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TRENDS FOR BUSINESS DRESS

Casual dress in the worpla!e has "e!o#e widely a!!epted$ %!!ordin& to a national
study !ondu!ted "y S!hoenholt' ( %sso!iates in )**+, a #a-ority o. the !o#panies sur/eyed
allowed e#ployees to dress !asually one day a wee, usually Fridays 0Tartt, )**+, 123$ The
trend !ontinued to !li#" as shown "y the )**4 sur/ey "y S!hoenholt' ( %sso!iates$ Fi.ty5ei&ht
per!ent o. o..i!e worers sur/eyed were allowed to dress !asually .or wor e/ery day$ %"out *1
per!ent o. the o..i!e allowed e#ployees to dress !asually o!!asionally 0Sutphin, 1666, )63$
De!line in Trend
The trend to dress !asually that started in the early )**6s #ay "e shi.tin&, states Susan
7ona&han 01666, 2839
%lthou&h a lar&e nu#"er o. !o#panies are allowin& !asual attire e/ery day or
only on Fridays, a !urrent sur/ey re/ealed a de!line o. )6 per!ent in )*** when
!o#pared to the sa#e sur/ey !ondu!ted in )**:$ So#e experts predi!t the new trend .or
"usiness dress !odes will "e a dress up day e/ery wee$
;hat a!!ounts .or this de!line in !o#panies per#ittin& !asual dress< Se/eral reasons
#ay in!lude9
)$ Con.usion o. what "usiness !asual is$ E#ployees #ay slip into dressin& too !asually
0wor -eans, .aded tee5shirts, old sneaers, and i#properly .ittin& !lothin&3$
1$ Casual dress does not portray the desired i#a&e o. the !o#pany$
2$ E#ployees are reali'in& that pro#otion de!isions are a..e!ted "y a pro.essional
appearan!e$
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=uidelines .or Business Dress
Co#panies #ay hire i#a&e !onsultants to tea!h e#ployees what is appropriate "usiness
!asual dress$ They help plan the "est "usiness attire to pro-e!t the !orporate i#a&e$ Eri!a
=ilreath 016663, the author o. Casual Dress, a &uide"oo on "usiness !asual, pro/ides ex!ellent
ad/i!e on how to dress !asually .or "usiness su!!ess$ She presents the .ollowin& ad/i!e9
Do not wear any !lothin& that is desi&ned .or re!reational or sports a!ti/ities, su!h as
!ar&o pants or pants with elasti! waist$
>ress pants, sirts, shirts, and other !lothin&$ ;rinled !lothin& does not present a
pro.essional i#a&e$
Do not wear sneaers$
Be sure !lothin& .its properly$ %/oid "a&&y !lothes or !lothes that are too ti&ht$
In su##ary, !ons!ientious e#ployees need to plan their dress !are.ully$ I. "usiness
!asual is appropriate, it?s "est to !onsult the experts on "usiness !asual to ensure a pro.essional
i#a&e$
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REFERENCES
=ilreath, Eri!a$ @Dressin& Casually with >ower$A http9BBwww$dress!asual$!o# 012 7ar!h
166)3$
7ona&han, Susan$ @Business Dress Codes 7ay Be Shi.tin&$A Business Executive, %pril 1666,
2852+$
Sutphin, Ra!hel$ @Cour Business ;ardro"e De!isions %re I#portant De!isions$A Business
Management Journal, Danuary 1666, )65)1$
Tartt, Eelsey$ @Co#panies Support Business Casual Dress$A Management Success, Dune )**+,
1251+$