Memorial Day kicks off the unofficial start of summer and for many offices, the start of casual work attire. Whether it’s official or unofficial, every day or Fridays only, we thought we’d take this opportunity to replay some reminders for employees and employers about how to do it right.
Dress-down Fridays, Aloha Fridays, Casual Fridays – it’s the one day in the workweek where employees can get a little more comfortable as in: ditch the tie, kick off the heels and style in a Polo shirt and Coach sneakers. It’s a perk that some companies do year round and some only in the summer months.
The roots of dressing more casually on Fridays have popped up in many forms. The Silicon Valley boom from the 1970’s is often cited as one of the originators due to the blue-collar employees who initially worked in the offices and wanted to dress down. But it actually goes back farther to 1946 when the city of Honolulu allowed employees to wear Hawaiian shirts for a practical reason – to keep cool in the summer. According to Wikipedia, this trend evolved into Aloha Friday in the 1960’s and then reached the mainland with employees donning Hawaiian shirts on Fridays. The dress-down perk was also adopted as a popular charity fundraiser in the 1980’s where employees who contributed to the cause could wear T-shirts on the designated Friday. The dot-com culture of open spaces and bean-bag chairs in the 1990’s is credited with taking the concept to a whole new level to the point where IBM – once the stereotype of the crisp white shirt culture – has casual attire every day now.
Fans of Casual Fridays say it puts them in a more creative thought process, increases morale and productivity in the workplace, saves employees money on their wardrobe and allows companies to use it a recruitment tool as an employee benefit – and one without a cost to the company. Haters say it makes employees start their weekend a day earlier thereby decreasing productivity, creates awkward interaction with clients who may not be casually dressed, decreases the professionalism of the organization and creates confusion about what to wear.
Though these points depend on the profession and your office atmosphere, here is a general guide on casual dressing:
For Employees
- Khaki pants, Bermuda shorts and capri pants are acceptable; skip the cut-offs, sweatpants and super mini skirts and dresses. The right jeans are the ultimate casual attire – please upgrade from the mom/dad versions and those with tears (fashion or not). Black and dark denims are good choices.
- T-shirts with slogans and logos, tank tops, wrinkled shirts, strapless tops and anything that could be mistaken for workout gear is not OK. Men are welcome to lose the tie and a shirt with a collar always works – yes even an occasional Hawaiian shirt in the summer! Save the baseball cap for the company picnic.
- Leather and fashion flip-flops with a heel are suitable for women in the summer (check your grooming, please), but rubber thongs (think Old Navy dollar sale) are best left to the pool and shower. Men can dress it down with sockless shoes, but mandals (men’s sandals) and anything with an open toe is not OK. Sneakers don’t cut it either. And what is there to say about Crocs except NO.
- Stay away from anything that could be mistaken for a bathing suit or a bathing suit cover-up and clothes that could be mistaken for nighclub attire.
- Do wear undergarments; commando is never a good option (see clip from The Office below).
- Keep a change of clothes in your office or trunk, just in case.
For Employers
- Consider putting things in writing to avoid people taking it too far and also to allow the rules to be applied fairly. I worked at a company where we decided to try it. When a guy showed up in swim trunks and tank top and the next a lady in a bathing suit and cover up – they decided it was an experiment gone wrong. If only there had been something in writing for people who can’t seem to exhibit a bit of common sense.
- Decide how far you want to go with this. For example, are sales executives or people who have an appointment exempt? What about the receptionist? Are you talking business casual (khakis) or casual (jeans)? Make your position clear to everyone.
One last warning – don’t use The Office for suggestions on an apparel guide. On their “Casual Friday” episode, Meredith shows up with a strapless, too-short dress that she wears without undergarments, resulting in her flashing her co-workers from the top and the bottom – oops! If this could be you, it’s time to go back to the drawing board or the department store. If this is your office, it might be time to update the dress code manual.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4NCw5P8u0E?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
Please give us your favorite Casual Friday story or attire descriptions.
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