OT: Office Dress Codes
03-04-2023, 11:03 PM
#31
03-04-2023, 11:05 PM
#32
Old fart here. When I started working at IBM in the 80's I was sent home once because I wore a sports jacket to work instead of the normal blue or dark grey suit with the IBM "rep or honest" tie.
I think that you can set a more casual dress code for anyone below senior management but I still believe senior managers should not be going to work in jeans and at a minimum it should be dress shirt (with or without a tie) and dress pants. Sorry but I still feel running a business is serious work and I feel more professional when dressing the part. Again I am probably in the minority here.
I think that you can set a more casual dress code for anyone below senior management but I still believe senior managers should not be going to work in jeans and at a minimum it should be dress shirt (with or without a tie) and dress pants. Sorry but I still feel running a business is serious work and I feel more professional when dressing the part. Again I am probably in the minority here.
03-04-2023, 11:12 PM
#33
Dress should be professional and put together. For the occasion or client, as circumstances dictate. Daily office attire, smart casual up to leadership level.
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RealityGT (03-06-2023)
03-05-2023, 10:20 PM
#34
Burning Brakes
One of the main reasons for my post! Should leadership in a small 100 person company wear jeans?
At 30 I was running a 300 person, 400,000 sq ft multi-site division of a US based Fortune 500 manufacturing company. Suit, white shirt and tie for a decade followed by about 3 years of button downs and golf shirts with company branding for management. After refusing a Sr VP role in Virginia, I found myself turning around struggling family run businesses. I’m on my third now and have been here 5 years. Hope to retire here in 5-7 years. 100 employees, 110,000 sq ft with input into managing 2 other businesses owned by the family. New young boss (son of owner) which I am helping to train who is open to change. In fact, I’m sharing the comments in this thread with him.
I currently wear dress pants or dockers with a good quality dress shirt and dress shoes. Honestly, at 60 I feel that this look ages me (even more!) and as I look to bring more young people into the business due to multiple upcoming retirements, I think it’s time to freshen things up a bit. I tend to agree with the statement above about nice jeans and shoes etc. looking better than some frumpy dockers. Thanks again for your insights.
At 30 I was running a 300 person, 400,000 sq ft multi-site division of a US based Fortune 500 manufacturing company. Suit, white shirt and tie for a decade followed by about 3 years of button downs and golf shirts with company branding for management. After refusing a Sr VP role in Virginia, I found myself turning around struggling family run businesses. I’m on my third now and have been here 5 years. Hope to retire here in 5-7 years. 100 employees, 110,000 sq ft with input into managing 2 other businesses owned by the family. New young boss (son of owner) which I am helping to train who is open to change. In fact, I’m sharing the comments in this thread with him.
I currently wear dress pants or dockers with a good quality dress shirt and dress shoes. Honestly, at 60 I feel that this look ages me (even more!) and as I look to bring more young people into the business due to multiple upcoming retirements, I think it’s time to freshen things up a bit. I tend to agree with the statement above about nice jeans and shoes etc. looking better than some frumpy dockers. Thanks again for your insights.
Last edited by Bud Fox; 03-05-2023 at 10:21 PM.
03-06-2023, 12:04 AM
#35
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
03-06-2023, 12:30 PM
#36
Burning Brakes
But as pointed out to me already us old farts are in the minority and we need to get the hell of out business with our extreme views like dressing professionally. LOL.
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Sarawnty (03-07-2023)
03-06-2023, 12:35 PM
#37
Burning Brakes
I know that sounds funny or extremely controlling today but I know that a lot of what I learned during my IBM days has served me throughout my business career.
But as pointed out to me already us old farts are in the minority and we need to get the hell of out business with our extreme views like dressing professionally. LOL.
But as pointed out to me already us old farts are in the minority and we need to get the hell of out business with our extreme views like dressing professionally. LOL.
03-06-2023, 01:40 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
Financial officer at Downtown Toronto Law Firm. Once we opened up to having clients back in the office, many preferred the Zoom option for Consults, or even Zoom/Docusign for contract/will signing. Even Mediations that we generally host at the office moved to Zoom. Clients and opposing counsel in general seem to prefer the digital route as it eliminates the brutal drive into the TO core or parking.
With that, we sort of laxed the dress code a little. Jeans were reserved for Fridays, now are fine for any day. We were not t a full suit firm but business casual, still applies. Hoodies has been OK'd for any day as long as staff are not meeting a client. That is the main one that realy changed since we returned to office (2 days/week.)
With that, we sort of laxed the dress code a little. Jeans were reserved for Fridays, now are fine for any day. We were not t a full suit firm but business casual, still applies. Hoodies has been OK'd for any day as long as staff are not meeting a client. That is the main one that realy changed since we returned to office (2 days/week.)
03-06-2023, 04:34 PM
#39
I know that sounds funny or extremely controlling today but I know that a lot of what I learned during my IBM days has served me throughout my business career.
But as pointed out to me already us old farts are in the minority and we need to get the hell of out business with our extreme views like dressing professionally. LOL.
But as pointed out to me already us old farts are in the minority and we need to get the hell of out business with our extreme views like dressing professionally. LOL.
It's all essentially summed up in my other post "professional and put together", much of it common sense for somebody who cares about their personal upkeep.
Professional dress doesn't equal suit with tie and/or pocket square.
When I was at IBM in the last decade it was primarily suit/tie or sport coat, dress shirt and dress pants. I was client facing, primarily meeting with executives at largest FS&I. That's also primarily what the client wore. Would try to match the client. Hence my reference in the other post to circumstances. The suit fit mattered in my opinion too, a properly tailored suit looks best and you don't have to spend $2000.
Last edited by SToronto; 03-06-2023 at 04:37 PM.
03-06-2023, 06:32 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
I'm on Bay St. at an exchange. We're not all back in the office yet.
In senior managment we generally wear suits/jackets but may skip the tie, same for client-facing people.
Operations and many administrative/research folks are pretty casual.
Friday is more casual for most of us, and we're not back in the office full time yet.
In senior managment we generally wear suits/jackets but may skip the tie, same for client-facing people.
Operations and many administrative/research folks are pretty casual.
Friday is more casual for most of us, and we're not back in the office full time yet.
03-08-2023, 11:00 AM
#42
Financial officer at Downtown Toronto Law Firm. Once we opened up to having clients back in the office, many preferred the Zoom option for Consults, or even Zoom/Docusign for contract/will signing. Even Mediations that we generally host at the office moved to Zoom. Clients and opposing counsel in general seem to prefer the digital route as it eliminates the brutal drive into the TO core or parking.
With that, we sort of laxed the dress code a little. Jeans were reserved for Fridays, now are fine for any day. We were not t a full suit firm but business casual, still applies. Hoodies has been OK'd for any day as long as staff are not meeting a client. That is the main one that realy changed since we returned to office (2 days/week.)
With that, we sort of laxed the dress code a little. Jeans were reserved for Fridays, now are fine for any day. We were not t a full suit firm but business casual, still applies. Hoodies has been OK'd for any day as long as staff are not meeting a client. That is the main one that realy changed since we returned to office (2 days/week.)
Last edited by craiescale; 03-08-2023 at 11:13 AM. Reason: adding info.
03-09-2023, 12:59 PM
#43
Drifting
Joe Rogan and Dana White dress like bums lol. Especially Dana White, Ive noticed it frequently. I guess money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy you style.
Last edited by Angryinch; 03-09-2023 at 01:00 PM.
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ekam (03-11-2023)
03-09-2023, 11:46 PM
#44
Dress Code
Old school here as well, worked on bay st for over 30 years in senior roles. Started with high price suites and shoes. The whole culture has changed in the downtown core. Dress code is now nice neat jeans ,dress shirt and sport jacket. Even all the CIO's of the banks dress like this.
