Watching reruns of the popular 1950’s sitcom “I Love Lucy” provides a window into a world that seems utterly foreign to us today, especially when it comes to the dress code.
Take their wardrobes for instance. Jeans were called “dungarees” and were NEVER worn outside the home under any circumstance. They were your knock-around clothes – worn while gardening outside, washing the car (if you were able to afford one) or cleaning out the garage. But even if you were doing something as ordinary as going to the movies, the market or to the beauty parlor or barbershop, men wore suits and ties and women elegant dresses, gloves and hats.
There was a sense of pride in your appearance, which has all but disappeared today even with a dress code. Case in point.
Recently at work, employees were reminded of the dress code the company has adhered to for several years. The summer months usually mean a summer wardrobe and that often can blur the line for what is and is not appropriate in the workplace.
While I’d love nothing more than to come to work dressed in my bathing trunks and a pair of flip-flops, there are limitations. Well, at least for some. On any given day, you’ll find women dressed like they just stepped off the hot sand of the Jersey shore. Slightly inappropriate for any place of business, unless of course you’re selling palm tree t-shirts on the boardwalk.
But you wouldn’t believe the ruckus simply reminding employees of the already-in-existence dress code caused. Admittedly the guilty complainers were those individuals who dressed like they were going to a casual pool party not work. It was a hot topic of discussion for the majority of the day and even the day after.
I don’t know, doesn’t how you dress say something about how much pride you have for yourself – how you want others to look at you? Yes individuality and expressing yourself through your wardrobe is understandable, but it can still be done professionally.
So keep the spaghetti strap tops, skimpy flip flops and sheer summer dresses normally worn when you get out of the pool at home. You’ll have plenty of time to wear them when you’re not getting paid to follow the rules.
