Evolving Dress Codes
New Challenges for Employers
By Daniel Muniz

Dress codes for the workplace have always been problematic for women and they have all too often borne the burnt of a lot of burdensome company policies especially with the way that style and fashion has dramatically shifted for the past couple of decades. In addition, seismic changes in the societal norms of our popular culture have completely altered the way that many people show up to work.

Not surprisingly, men have always had the advantage when it comes to clothes even in very professional settings. A guy can wear the same pair of shoes every single day and he can even wear the same shirt once a week and nobody notices (or cares). Except for getting too casual, men have had it easy.

However, fashion is far different for women and it can change at a moment’s notice with daring new styles and outfits that can all of a sudden become popular and trendy.
 

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But at the workplace, how far can the envelope really be pushed when new trends are introduced?

For instance, sandals are now all the rage for younger women and they have begun to dominate their footwear even at the office. A number of employers have overlooked this trend particularly when they are worn by youthful female employees at lower level positions. However, it is certainly unacceptable for female managers and executives to wear them and it is frowned upon at more professional settings even though women are sporting them for just about any solemn occasion or event in their off time.

But what has attributed to the enormous popularity of footwear at the office is that a lot of young women have dropped pantyhose from their wardrobe even for the office. This enabled women to become more casual, including wearing the trendy sandals for the workplace.

Interestingly, during the late seventies and early eighties, pantyhose reached its height in popularity and practically every woman wore sheer hosiery to the office. But more to the point, pantyhose was very much a requirement even in a number of settings outside of employment. But as time went on, fashion changed and a new generation of women abandoned their nylons as well as the norms of the previous era.

In its wake, more daring styles were introduced into the workplace featuring much shorter skirts, longer slits in skirts, no slips, plunging necklines, tight formfitting dresses, and see-through sheer outfits.

And when low rise pants and skirts coincidentally became the rage at the same time of the thong, “whale tails” became the fashion faux pas that emerged into one of the hottest trends for young women (the display of the back of a thong or g-string strap above the waistline when a woman is bending or sitting down). All of a sudden, women wanted to show off the back side of their panties to the whole world.

Breast augmentation also became enormously popular with women who were not blessed with a sizable endowment and then wanted to showcase their newly acquired enhancements.

In addition, marketers already figured out one trade secret; sex sells.

Popular culture glorifies beautiful women and the limit has been pushed to new extremes by marketers on how to hawk scantily clad or naked women. And a relaxed modern environment allowed women to reveal more skin than ever before so saturating the public with sex has slowly become the norm that has permeated into the workplace.

However, employers are increasingly uneasy with these kinds of developments.

Sexual harassment lawsuits have generated bad publicity for some companies while being quite costly for others. As a result, some employers do not want to create a litigious environment or an atmosphere that invites unwarranted advances from boorish male co-workers.

Also, risqué clothing worn by women causes a distraction and decreases productivity.

Consequently, many employers would rather not have women baring cleavage (on the top with plunging necklines or the bottom with whale tails) or too much leg or simply revealing too much of a figure. The more professional or proactive the setting, the stricter the dress codes have become.

Generally speaking, there are some places of employment that truly want a drab mundane environment that ensures absolutely no distractions.

But women’s fashions will continue to challenge work environments and create uncomfortable situations for managers and human resource departments.

With the sexual revolution, the genie was released from the bottle and it is not going back in.

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