Casual Dress Codes: Relaxing Or A New Source Of Stress?

Do you find relaxed dress codes at work actually relaxing -- or a new source of stress?

This week on AOL Jobs, Claire Gordon wrote about the way technology has speeded the shift towards casual dress codes at work from "business professional to business casual, silk blouses to cotton shirts, pantsuits to capris, ties to no ties."

The move to more casual attire at work has been a tricky issue for women especially. While men may simply opt out of wearing a tie, women have many more options -- which raise more questions about what's appropriate and what isn't.

As Sadie Stein wrote in Jezebel's "Dress Code,” “‘Business-casual,’ that alleged liberator from sartorial constraints, is in fact one of the most pernicious things of the modern era, with its vague guidelines and changing boundaries and unspoken rulebook."

Yet how do you know whats appropriate? Are flip-flops okay? What about t-shirts? Speaking to The Boston Globe, Jodi R.R. Smith, an office etiquette consultant, said it's best to not dress down too much: “We broadcast messages based on what we are wearing. So our work attire should say ‘I’m here and I’m ready to contribute,’’’ Smith said. Heather Kleins, a human resources adviser for ING, told a similar cautionary tale to Forbes Woman. Even if you don’t see outside clients, what you wear still “makes an impression on your boss [and] your potential future boss," she said.

So what are the guidelines for women navigating a newly-casual workplace? Stein recommends "staying neat" and "asking coworkers" for tips on what's appropriate. The Daily Muse, dispensing advice on the question of bare legs vs. pantyhose, hit on a tip that can be applied to all aspects of dressing at the office: "Look around at the other women in the office. Take your cues from those around you, and aim for the middle."

What are your casual workwear staples? Share yours by tweeting @HuffPostWomen with the hashtag "#MyOfficeStyle."

Quick Poll

How do you feel about casual dress codes at work?

I love dressing down -- I work best when I'm comfortable.

I miss the days when I could dress up for work. I enjoyed wearing suits and more formal attire, and it made me feel more professional.

They stress me out!

They don't affect me. I still dress formally, regardless of relaxed codes.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[Count of Anjou]

08:00 AM on 09/20/2011

"Jodi R.R. Smith, an office etiquette consultant, said it's best to not dress down too much: “We broadcast messages based on what we are wearing."

I guess Ms. Smith is a very shallow person if she bases a persons work performance on their attire.

[liven]

11:36 AM on 09/20/2011

You don't see a correlation between the pride you take in your appearance and the pride you take in your work?

[Count of Anjou]

01:34 PM on 09/20/2011

No, I do not. I am not a vain person, like many. I DO see a correlation between comfort and productivity. Being in uncomfortable, professional attire, as opposed to casual, can be deleterious.

[nixthetrix]

12:26 AM on 09/19/2011

For me , casual is a polo and jeans . Thats not appropiate for the professionals where I work .

[KRAZYHORZE]

10:20 PM on 09/18/2011

Ha! Making a mountain out a hill.

[Dede Eagleburger]

04:51 PM on 09/18/2011

I don't know how I'd really react to this-I've been used to wearing professional attire for almost fifteen years now, heels everyday, I like to look my best but there are mornings I wake up and think 'wouldn't it be nice to just throw on any old thing today'?

[Katie Wray]

03:32 PM on 09/18/2011

IMO, relaxed dress codes keep a healthy balance between work and life.

[french queen13]

03:48 AM on 09/18/2011

I'm very glad not to be in a corporate workplace where this sort of thing would affect me. The two guys I work with opt for the company polo shirt and jeans. I just wear whatever I feel like wearing, since the uniform isn't a requirement (thank goodness ... Prussian blue just isn't my colour!). The only limitations are those of comfort and common sense in an environment with lots of narrow spaces to negotiate and inconvenient edges of shelves and the like sticking out, and step-ladders to be climbed. Flowing clothes tend to end up torn!

[ImJustWondering]

02:22 AM on 09/18/2011

My employer (very large nutrition company) encourages us to wear t-shirts and jeans. There are those who say you should dress up anyway, but if you dress up for no apparent reason at my company then everyone will think you have lined up an interview with another department or maybe even another company. Of course there are a few people who wear business attire every day in spite of the suspicion it causes. They say they are promoting a certain level of decorum in the workplace but the general opinion is that those are the people who take their own selves too serious.

[ms.understood]

04:39 PM on 09/17/2011

casual is just fine with me. i wish we could wear flip-flops though. women's shoes are the most uncomfortable thing about attire.

[french queen13]

03:50 AM on 09/18/2011

What sort of shoes do you have to wear? There are some good comfort shoes out there. They might not go with more formal gear, but they're easy on the feet. I wear Josef Siebel shoes and boots, mostly.

[noaxe397]

11:01 AM on 09/17/2011

Back in the early 70s I had a part time summer job in municipal government. We once received a memo regarding casual dress (the office was not air conditioned in the summer) "Hot pants may not be worn on the job site." I think it is just simple common sense as to what is appropriate.

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

04:51 PM on 09/16/2011

For women it's hard because for many places...my workplace included...there is no dress code for women, while men must wear a tie and jacket.

Why no dress code for women? I guess because the men in charge are too afraid of being charged with some sort of gender harassment because they asked a woman to dress in traditional womens' business attire.

[AKansasComment]

03:21 PM on 09/16/2011

Casual Fridays in my office mean everyone opts for jeans. Frankly, sitting for hours in constricting jeans isn't my cup of tea.

[Paluxy Moon]

02:43 PM on 09/16/2011

It's SO very hard to find blouses to wear to work. Most are way too low cut. It's a constant challenge to find "casual" workplace-suitable clothing. Designers take notice! Price is not so much a consideration as:

1) natural fabric, whether it be a cotton, silk, or blend, and
2) non-cleavage-revealing. It's just too dstracting for the men I work with....

Thanks for listening.

[french queen13]

03:53 AM on 09/18/2011

The idea that women have breasts and that shirts need to be shaped to accommodate that seems to have been lost to clothes designers a couple of decades ago. Darts? Darts in shirts? What a novel idea! Even when they're not so low cut, the damn things gape at the front because they seem to have been made for boys' figures, not women's.

[blarneydude]

01:58 PM on 09/16/2011

As of my last check:

"They [casual dress codes] stress me out!" gets 9.09% of responses.

"I miss the days when I could dress up (um, you still can...)" would be big fat 0.

Sometimes the blogosphere seems all about creating tempests in teapots.

[blarneydude]

01:55 PM on 09/16/2011

"So what are the guidelines for women navigating a newly-casual workplace? Stein recommends "staying neat" and "asking coworkers" for tips on what's appropriate. "

I would add for the ladies: "don't ask men."

[SelenesMom]

09:32 AM on 09/17/2011

Why would a self-professed "dude" want to post in a thread about whether Casual Friday is a pain in the behind for many women?

(Hint: the answer is yes, it always has been for 20 years, since around the same time that people started to realize that women in business attire were not as likely to want to go on coffee runs, or act nice when asked for help with the copier, or sign for deliveries, although that is a coincidence, since it started in industries where there were not many women.)

[blarneydude]

01:49 PM on 09/17/2011

Because when it comes right down to it, there is no such thing as a girl or boy topic. Does the headline mention gender?

I had a right to expect a gender-neutral treatment of the topic, right? Of course. And you bet I wasn't going to waste my time once I logged in.

Never mind the very, very salient point I made by simply referring to HuffPo votes on the topic: 'tain't no big deal.

[norepublicanleftbehind]

04:16 PM on 09/18/2011

Actually I think it would be interesting to ask men. I am somewhat taken aback by your very conscious attitude. I was not expecting it. It would be interesting to ask women as well and get a more modern perspective of appearance and perception.