What Workplace Dress Says about a Company

While employees cannot easily change the dress code set by a company, they can change the way the office functions in regards to business attire. Companies such as Google, Yahoo, and Target have drastically different work attire than KPMG, Deloitte, and Proctor and Gamble. This difference in clothing style may not impact success, but it does impact how consumers view a company.  At Google , for example, employees get time for free internet surfing to check emails, update social networks, or make calls (Google.com). They also have a longer lunch break where work is not allowed to be discussed at all. On the other hand, KPMG, for example, has one short lunch break for an hour and many websites are blocked and personal email checking is banned. According to GoogleSets The Standard For A Happy Work Environment, the work environments that function the best are those that realize that a company is only as good as it employees. By feeling comfortable around co-workers, employees will dress to impress all days of the week because to them, relationships are built on confidence and first impressions can make or break business relationships.  While reading a post by Lauren Conrad, I found that her 10 commandments of workplace productivity encompass personality, poise, confidence, and worker relationships.

Here are Lauren Conrad’s 10 commandments:

• Thou shalt never let your outfit outshine your work.
• Thou shalt abstain from clothing with obnoxious logos.
• You shall avoid all sexy and revealing clothing.
• Thou shalt dress like your boss. Emulate the highest-ranking worker in your company. This doesn’t mean steal their style. Rather, base your office attire on what they considers appropriate. Take a cue from the people in positions you aspire to have someday. They don’t say, “dress the part” for no reason.
• You shall always dress to impress—even on “casual Fridays.”
• You shall always use your best judgment. Consider your work environment and dress accordingly. Anything you can wear to a club should never step foot in an office. If you’re unsure about an outfit, it’s best to err on the side of caution and go with something else.

Personal style is like a canvas of art yet you have to make sure you stay in the lines of your company's dress code. It is about looking good, feeling good, and doing good (gramatically, well). Your fashion emulates your work and by personalizing the dress code, you will surely improve the way you feel at work. As Coco Chanel said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” What are some of your styles that make you feel confident, yet poised at work?

Related Links:

http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/work-it-9-to-5-style