Casual Friday (published in Bakersfield Magazine, 2006)

Casual Friday.  A strange phenomenon at best.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve never worked at a job where Friday was somehow different, somehow a more comfortable, stretchy, elastic-waistband kind of day. A day where my co-workers were like cushy insoles, padding me from the rigors of my job. Where my boss was somehow more protective, shielding me from the world like a baseball cap over my partied-too-hard-on-Thursday night unwashed hair.

I never noticed a marked distinction in how my clients dressed. There were never a plethora of folks in faded jeans and Metallica tee shirts saying “Who-hoo! Friday!” I know that as a customer I never say, “hmmmm, Friday…Maybe I should just roll out of bed and go to town in my jammies and bunny slippers…after all, it is a casual day!”

Don’t get me wrong. I am pretty much a non-traditional dresser, and I’d rather wear jeans than just about any other article of clothing in my wardrobe, however, I think the whole dress-down approach to work attire is looking somewhat tired and non-professional.  Added to this, the whole casual thing has kind of crept into the psyche of the other days of the week as well. Thursday? “What the heck, it’s just one day further from the weekend, let’s just go casual.”

Society as a whole seems to have gone into a casual slump. There are virtually no dress codes for dining in Bakersfield, except for standards at some of the private clubs. Terry Maxwell, owner of Maxwell’s Restaurant says he rarely sees a coat-and tie anymore on the weekends. Maxwell says most of his clients are “dressy-casual” and are savvy enough to be well groomed at his fine dining establishment.

Now geography probably has a lot to do with it.  Winter is a much better season for the coat and tie set. When summer sets in, it would be lovely to laze around in a pair of cotton shorts, tank and flip-flops, typing into the laptop with toes buried in the cool sand -- slushy, fruity, umbrella-garnished drink in hand. The reality is getting out of the stale air-conditioning car, feeling like your steaming leather upholstery is still adhering to your back, and dragging your leather shod feet one step at a time over asphalt that seems more like hot coals than pedestrian terrain. Hardly makes you itch to put on a woolen suit, no matter how “tropical’ the weight boasted on the tag.

So, here’s the dilemma. Society says casual. Business says professional or professional casual. It’s Friday. What’s a person to do? The key is dressing business casual, as opposed to just casual. How do you determine what this is? More importantly, what will your client’s and coworker’s perception be? Finally, can you afford it?

I think it is important to always think of what your appearance says about you no matter if at work, or in your social life. Think of the three key qualities that you want to convey by your appearance alone, and then ask yourself if that message is compatible with the outfit and grooming you’ve chosen for that particular situation or task. If you’re image is shouting “ready for racquetball” or “ready to be an extra on That Seventies Show” rather than “ready for work” then, maybe it’s time to reconsider your wardrobe.

Determining the appropriate level of business casual for men is actually fairly simple. It is usually one level down from how you usually dress. For men who usually wear suits, this could mean a sport coat, dress shirt and slacks. For the shirt and tie set, this could mean a long sleeve sport shirt without a tie. From long sleeve, you go to short sleeve (no tie please, ever). The next and last stage should be from short sleeve “dress” type shirt to Golf or Polo shirt. And that is about as casual that you should ever be for the office. No tee shirts, even if they are expensive, silky, or “designer”. Pants should go to khakis, and maybe dark rinse jeans in a less formal environment.

What about for ladies? There is a lot more room for creativity, but also for error. Women have so many more options than men. Dresses, countless blouse, shell and sweater options, skirts of varying lengths and silhouettes, trousers, culottes, capri’s, Bermudas, not to mention a jillion shoe styles: so many items to choose from, but how to put it together and look office polished rather than faddish or old-fashioned? Personal style can have a lot to do with it. Knowing what looks right for your company culture can also be a huge factor.

There is also a generational gap of sorts in terms of dressing. With younger females, there seems to be a mindset that cute, expensive, or dressy correlates with appropriate. This is most likely not the case. Bedazzling an item with rhinestones or sequins may elevate the flash factor, but morphing it into business attire . . . does not. Just because it is a designer item, is “just the most fashionable it thing”, and was seen on the latest celebrity does not make it relevant to the work world.

Some workers tend to rely too much on the comfort factor, or decide to keep items past their useful lives. There is a difference between being trendy and being current. Keeping updated on clothing styles helps keep you looking relevant to the younger folk. The key is to look current and age appropriate.  If something is uncomfortable, it probably does not fit correctly, or is the wrong style for your body type. For women, the key can usually be found in the fabrics you wear. The more angular your body is, the stiffer the fabrics you can wear. The curvier you are, the more you need stretch and drape.

Perhaps business casual is best defined by what it is not. Gym clothes and shoes, tee shirts, worn or faded jeans, as well as extreme looks or anything that appears to be a costume should be avoided. Even though the design of an item seems correct, avoid anything too tight, too loose, or too revealing. If it shows signs of wear, especially pilling or shredding, or looks tired and outdated, it should be retired. These types of garments show a lack of effort and a lack of caring. Poor grooming and personal hygiene should not even have to be mentioned…but unfortunately they do. Complaints about co-worker’s sub-standard hygiene are often part of the business culture repertoire. It is up to each of us to make sure that we are not part of the water-cooler drama center.

Jeans are an issue I get asked about frequently. Denim seems to have assimilated into our culture. Once again, it seems to be an issue of style, color, and what it is worn with. Dark denim trouser cut jeans, that do not look too western or rock and roll can look great for men and women when paired with a blazer, shirt and dress shoes. Of course this does not work for a more formal environment, but can look great for business casual or creative. The same jeans worn with a tee shirt and sneakers or flip-flops would be considered far too casual for the office.

So should your office even commit to Casual Friday, or even business casual? One good rule of thumb is the more expensive your service or product is, the more professionally your clients will expect you to be dressed. Also investigate what your competition is doing. If casual days do not make sense for them, you may need to further evaluate if they do for you. Casual dressing can also contribute to a laid-back attitude towards work performance. In a study conducted at a call center, where the employees were not even seen by customers, there was a decline of 30% in worker productivity on casual dress days.

So with all the strikes against going casual at work, are there any instances where it might be productive? Yes, when trying to build morale amongst employees for team building, or when a manager is trying to go for that-one-of- the-team approach. It may also be beneficial if the client base is somewhat unsophisticated or easily intimidated by authoritative figures. Obviously, the decision needs to be carefully addressed and evaluated by each individual organization.

There is a definite cost involved in Casual Friday. Ultimately the impressions of the customers have to be weighed against the wants of the employee. Both are an organization’s most important assets. The key is educating employees regarding appearance and making them excited about embodying the organizational culture through their personal wardrobe selections. Once this is accomplished, Casual Friday may no longer be a day to look forward to… but a hazy memory from the past.

Sidebar:

It’s probably not appropriate for the office if you can wear it to:

Swim

 Work out (no matter how passive)

Clean your house

Change your oil (Car, not Canola.)

Wash farm animals

Pull weeds

Visit an amusement park (unless you are one of those bizarre tourists)

Play with small children

A Basketball Game (unless you are in the NBA)

Line Dance

A Las Vegas “hoopty” night-club

Get a new tattoo or cheek piercing

Dance in a gypsy performance troupe

The best advice: use your common sense. If it is something that your Mom might not approve of, it may not be the right office look.