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Your clothes is not a measure of quality of service
06/05/2008 09:06
Excellent columns Chris. I work for a company run by old Englishmen (and some younger Englishmen) and they insist that we wear ties at least. Apart from feeling that I'll choke the whole day, a tie does NOT make me do my job better as they'd like to believe (I presume). I'm actually sending this column of yours to one of them - watch this space for reaction. - Rudolf Rose |
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That Damn Tie
06/05/2008 09:07
Great piece Chris.
I have always maintaned a person works better when confortable than when stangled by a tie. Goes for the ladies as well, flat shoes will always be more confortable than heals in an office. The worst that you have not mentioned is schools. Dont get me wrong I believe in neatness but a Nazi type approach is wrong. - SM |
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Dress Codes
06/05/2008 09:11
I wore a uniform my entire school career, and didn't really have a problem with it. I know work for a company that issues us with a uniform, which I don't mind either. A golf club has a dress code, whether it requires socks, and allows hideous colours, you still have to stick to it. Although, I also wear what your friend does, and it doesn't look bad. - Bob |
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Well said
06/05/2008 09:12
You've hit the nail on the head with your comments. Although I must say that not all companies are like this... I write this today from my fancy office, on my fancy laptop... wearing jeans!! - Hippie Hoorah |
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Missing the Point
06/05/2008 09:14
Completedly missed the point today..dress code is still relevant today...I understand your concern for your friend is clouding your reasoning capacity today...Office dress code is still relevant.. - Kolobe |
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Corporate culture
06/05/2008 09:29
Unfortunately the corporate culture in large established companies is still like that. Collar shirt, suits, ties, shoe types. Some even have a dress code document stating what to wear and vice versa, heel height restrictions, the works. Don't get me started with having dreadlocks. Wearing a hat(sporty) translates to being a tsotsi. Some of us are stuck with it and only wear comfy clothes on weekends. - Fresh |
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Great article Chris!
06/05/2008 09:31
I hear what you say, do away with the shirt tie malarchy and allow people to dress more comfortable. I think the reason certain institutes retain dress codes is to avoid people from exploiting the term smart but casual. Docksiders with socks just DON'T do it. ;-) - John Camp |
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Corporate culture
06/05/2008 09:31
Unfortunately the corporate culture in large established companies is still like that. Collar shirt, suits, ties, shoe types. Some even have a dress code document stating what to wear and vice versa, heel height restrictions, the works. Don't get me started with having dreadlocks. Wearing a hat(sporty) translates to being a tsotsi. Some of us are stuck with it and only wear comfy clothes on weekends. - Fresh |
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maybe, maybe not
06/05/2008 09:33
i've been fortunate to work in organisations where strict dress codes are not enforced. personally, my view is that as long as i don't have to see clients i can wear whatever i want - so long as it is neat and clean. but dress codes are necessary in some instances. who'd want to pitch at a schmaltzy do in a shorts and a t-shirt? but i do agree that some corporate practises are rather draconian... - bouncy |
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Kaiser Kolobe
06/05/2008 09:36
I agree with Chris. Why is it that our academics, arguably some of the most important people in the country, do not have to adhere to strict dress codes whilst even insignificant, feeble-minded office temps do? Kolobe; how is it still relevant, do enlighten us? Is it perhaps because now you are 'privileged' enough to wear smart clothing? We don't need any more homogeneity in such dull environments, it stunts macrocosmic progression. Try objectivity; you might come across as less of an idiot. - Schmied |
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DressCode
06/05/2008 09:39
A dress-code is a good idea when working face to face with a customer, but enforcing it on the poor IT guy in the bowels of your building is unneccesary. Also raises the question of hairstyles. Can a bank manager get away with having a neat set of dreads?? Does dreads = stoner hippie? I think not... - heinrich |
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experiment
06/05/2008 09:43
dress up nice in a suit and tie with laptop bag in hand and go ask to test drive a 500k merc or bmw, the salesman will fall over them selves and chuck the keys at you. next week go do the same thing in slops and short and t-shirt and compare the reaction. dressing smartly makes business sense. unless you are a painter. - serious |
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Dress Codes
06/05/2008 09:43
Well said! Dress codes are outdated.Most people are able to dress sensibly and suitably by themselves. "Wierdos" usually get the message from colleagues if they are too outlandish in their clothing. Most people are not misled by appearances and are able to see past uniforms or a bare midriff. Being forced to wear a jacket and tie to meet people who wear jeans and T-shirts is rediculous
- Birdman |
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Schmied
06/05/2008 09:47
Clothes define certain group of people. in fact your dress codes creates a certain prejudice.. ..buy an Isuzu bakkie and wear your Khakhi shirt and short, everyone will think that you are a rich farmer. There is in fact another group of people that you have to hide your wallet in their presence, and they can be identified though their dress code now imagine walking in the bank to find someone like that on the till ready to help you, clothes define your character and therefore offices should eliminate this stereotypes by giving their employees proper dressing code? Schmied in fact the reason uniform was introduced in the first place was to ensure that the priviledged should not undermine the less privileged with designer labels..that all people rather look the same..so your accusations against me are baseless and unfounded? - Kolobe |
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I agree
06/05/2008 09:51
In my previous company we had to wear uniform and tie in a call center as it would portray a more professional environment, my question was to who? How the hell can someone on a phone see what I am wearing, we all agreed that we could have done the job wearing shorts, t-shirt and plakkies as we would have been comfortable. In my new job I can see clients while wearing chinos and a golf shirt. So far none of my clients have complained about this. - Mark |
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DRESS CODE
06/05/2008 09:53
Chris great article. However there will always be the few that will spoil it for the rest hence the dress codes in force. I am fortunate as an expat working in Africa that we can wear pretty much anything obviously within reason. I just think that wearing a suite in the heat and humidity of a city like Durban is a bit absurd. The feathers however do not make the bird, agreed, but there are two sides to this issue. - fandash |
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Serious Experiment.
06/05/2008 10:03
You have it all wrong. I went shopping for my R900k BMW in takkies, faded jeans (because of washing) and embroided shirt (with cartoon characters). Bought it from the girl who saw past the cover and wanted a sale. Her colleque "lost a R500K SUV to a guy in a suite and tie the previous week. (PC bag was the 'tool bag'). Clean and presentable would be great all round. - SM |
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Dress code at work is a good idea
06/05/2008 10:09
If dress codes were abolished at work there would be all manner of sloppiness. I worked for a major airline and even with a firm dress code policy some individuals still tried to buck the system. If it were your Airline would you want a "Sloppy" dressed pilot at the controls ?. Being sloppily dressed is a reflection of one's nature. - Shortstoafuneral |
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Everything has a dress code...
06/05/2008 10:14
People...everything has a proper dress code..Prostitudes have their dress codes..Soccer has a proper dress code..so does Rugby,cricket,hockey,hip-hop.etc..and everything is relevant at its own time..if you are going to the office then dont dress like a prostitude because it is illegal to have sex at work...period. - Kolobe |
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how you wear it
06/05/2008 10:17
I work in an environment where there is no strict dress code enforced. Makes me happy.
However, I agree with the article in terms of, it's the way in which a person wears their clothes that makes them look smart or unkempt. One can be wearing the same outfit as the next person and look untidy. It's about how you carry yourself. So I think you can look just as smart in a good pair of jeans, as you can in a suit.
Totally agree with the article!
Wear what you want, as long as you wear it well. - Danielle |
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Kolobe
06/05/2008 10:17
Funny that the uniform dressing comes from Europe and the West...the same places you and you black friends SO love to criticise when it suites you.... - jannie |
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Laughable
06/05/2008 10:19
This entire article is laughable. If you didn't know that you need socks at a golf club then this is probably one the first rounds you've ever played. As such you really have no right to judge, being a beginnner and all. And if you dont like it, well I could recommend putt-putt... golf clubs enforce dress codes to keep rabble like you out... - Johno |
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Kolobe - WRONG
06/05/2008 10:22
Uniforms were meant to harbour conformity and DISCIPLINE! Labels have NOTHING to do with dress code whatsoever. My son can wear very expensive labels and still look like a scruffy bugger. - John Camp |
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Where is our pride
06/05/2008 10:23
Wearing a suit instills a sense of pride in a person. It also subconsciously makes you act more neatly and improves that all-important first impression. A suit gives an air of success and seriousness about business. Only when you have proven yourself sufficiently, should you be allowed to dress as you please. The guys from Google are a good example: they wear casual wear to work, but I'll bet that when they were interviewed by financiers, they wore suits. - JP Strauss |
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SA needs a dress code
06/05/2008 10:24
Because we are second only to the Aussies for dressing badly... I was working at ABSA in PTA - ladies in camo and pink Crocs, big perms and frilly shirts, lots of jewelry, and those were just the execs - how do you take people seriously when they dress like clowns? I wear a tie when I don't have to because it boosts my image and results in bigger raises. - Baker |
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Ties?
06/05/2008 10:26
I used to have to wear a tie at my old company, I hated it. Don't any more but must still have look neat and smart. Ties are from the English Colonial era and were used to keep warm. In this country and climate, ties make absolutely no sense. It's just impractical, stupid, uncomfortable, ugly etc. People will dress the way they are, if they are neat, they will dress neat, if not, they won't. We may only wear jeans on Fridays makes me feel like im in school. Not like the educated professional I am - Kiefie |
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Wear what's comfortable, not off the charts
06/05/2008 10:30
Dress codes have a use up to a point. I don't want to go to work in beach clothes, but I also don't like installing a bunch of PC's wearing a tie. It's is just plain nasty moving PC's around with sweat dripping down my face and back. Our European dress code does not allow for the heat over here, and managers should be aware of the difference between their airconned offices and the rest of the building. Anyway, a dressed-up monkey is still a monkey... - Kenko |
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Where do I start
06/05/2008 10:48
I resigned from Germiston Country Club because I was not allowed to play one Sunday morning because my ankle socks were the wrong colour. (Black instead of White) Here in the UK it seems that a lot of companies still stick to their jacket and tie policy. - Tank |
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Kolobe again
06/05/2008 10:50
No, Kolobe, clothes do not define one's character. Prejudices about clothes might, but clothes have nothing to do with it. And just because people have been taught to think a certain way doesn't mean everyone should keep pandering to that. There was a time when a "gentleman" would always wear a smart tailcoat, weekday or weekend. Dress codes change, why hang onto your prejudice? - Craig |
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Prostitutes and footballers??
06/05/2008 10:51
Keep with the topic. Prostitutes and soccer, rugby & cricket players? WTF? The latter are sport kits. read the article again and keep with the show. As for prostitutes, they have two dress codes, before work and during work! - John Camp |
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Come on Now!
06/05/2008 10:53
This is hardly new or interesting. Sounds like a child at school moaning about wearing a uniform. Old and boring topic. For those who feel like they are strangling my advice is - "loosen the damn tie!" It is not meant to be used to suppress your adams apple from moving upwards! Chris - terrible sterotyping of women; their clothing only has sexual and visual attributes, while mens' wear reflects their confidence etc. Pathetic, modernist writing by an old school fart. - No tie fan |
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European dress code African climate
06/05/2008 10:55
Try working in a hotel, they dress you up in jackets and ties and then its 34 degrees and you are running around like a lunatic seeing to peoples every whim. Oh the catch - you are not allowed to take your jacket and roll up your sleeves or else its off to a disciplinary hearing! The people from overseas must think we are mad. - mikey |
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Birds of a feather....
06/05/2008 10:55
The biggest dooses that I work with wears suits and ties. They hide behind this image. I'm sure many of their wives dressess them! - johny |
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Sexist?
06/05/2008 10:59
Some may wonder why references to women's dress codes in your column were in terms of derogatory sexuality (tarts, sluts etc.), but men were spared these allusions. Don't men have to look 'chick ... and attractive'? A bit reactionary methinks. - Sidney |
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Reply toBaker
06/05/2008 11:04
I too, worked for Absa, but I can tell you one thing, we had to wear uniform! And whats more we paid for it ourselves. Absa loaned us the money, free of interest as well. - carol |
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Craig
06/05/2008 11:07
show me where I said clothes define your character..You are smoking to more than you can handle chief.. - Kolobe |
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Boring dress code
06/05/2008 11:09
Forcing one in a company to wear dress code doesn't make you work any better or worse. I would hate to have to be cloned into dress code wearing some ugly colour, badly tailored clothes. - Gary Walker |
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John Camp
06/05/2008 11:13
I thought you have matured but I guess I was wrong..you are still an idiot chief...I was showing you that everything has a dress code...I will have to design a dress code for idiots..and you are going to be the modeling it for other news24 idiots... - Kolobe |
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Too many problems with obeying the rules
06/05/2008 11:16
No matter what you try, people have this nasty habit of hating rules. Why do people ALWAYS feel comfortable with anything that breaks the rules? If jeans and sneakers are encouraged, people would object and say they feel comfortable with a jacket and tie! Maybe we should investigate that rebellious tendency instead of feeding it. - Chris-T |
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safarie suits...
06/05/2008 11:20
Are still not ok, but a collar and tie? In South Africa? People are just stupidly clinging to the last vestiges of living in the colonies? - amandzing |
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everything must be within reason
06/05/2008 11:20
I do partly agrre with your article and partly dont.
In some cases i feel that dress code should be less formal. I dont think that a tie is necessary in any business, but there must still be a degree of neatness. A smart pair of pants (chinos) and a golf shirt is more than sufficient and also looks classy and modern and neat. People who dont deal with cients should be able to wear what they want as long as they dont look like a dogs breakfast.
schools must def have uniforms - wayne |
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Kolobe
06/05/2008 11:29
You are a funny guy but i do agree with you, every outfit has it`s place as it should be... after hours, weekends etc you can wear whatever msg you want to display. I am fortunate to be in the technical industry so my work attire is jeans and t`s and safety boots.. but after hours the fun begins and i dnt have issues with that. It is exactly this disregard for "rules" that we have so many behavioural problems. - Ms Thang |
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Kolobe
06/05/2008 11:40
Take your abuse and shove it. The only way you can argue a point is by hurling abuse. I'm amazed at how you can call me the idiot here... have you read all the comments in response to all your unadulterated garbage or do you avoid them? - John Camp |
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Dress Code
06/05/2008 12:03
I find this quite interesting. We are allowed to "dress down" on a Friday but otherwise we wear ties and I do not have a problem with this, but do agree that as long as you are neat and comfortable dress code should not interfear with your capabilities. I remember my great grand father pruning trees dressed in longs, a jacket and tie! - Peter |
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Kolobe wa BEDA sani
06/05/2008 12:04
i am in IT and outsourced to a client, they have easy dress codes here, but i have to wear a damn tie even onfridas, tis rediculous, I got given a company golf shirt, but i still can't wear it, atleast on fridays, so what is the use..i prefer having the flexibility of wearing what i want...anyway i am leaving the IT career in 24 months and doing my own thing...so i guess for now i will take this crap - Dan |
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Golf Rules and life members
06/05/2008 12:07
The worst are the ?life? members who look like they are a day away from having God repossessing their life. These guys believe they are the guardian of the Holy Grail. These delinquent geriatric oxygen thieves believe they have the divine right to kill any enjoyment in the sport. I made a decision a long time ago to avoid any golf club that has life members. - Vusi |
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John Camp
06/05/2008 12:14
John..John...John...I am building a capable leader in you young man..sooner you will become a commentor we can listen to..I am pruning you like Peter's grandfather when prunning the trees...Young man just be patient for a while...I am transforming you from a little ugly duckling to a beatifull swan... - Kolobe |
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