Ever been inappropriately dressed at work or a business function?
If you answered "yes," you are not alone. If you answered
"no," you may be wrong.
According to a study completed at California State University, Sacramento,
by marketing professor Dennis Tootelian, nearly two-thirds of Americans
have felt inappropriately dressed at a business or a social function
and more than two-thirds are uncertain about the differences among
business attire, business casual and casual dress in the workplace.
Nearly one in three report that it is harder to know what is acceptable
to wear to the office today than it was 10 years ago.
"There is a lot of confusion over just what is appropriate,"
said Tootelian, director of the CSUS Center for Small Business. His
study, commissioned by Mervyn's department stores, surveyed 500 people
in their 14-state Region on perceptions about appropriate work clothing
and their employer's dress policies.
He found that 62 % of those surveyed said that they had been inappropriately
dressed at a business or social function, with slightly more men than
women taking note of their fashion faux pas (64 % to 61%) More than
68 % expressed uncertainty over the differences among business attire,
business casual, and casual dress in the workplace, with 47 % saying
that knowing the difference was "somewhat difficult" or
"very difficult." 30 % said it was harder today to determine
what was acceptable attire in the workplace than it was 10 years ago,
with more women than men (32 % vs. 27 %) citing difficulty.
Overwhelmingly (89 %), those surveyed said dress codes in their workplaces
have become less formal in the last 10 years.
According to Tootelian, the biggest fashion problem for workers today
is the concept of "business casual." 'Business casual' is
a term that needs to be better defined," he said. "People
don't know what it is."
For men, he says, the standard for business attire has been a suit
and tie with shined, matching shoes. Business casual could mean anything
from a sports coat with or without a tie to pleated cotton slacks
with a collared short-sleeve polo shirt and loafers. For women, business
attire already offers them a choice of pant suits, suits, dresses
and coordinated skirt and slack ensembles. The notion of business
casual for women may be more subtle, with factors such as pattern,
color, texture and material playing a role.
"Unfortunately," Tootelian said, "business casual may
not help women as much as it does men."
His study also found divisions along generational lines, with younger
respondents having a different, more casual, perception of what constitutes
business attire. "For them, the concept of a coat and a tie isn't
even on the radar screen," he said.
Moving beyond his study, Tootelian said that dressing appropriately
for work and business functions-as well as displaying good manners
and a sense of etiquette-is still important for workers who want to
make a good impression and advance their careers. "Those who
don't dress appropriately can put a ceiling on their careers really
quickly," he said.
Still, Tootelian said he doesn’t expect American businesses
to make a sudden U-turn to more formal dress codes: "I expect
the changes are here for a while."
For more information on the study, contact Dennis Tootelian at
(916) 278-6203.
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