Freedom within the dress code

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

The other day I got into conversation with Natasha, a girl of ten years old, a daughter of friends. On September 1, her parents took her to a new school.

- Liked? - I ask.

- Well, yes, - says Natasha. - Only they have a mandatory form there.

The girl Natasha and I understood each other very well - I also have an ambiguous attitude to the dress code in any of its manifestations. And especially - in the form of "office style".

Summer, with its sundresses, tops, playful swimwear and open sandals, flew by, leaving us alone with the need to change into something more substantial. We scrutinize the available jackets and blouses, try on strict skirts and neat shoes. It would be necessary to enter the autumn calm and business, but I want to attract glances. And it is desirable to be enthusiastic. And here the question arises: is it possible to adhere to the office style in clothes, while remaining a bright personality? And even more, is it possible to take into account our own inclinations and desires in a world where there are so many rules and conventions?

For many women, office style seems, firstly, pretty, and secondly, preferable. And this is understandable.

A business suit often decorates, hiding figure flaws and making even an ordinary appearance more interesting.

“If my employees saw me in home clothes, they would not obey me,” I heard from one of my acquaintances. Calm colors add dignity. Black or checkerboard black and white are unsurpassed, albeit simplest, ways to look elegant.

When choosing business clothes, it makes sense to rely on just a few simple rules: things should fit, not raise unnecessary questions and not be too cheap. Excessive extravagance causes excessive curiosity - are gloves in fashion nowadays? And the junk things are visible right away: some hint of a jacket instead of a jacket, a sketch of a skirt instead of a skirt, all some half-thought, indifferently sewn - there is a great chance to look like an "aunt from work" and not "a girl from the catwalk." It is quite problematic to save on office style. Better two suits, but good, than ten, but bad. But these two will not let you down, supporting their mistress in a vigorous working tone, and her colleagues - setting up exclusively for the business wave. With the help of clothing, we can set and regulate the distance.

There are, however, nuances. Skirts that are short enough can be worn, but not a neckline. Conventionality? Of course. In the century before last, the chest could be displayed as a business card, but it was impossible to even think about showing the legs. Now everything is exactly the opposite. We have to accept it without objection. It is also not customary to come two days in a row in the same. Because it makes you think: where does our valuable employee spend the night? And this, as you know, is an endless topic for gossip. At least some piece of clothing, but it needs to be changed. And yet - it is not customary to wear flashy jewelry. And no one cares that you bought these shoulder-length earrings at an art exhibition, and this ornate ring is a gift from a familiar designer. You have to be more modest, more modest.

In order not to get moved by all this and not to brutalize the soul, many companies offer Friday "casual" - a day when you can wear whatever you want. This is where everyone comes off: bright colors and large patterns. Typically bourgeois freedom is regulated.

One of the most annoying office restrictions is the ban on jeans. For a long time already they have become indispensable in terms of convenience in everyday wear. In addition, in our latitudes it is often cool, and sometimes very cold - so much so that the legs can freeze in trousers, and you don't even want to think about skirts. If you have a car at hand, then nothing else, but if you have public transport … It's time to tune in to less zealous observance of the working dress code. So as not to turn into a Snow Maiden - an ice fool.

In addition, the office style can be very diverse. Sometimes it is not limited to general recommendations, but offers a tough option - a corporate form, quiet incubator joys. Once I asked a friend who works in a large bank how she feels in branded clothes:

"Okay, - said a friend. - Firstly, she suits me. And secondly, I often break the rules." Another friend of mine, quitting a Western company, began working in a small PR agency. The motivation is simply: "They dress so much fun."

Personally, the idea of a strict office dress code, and even more so a corporate uniform, is not very attractive to me. Maybe because I managed to catch a school uniform, in which it was possible to distinguish myself from classmates only by the form of a white collar - and I have not the slightest desire to return to its counterparts. Or maybe because I don't really like corporate joys at all: not only an office dress code, but also obligatory banquets and other team buildings. But here everything is very individual. It's like traveling. Some people like individual tourism, others like group trips. What's better? Both are good - the main thing is not to confuse your preferences with others.