Posted on 08/23/2006 8:48:35 AM PDT by qam1
On those rare occasions when insurance executive Tara Guizot wears a suit to her Los Angeles office, "people invariably ask me if I'm interviewing for a new job," she said.
The trend toward casual dress has gone so far that Matt Smith, a 27-year-old Los Angeles lawyer, is on a quest to establish "Tie Tuesday." He would like to wear a suit to work but knows he'd be ridiculed. Instead, Smith dons a tie every Tuesday and hopes other men in his office will follow. So far, a couple have.
"It's just something fun," he said.
Forget casual Fridays. In many workplaces, it's casual everyday as corporate dress codes have gone the way of fedoras and white gloves.
Office workers, from executives to receptionists, now wear pretty much what they want, sometimes baring more cleavage, tattoos and body fat than co-workers care to see.
....
Polo shirts, sweater sets and tailored slacks -- what many companies consider "business casual" -- have given way to halter tops, rubber flip-flops, T-shirts and jeans.
The trend has even sparked a mini-backlash among professionals opting for a more buttoned-down look.
"Wearing a tie used to be a sign of conformity. But dressing down is now conformity and dressing up is rebellious," said Robert Stephens, who founded the Geek Squad, Best Buy Co.'s computer repair service. Squad members sport short-sleeve white shirts and black ties.
Credit younger workers, who bring a who-cares-what-I-wear attitude to their cubicles, for the casual-everyday trend
.....
"It really helps us, specifically with Gen X and Y workers," said Miriam Wardak, senior vice president for ICF International, a Virginia-based consulting firm, adding that some younger workers have told her they would not consider a potential employer if they had to wear a suit and tie.
(Excerpt) Read more at contracostatimes.com ...
Well, the office where I was the fanciest dressed woman on the floor (without trying, mind you) only has two or three people younger than 45 on it...it's not merely a gen X phenomenon, IMHO...Personally think it's an old hippie idea.
I remember my first day at EDS when I took off my suit in the cafeteria to eat. I was quickly advised to put the coat back on.
Never again! They will pry my golf shirt and khakis from my cold, dead fingers.
My wife loves the old hats, and wished more men would wear them to work like long ago. I would, but I can't find one to match my boxers. Ahhh, the joys of working from home...
We were allowed to take our jackets off while in our cubicle, but we had to put it on when going to the cafeteria. The food (Marriot Services) wasn't good enough to justify going through all of that anyway.
Look at this garbage from your link...It's BUSH'S FAULT?!?!?!
The left is mentally ill!!!
I prefer "ass antlers"
This guy looks to be about as fun as a barrel of monkeys!
Where I work (electronics company and software development), a golf shirt is dressing up. My boss comes in with shorts and sockless sandals. Some people walk around without shoes, and sometimes there are torn jeans shorts.
The owner of the company doesn't mind, and he doesn't dress much better. I'm frequently the most dressed up person in the office, and I only wear jeans and motorcycle T-shirts.
I love it. It allows us to be relaxed, and concentrate on our work, rather than how we look.
my office had casual fridays, but we didn't produce our numbers so it ended. The philosphy of my boss is: your clothes reflect your attitude and focus. I agree. I wore my regular clothes every friday and always made my quota.
"I remember my first day at EDS when I took off my suit in the cafeteria to eat. I was quickly advised to put the coat back on."
It is odd that they were only forcing you to put the coat back on! Hopefully the AC wasn't turned to low.
and the short military haircut?
Yeah, I remember that.
Another contribution to society by spoiler H. Ross Perot.
"Forget casual Fridays. In many workplaces, it's casual everyday as corporate dress codes have gone the way of fedoras and white gloves."
Boy they aren't kidding. "Men" my age and less in my big-corp offices dress in dirty sneakers, drooping corduroys, and long saggy "polo shirts" hanging out.
Hence, the quotes. I still can't call males my age or less "men"; they look like back-alley boys.
Tell you what I'm tired of.
I don't mind casual, but I hate tacky.
On all the television shows now, so-called professional women wear low cut tops or blouses showing amounts of bought and paid for cleavage formerly only seen on hookers.
Now, I do not believe that female assistant DA's or police chiefs actually wear this stuff and I am sick, sick, sick of seeing it on TV.
Sick.
Hello! qam1 is a well-known "GenX" guy who runs the GenX ping.
"It's just something fun," he said.
In a perfect world, he would be strangled with that tie...
Hopefully whoever invented the damn things got similar treatment.
The old dress code (while I kinda miss it) was disastrous for office thermostats. Guys in suits, long sleeve shirts and ties and women in whatever. (mean nice pants, blouses, etc.) They were always freezing and the guys were burning up.
How many office feuds did this cause.
I worked with a woman who would wear a strappy sundress showing fat arms I didn't want to see who whined all day about being cold. The guys had to wear suits at that time.
In olden times those throwing themselves upon a king's mercy had to appear in simple shirts with the nooses around their necks. The shirt requirement gave way to a formal 2- or 3-piece suit, and the noose morphed into a necktie.
At least in the metals/casting industry, "casual everyday" goes back to at least the mid-80s.
-Eric
Last week, I stopped into the library to return a few books, and saw a gal working there who was wearing a bikini top with low-rise jeans, and a lower back tattoo. The letters were hipbone to hipbone, four inches high, and said, "BOOTY."
She wasn't of the body type that required a labeling of the booty area, if you get my drift.
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