I thought after yesterday's post about dressing for work, we could visit the concept of dress down Fridays.  I'm not sure companies still do it - post a comment to let me know if yours does.  Here's this weeks chuckle.
Dress Down Friday

Memo No. 1 to employees:

Effective immediately, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day so that employees may express their diversity.

Memo No. 2:

Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.

Memo No. 3:

Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday's wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.

Memo No. 4:

A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the cafeteria. Fashion show to follow.  Attendance is mandatory.

Memo No. 5:

As an outgrowth of Friday's seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines for proper dress.

Memo No. 6:

The Casual Day Task Force has completed a 30-page manual.   A copy of "Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards" has been mailed to each employee. Please review the chapter "You Are What You Wear," and consult the "home casual" versus "business casual" checklist before leaving for work each Friday. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Memo No. 7:

Because of lack of participation, Casual Day has been discontinued, effective immediately.

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Southampton Council has issued a dress code for its workers.  The story was reported here in the local Daily Echo newspaper, from a leaked document.  It got me to thinking about what is appropriate dress sense in the work place these days.

The council says (selecting the quotes from the article because I haven't seen the actual memo):

Female workers are merely being told to make sure they wear "appropriate" clothing  ...  including informal dresses or skirts of "reasonable" length or trousers but not mini-skirts or jeans.

Men are advised to wear collared or polo shirts, cotton trousers such as khakis or chinos with a belt, and "dress shoes".

It warned social workers, youth workers, educational welfare officers and others in the children's services department to "carefully consider their work attire".

Well I have to say this sounds like a good idea to me, especially when you are meeting the public as the workers identified often do.  I doubt anyone will be disciplined over the wearing the wrong length skirt, but at least the accepted standards of appearance are made clear, and for many people this is helpful. I see many workers dressed in what is virtually beach attire, or their clubbing outfits and it gives a very poor impression of them as professionals.

Young people in particular don't seem to be aware that others form impressions of them based on what they look like.  Yes this is unfair, yes they should appreciate the 'real' you, but you know what?  People don't and the sooner you learn that the better (I have spent a fair bit of time around teenagers so I have heard all of this before).  Nuff said I think (and spelling enough 'nuff' is not very professional either but this is MY blog!!)

It seems to me that there is plenty of scope for expressing yourself within the fairly loose guidelines provided, especially for women.  Perhaps the men should be complaining that they don't have as much freedom as women.  Is it ok for them to wear a skirt to work, perhaps for Hogmanay?
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Anyway the article provided a lot of comments both for and against so follow the link here.

And see how the Daily Mail handled the story here.

Post a comment on my blog if you would like to.
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