workers.

*Make sure the spinach is out of your teeth: The growing popularity of video resumes, coupled with the desire to network directly with employers, has been put into a new product called VisualCV. The Web site allows job seekers to build online resumes with videos, work samples, reference letters and other media, in addition to the standard work and education information. Links to the pages can be sent to prospective employers and shared with firms that have pages on the site.

* I'd like dental, too: The presidential race has given voice to a lot of concerns in our country today, and one of the most prevalent has to be health insurance. Especially concerned are young people just entering the workforce, often with crushing student loan debt, who are worried about not being offered some kind of health insurance plan from an employer. That's backed up by a recent Robert Half International survey that found that benefits such as healthcare insurance are nearly as popular as salary for today’s job seekers. Thirty-seven percent of CFOs interviewed said offering higher compensation than competitors is the most effective incentive for attracting accounting professionals, while 33 percent of respondents cited benefits as the top draw, a 31-point increase from 2003.




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Dishing About Casual Work Wear

Diane Danielson over at the Women's Dish Network, has, in her words, been "mouthing off" about the sad state of attire in the workplace today. Seems she told CareerBuilder that she didn't care for it (OK, it totally "pissed her off") when a job applicant showed up wearing a frayed denim skirt.

Danielson's reaction: she sent the girl packing, with nary a question asked.
Danielson said the girl had clearly "wasted my time" by showing up in something so inappropriate for a well-established, conservative employer, whose reputation should have been researched by the applicant.

I can certainly appreciate Danielson's straightforward look at an ongoing problem. One of her problems with casual dress: "You never know when a client - who may never have casual day - might want to meet wih you."

I agree. It's a constant complaint I hear from bosses and co-workers, who are mystified why something so easy as dressing neatly and professionally seems to elude many workers. Why -- when so many things at work can be out of our control -- would anyone pass up the opportunity to convey a professional, capable image simply by dressing correctly? And why would anyone dress well four days a week, then throw the whole image out the window and dress like a casual slob on the fifth day?

So, here's my final word of advice for the truly clueless: If you can wear it to go clubbing, mow the back 40 in it or is comfortable enough to sleep in...DON'T WEAR IT TO WORK!



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Casual Dress Gone Wrong

My colleague, Stephanie Armour at USA Today, recently wrote about business casual dress at work (http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2007-07-09-business-casual-attire_N.htm?csp=34).

After reading the story, I remembered an interview I once had about the same subject with an employer who was clearly frustrated with the situation.

One day, the manager said, an employee showed up for work in his pajamas – flannel pants and a worn T-shirt. On his feet: black dress shoes.

The boss took the employee aside to tell him his attire was not appropriate for the workplace, even if the attire was casual.

“Why not?” he questioned. “You said no flip-flops, right?”

Gives new meaning to the word “clueless,” doesn’t it?

For the record, here are a few standards for casual wear that apply to most workplaces:
• No faded or torn denim. In fact, it’s just as well to avoid denim, and stick with khaki pants or skirt.
• Nothing tight, see-through, glow-in-the-dark or revealing in any way. If you can go clubbing in it, forget it.
• No T-shirts with sayings on them. One employer told me of a pregnant employee who wore a “sleeps well with others” shirt to work. When men wear “saying” shirts they look like they should be at the frat house, and the women wearing them look like they should be visiting that frat house for a Jello shooter contest.
• No VPL (visible panty lines.) Work is also not the place for bared midriffs, mini skirts, shorts or camisole tops.
• Neatness counts. Sweatshirts always look sloppy, so leave them for the weekend. Same with tennis shoes, flip flops, frayed pants or shirts, any kind of flannel and any piece of clothing comfortable enough to sleep in. Make sure even your casual clothes are clean and neatly pressed (yes, you have to iron the front and back).

The thing to remember about casual work wear is that you don’t want what you wear to undo all the hard work you’ve put in to establish yourself as a professional, mature and valued member of the team.