At a glance, the issue of dress codes at the workplace may seem trivial. Strikingly, however, the apparently innocuous topic reached the U.S Senate recently. In response to concerns about deviating appearances of the senators, a bipartisan resolution necessitating a ‘business attire’ was approved for the Senate floor, recalls Rob Chesnut – former general counsel and Justice Department prosecutor.
Citing examples of the wardrobes of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chesnut deliberates on whether companies should reconsider their dress codes too. Chesnut draws from his own career evolution, seeing dress codes change from the military doctrine of his father’s Marine Corps khakis to his own suits as a Justice Department prosecutor, before transitioning to a more casual dress code environment in Silicon Valley.
The shift from an atmosphere where nonconformance to the traditional suit was unthinkable, to a creative environment where nonconformity was applauded and even symbolized status and competence was drastic. Such nonconformity has been backed by studies such as the Harvard’s “Red Sneakers Effect”, which suggest that dressing suggestively beyond the norm could generate an inference of higher status and proficiency.
In his piece, Chesnut discusses the pros and cons of implementing dress codes in the corporate world. Whether a company needs a dress code or not, according to Chesnut, depends upon the nature of the workplace, the company’s mission, and its interactions with clients and customers. Among the pitfalls of enforcing a dress code, Chesnut mentions the potential to ignite unwanted resistance, especially in a previously flexible environment. Also problematic is the potential for perceiving the dress code as Sexist, Racist, or insensitive to an individual’s culture or religion.
Nonetheless, not having a dress code policy might backfire when employees might opt to make apparel statements that fissure office cohesion or might be disruptive. Chesnut’s verdict on having dress codes is to proceed with caution. He ends his article with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the Senate’s new dress code, juxtaposing it with the body’s lingering problems such as partisan bickering and obstructive tactics.