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10 Crimes of Work Fashion
ms_visio
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By Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer
Fair or not, appearance matters in the workplace. Just ask Desiree Goodwin. The Harvard assistant librarian sued the university in 2005, claiming she was rejected for jobs or passed over for promotions 16 times because her supervisors viewed her as just as "pretty girl" who "wore sexy outfits," according to media reports.
When it comes to professional perception, clothes make a difference. According to a survey by Office Team, an administrative staffing firm, 80 percent of workers say a person's work wardrobe affects his or her professional image.
This means that dressing appropriately is a must if you want to be taken seriously at work. But knowing what's acceptable attire isn't easy in today's workplace. Business-casual dress codes vary widely between companies, and even between departments. The following items, however, are almost never acceptable to wear to work:
1. The Crime: Poor-fitting clothing.
Too-tight clothing is never flattering and usually too revealing, but too-baggy clothes make you look sloppy and unprofessional. Pant length also matters -- if you're showing too much sock or leg, expect to be teased all day about an upcoming flood.
Redemption: Find a good tailor. It's a rare person who actually looks good in clothes directly off the rack. Buy an item to fit the fullest parts of your body, and the tailor can nip in the rest.
2. The Crime: Too much perfume or cologne.
You never want your co-workers or clients to smell you before they see you, and a colleague could be severely allergic to your favorite scent.
Redemption: Apply perfume or cologne with an extremely light hand. If you spritz too much, put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and dab off the excess.
3. The Crime: Shorts or too-short skirts.
Showing too much leg is never a good professional move -- for women or men. Revealing a little leg makes men appear overly casual or sloppy, and makes women look more sexy than serious.
Redemption: Men should stick with long pants, and women should wear shorts or skirts that hit within an inch-and-a-half of the knee.
4. The Crime: Out-of-control hair.
Whether it's frizzy coifs or bushy beards, wild hair just doesn't look professional.
Redemption: Women should invest in a good haircut and some styling products that can reduce poufiness and make hair easier to manage. Men should keep their facial hair well-trimmed, or better yet, go clean-shaven.
5. The Crime: Dirty, ripped or torn jeans.
Even on casual Fridays, ripped jeans look too dirty and messy for the workplace.
Redemption: When you do choose to wear jeans to work, make sure they are well-fitting and in extremely good condition.
6. The Crime: Cleavage.
There are very few legitimate jobs where showing off your chest is a good career move.
Redemption: Cover up. Whenever possible, avoid wearing anything low-cut to the office. If you can't part with your V-neck shirts, simply buy a few camisole shirts to wear underneath them.
7. The Crime: Tank tops.
Showing too much skin in the office is never a good idea in the office, and tank tops are especially inappropriate for men.
Redemption: If it's hot outside and you're going out with friends after work, simply keep a cardigan at your desk to cover up. That way, you'll stay comfortable in frigid air conditioning and look professional when your boss stops by.
8. The Crime: Noisy jewelry.
An armload of bangles or long, dangling earrings are perfect choices for a bar, but downright distracting in the office.
Redemption: Keep your office jewelry simple. A small pendant, stud earrings and a delicate bracelet look much more professional than trendy pieces. Save your flashier jewelry for happy hour.
9. The Crime: Gym attire.
Even in the most casual workplaces, yoga pants, shorts, T-shirts and running shoes make you look sloppy and apathetic.
Redemption: At the very least, wear nice jeans and professional-looking shoes. If you're going to the gym or catching a flight after work, change into your comfortable clothes in the bathroom on the way out.
10. The Crime: Extremely high heels.
Extremely high heels are too sexy for the workplace -- not to mention impractical. Few things would be more embarrassing than wobbling or tripping over your extreme footwear in front of the boss.
Redemption: The highest heels you should wear to the office are 2 to 3 inches. That way, you'll actually be able to walk in them, and they'll be comfortable enough to wear all day. You might feel shorter, but you'll no longer fear grates or sidewalk cracks.
Fair or not, appearance matters in the workplace. Just ask Desiree Goodwin. The Harvard assistant librarian sued the university in 2005, claiming she was rejected for jobs or passed over for promotions 16 times because her supervisors viewed her as just as "pretty girl" who "wore sexy outfits," according to media reports.
When it comes to professional perception, clothes make a difference. According to a survey by Office Team, an administrative staffing firm, 80 percent of workers say a person's work wardrobe affects his or her professional image.
This means that dressing appropriately is a must if you want to be taken seriously at work. But knowing what's acceptable attire isn't easy in today's workplace. Business-casual dress codes vary widely between companies, and even between departments. The following items, however, are almost never acceptable to wear to work:
1. The Crime: Poor-fitting clothing.
Too-tight clothing is never flattering and usually too revealing, but too-baggy clothes make you look sloppy and unprofessional. Pant length also matters -- if you're showing too much sock or leg, expect to be teased all day about an upcoming flood.
Redemption: Find a good tailor. It's a rare person who actually looks good in clothes directly off the rack. Buy an item to fit the fullest parts of your body, and the tailor can nip in the rest.
2. The Crime: Too much perfume or cologne.
You never want your co-workers or clients to smell you before they see you, and a colleague could be severely allergic to your favorite scent.
Redemption: Apply perfume or cologne with an extremely light hand. If you spritz too much, put some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and dab off the excess.
3. The Crime: Shorts or too-short skirts.
Showing too much leg is never a good professional move -- for women or men. Revealing a little leg makes men appear overly casual or sloppy, and makes women look more sexy than serious.
Redemption: Men should stick with long pants, and women should wear shorts or skirts that hit within an inch-and-a-half of the knee.
4. The Crime: Out-of-control hair.
Whether it's frizzy coifs or bushy beards, wild hair just doesn't look professional.
Redemption: Women should invest in a good haircut and some styling products that can reduce poufiness and make hair easier to manage. Men should keep their facial hair well-trimmed, or better yet, go clean-shaven.
5. The Crime: Dirty, ripped or torn jeans.
Even on casual Fridays, ripped jeans look too dirty and messy for the workplace.
Redemption: When you do choose to wear jeans to work, make sure they are well-fitting and in extremely good condition.
6. The Crime: Cleavage.
There are very few legitimate jobs where showing off your chest is a good career move.
Redemption: Cover up. Whenever possible, avoid wearing anything low-cut to the office. If you can't part with your V-neck shirts, simply buy a few camisole shirts to wear underneath them.
7. The Crime: Tank tops.
Showing too much skin in the office is never a good idea in the office, and tank tops are especially inappropriate for men.
Redemption: If it's hot outside and you're going out with friends after work, simply keep a cardigan at your desk to cover up. That way, you'll stay comfortable in frigid air conditioning and look professional when your boss stops by.
8. The Crime: Noisy jewelry.
An armload of bangles or long, dangling earrings are perfect choices for a bar, but downright distracting in the office.
Redemption: Keep your office jewelry simple. A small pendant, stud earrings and a delicate bracelet look much more professional than trendy pieces. Save your flashier jewelry for happy hour.
9. The Crime: Gym attire.
Even in the most casual workplaces, yoga pants, shorts, T-shirts and running shoes make you look sloppy and apathetic.
Redemption: At the very least, wear nice jeans and professional-looking shoes. If you're going to the gym or catching a flight after work, change into your comfortable clothes in the bathroom on the way out.
10. The Crime: Extremely high heels.
Extremely high heels are too sexy for the workplace -- not to mention impractical. Few things would be more embarrassing than wobbling or tripping over your extreme footwear in front of the boss.
Redemption: The highest heels you should wear to the office are 2 to 3 inches. That way, you'll actually be able to walk in them, and they'll be comfortable enough to wear all day. You might feel shorter, but you'll no longer fear grates or sidewalk cracks.
:study:
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blargoe
Member Posts: 4,174 ■■■■■■■■■□
Ain't nothing wrong with cleavage.IT guy since 12/00
Recent: 11/2019 - RHCSA (RHEL 7); 2/2019 - Updated VCP to 6.5 (just a few days before VMware discontinued the re-cert policy...)
Working on: RHCE/Ansible
Future: Probably continued Red Hat Immersion, Possibly VCAP Design, or maybe a completely different path. Depends on job demands... -
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bighornsheep
Member Posts: 1,506
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OptionsDirtySouth
Member Posts: 314 ■□□□□□□□□□
Those are some good tips, but it seems like women are the most common offenders in that list.....hope there aren't any women that read that.
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OptionsRicka182
Member Posts: 3,359
I like to see some cleavage, but understandably, too much would be unprofessional. I think well-dressed women are attractive. Some women like to show what they have....at my work, business casual is the code, but I see people who wear everything from slacks and collared shirt, to jeans and a t-shirt. It depends on where you work, but I think common sense should dictate what to wear. If you have to question whether or something is acceptable, it probably isn't......i remain, he who remains to be....
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Vogon Poet
Member Posts: 291
Excellent advice!
I would add the following: crazy hairstyles (often in weird colors), too many tattoos/piercings, and pants falling off your behind.
As a former operations manager, I used to interview and hire entry level applicants. Wow, what a circus. I thought I was being punked.
The jobs were in a department of the federal govt. Many didn't have incredible resumes, so professional appearance meant a lot. I would also add that I never hired anyone who didn't smile. Incredibly, this included a lot of people.
Since it has drawn a lot of comments...2 comments about cleavage:
-not professional, so I don't take you seriously
-I saw it as an attempt to manipulate my hiring decisions (which ticked me off)
Keep it clean, neat, conservative, and professional.
Boring, but most jobs aren't meant to entertain you.No matter how paranoid you are, you're not paranoid enough. -
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keenon
Member Posts: 1,922 ■■■■□□□□□□
i was kinda partial to wearing biker shorts and dude rags with puffy flip flops i guess that means the end of casual day
Become the stainless steel sharp knife in a drawer full of rusty spoons -
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/usr
Member Posts: 1,768
As many have pointed out, most everything "dress code" related is common sense. If more people would just realize this...
I'm not sure why so many people have problems dressing the part for their jobs, or why this is ever an issue. I see people complain about things that I address daily.
Outside of work, I wear t-shirts and jeans with holes in them, because they are the clothes I am comfortable in. I also have tattoos.
That said, I have never, ever been pulled aside or been the target of anything dress code related. I wear proper attire, even on "casual" days, and keep my tattoos completely covered at all times.
It never ceases to amaze me, the people that complain about dress codes, as if they have no choice. -
OptionsDirtySouth
Member Posts: 314 ■□□□□□□□□□
We could also had some hygiene topics to that list, but maybe that should be saved for another thread.
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Optionspanik
Member Posts: 61 ■■□□□□□□□□
One of the former Network engineers who used to work at my company broke every rule in the book.
He had tatoos everywhere, torn jeans, boots and really long hair.
Obviously he doesn't work here any more: we couldn't pay him enough...
He's a senior network engineer at another company now, getting paid even more.
Qualified enough to wear whatever the hell he liked. -
OptionsPoison Reverse
Member Posts: 60 ■■□□□□□□□□
panik wrote:One of the former Network engineers who used to work at my company broke every rule in the book.
He had tatoos everywhere, torn jeans, boots and really long hair.
Obviously he doesn't work here any more: we couldn't pay him enough...
He's a senior network engineer at another company now, getting paid even more.
Qualified enough to wear whatever the hell he liked.
power.I'm a CCVP, so whatchya sayin'?
[quote:e64f0204e0="damsel_in_tha_net"]Oh shoot! Is that Angel Eyes? :shock:.[/quote] -
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Slowhand
Mod Posts: 5,161 Mod
panik wrote:One of the former Network engineers who used to work at my company broke every rule in the book.
He had tatoos everywhere, torn jeans, boots and really long hair.
Obviously he doesn't work here any more: we couldn't pay him enough...
He's a senior network engineer at another company now, getting paid even more.
Qualified enough to wear whatever the hell he liked.
There comes a time in your career when you no longer have to follow the trends, the whole industry follows you. Ever see some of the early innovators and computer/networking pioneers nowadays, when they're teaching or managing? Go over to Stanford and see the torn-up shoes Donald Knuth wears, or the brush-job on Dr. Perlman's hair down at the Sun headquarters. When you're that good, who's going to question you?
I always said, if/when I do get that magic CCIE number, my employer will be lucky if I come to work wearing pants.
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Optionssir_creamy_
Inactive Imported Users Posts: 298
Ha. None of this applies to IT.Bachelor of Computer Science
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OptionsNetstudent
Member Posts: 1,693 ■■■□□□□□□□
I agree with ms visio. Professionalism and appearance can go a long way in how others percieve you.
We used to have this older lady that worked in a branch office that I am frequently at and she would always wear these really cheap plastic heels. Almost like something you would see a 6 year old little girl wearing, like fake shoes. Then she would go clodding down the hall and you could hear her coming from a mile away. It was terrible. She was one of this woman in their 50's who think they can still be a bleach blonde teenie bopper. It was horrible. Needless to say she doesn't work for us anymore.There is no place like 127.0.0.1 BUT 209.62.5.3 is my 127.0.0.1 away from 127.0.0.1! -
Optionsmsnelgrove
Member Posts: 167
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OptionsNetstudent
Member Posts: 1,693 ■■■□□□□□□□
: OH MY GOD! come on man, nobody wants to see that!
I better put my shades on before i go blind. hairy ass UGH thats sick!
I wonder how many asses came up when you googled that.
: There is no place like 127.0.0.1 BUT 209.62.5.3 is my 127.0.0.1 away from 127.0.0.1! -
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paintb4707
Member Posts: 420
GT-Rob wrote:
Sweet, Plumbers Gone Wild. Is that the first or second series? -
OptionsGT-Rob
Member Posts: 1,090
^ I think its a special edition :P
I have worked in call centers where the demand for employees was higher than the supply (ie. we were hiring off the street), so we had some interesting people come through. Pink mo-hawks, tatoos everywhere, odd piercings, it was like a zoo.
The only thing I will do is sometimes wear black running shoes with black dress pants. I get away with it. I also like to wear tacky ties once in a while (I have a rainbow trout, singing santa, etc), but I think they are fine as long as they are not every day or are special occasions. -
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JDMurray
Admin Posts: 13,029 Admin
GT-Rob wrote:
That is referred to as "Plumber's Cleavage." But where's the "Pocket Donut?"
And all 10 of those "don'ts" you will commonly find in a typical computer gaming company--except the cleavage, short skirts, and high heels.
Forum Admin at www.techexams.net
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Mishra
Member Posts: 2,468 ■■■■□□□□□□
This is all pretty standard stuff... I think this could be touched up on a lot. Here are tips that some people don't follow that you should.
* Wear a belt. It isn't hard and you don't have to wear it tight. It looks professional and nice. Keep it a dress belt too. Don't wear any crazy cowboy types.
* Dress well on casual Friday. Friday's aren't meant for hoodies and broken tennis shoes. Keep your shirt tucked in, wear a belt, and a collard shirt. Look nice with casual clothes and jeans.
* Anything other than slacks are not dress pants. Just wear the slacks, and don't tell me they aren't comfortable.
* The weekend isn't crazy casual day either. Don't come in with shorts and tank tops. Wear what you would on casual Friday in case that you see the boss or even boss's boss's boss's boss's boss. -
OptionsJDMurray
Admin Posts: 13,029 Admin
...and please, don't wear a belt and suspenders at the same time! This is not a good look despite what old UNIX hippies may think.Mishra wrote:* Wear a belt. It isn't hard and you don't have to wear it tight. It looks professional and nice. Keep it a dress belt too. Don't wear any crazy cowboy types.
Hawaiian shirts are always acceptable on Casual Fridays, even in Winter.Mishra wrote:* Dress well on casual Friday. Friday's aren't meant for hoodies and broken tennis shoes. Keep your shirt tucked in, wear a belt, and a collard shirt. Look nice with casual clothes and jeans.
And leave the tobacco, beer, and sport-blaring-radio at home too!Mishra wrote:* The weekend isn't crazy casual day either. Don't come in with shorts and tank tops. Wear what you would on casual Friday in case that you see the boss or even boss's boss's boss's boss's boss.
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snadam
Member Posts: 2,234 ■■■■□□□□□□
"causal fridays" I miss those days.
our company policy got rid of casual fridays, and now all managers (even IT) have to wear ties every day.... ...oh well. **** ARE FOR CHUMPS! Don't be a chump! Validate your material with certguard.com search engine
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Plantwiz
Mod Posts: 5,057 Mod
ms_visio wrote:3. The Crime: Shorts or too-short skirts.
Showing too much leg is never a good professional move -- for women or men. Revealing a little leg makes men appear overly casual or sloppy, and makes women look more sexy than serious.
Redemption: Men should stick with long pants, and women should wear shorts or skirts that hit within an inch-and-a-half of the knee.
humpf....no ulti-kilt for the men
j/k
***
Regarding the cleavage comments, aren't there men here who find that inappropriate for the workplace? Almost shameful to think that even the married guys seriously think it's ok. Doesn't that lessen your view of the women? Or if she's hot you'd pay her regardless of her skills?
(just curious...not judging 'cause I'm not offended one way or the other nor do I care of guys have pinups in their cubicles or places where clients do not go).Plantwiz
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"Grammar and spelling aren't everything, but this is a forum, not a chat room. You have plenty of time to spell out the word "you", and look just a little bit smarter." by Phaideaux
***I'll add you can Capitalize the word 'I' to show a little respect for yourself too.
'i' before 'e' except after 'c'.... weird? -
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Tyrant1919
Member Posts: 519 ■■■□□□□□□□
Didn't have to make a decision on what to wear in the Air Force, BDU's everyday! From the lowest chump to the highest Colonel, all BDUs. Although looking good in them is a tad bit more.A+/N+/S+/L+/Svr+
MCSA:03/08/12/16 MCSE:03s/EA08/Core Infra
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