As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed this extremely large crowd of people clamouring at the front of the building. Truthfully, had it not been for the time of day, I would have thought I was parked in the lot of discotheque. Mostly all of the young men and women were dressed like they were auditioning for rap video or waiting for a club to open.
If you look like this before you leave your house for work, go back to your closet and find something else to wear!
A crisp, collared shirt/blouse doesn't have to cost $50. You can actually buy career oriented clothing from many stores for much less than some of the cheap, knock-off over-priced clothing I've seen at stores in the mall. Some of those "club outfits" are cheap and no good once you wash them twice.
This is a cute weekend outfit for a barbeque or get-together, but NOT work unless you're working at 7-11 or as a bartender in a local pub.
At any rate, I went to compose a page for our Tuesday newspaper when I came across the 'Dear Abby' article for page B4 and it read:
YOUNG WORKERS MUST LEARN HOW TO ‘DRESS FOR SUCCESS’
DEAR ABBY: You’re in a position to do young people a great service by educating a generation that has grown up in a casual-dress world that there’s a line between how one dresses in one’s personal life and how one dresses for work. Cross it, and it could negatively affect your career.
I work for a large multinational company, and I am often shocked at the way people dress. Although there are clear business/casual guidelines, these lines are crossed by men and women alike. Talks behind closed doors have no effect. Sending out the corporate dress code to the staff has yielded no change in behavior.
I finally consulted the HR department and came up with an approved solution. The dress code was again sent out to all employees in my department, with the warning that the next violation would mean being sent home and deducting the time as a vacation day.
Sure enough, "Disco Dolly" showed up in a sheer, low-cut, sleeveless blouse with a micro-mini skirt and strappy sandals. When I sent her home, she complained that she was saving her vacation days. I told her she had violated the company’s dress code — again.
I also pointed out that her chances of promotion were now compromised thanks to the demonstration she had given that following simple instructions was beyond her capabilities. If you want to be regarded as a serious professional, dress like one!
I saw everything from sequined blouses to mini-skirts and "hooker" boots heels to Hot pants (what we called Biker shorts only these were longer) and low-cut, cleavage bearing blouses
As I passed through the crowd some were on cell phones having loud arguments with "skeet" about where he was Saturday night to "How in da Hell is you gon' charge me a damn dolla for every minute I'm late and I'm only phukin' two hours late?!" to "Look at all deese hoes thinkin' they cute." All of this in front of their place of employment.
As I passed through the crowd some were on cell phones having loud arguments with "skeet" about where he was Saturday night to "How in da Hell is you gon' charge me a damn dolla for every minute I'm late and I'm only phukin' two hours late?!" to "Look at all deese hoes thinkin' they cute." All of this in front of their place of employment.
Once inside, I asked the gentleman who I was there to see if his company had a dress code for the employees. To my surprise he answered yes, but said that with a high turnover rate, very few employees (new hires) adhere to it claiming they have no money to buy "professional looking clothes for a job they might not even keep."
How can one ever be prepared for success in the work world with that type of mentality.
A crisp, collared shirt/blouse doesn't have to cost $50. You can actually buy career oriented clothing from many stores for much less than some of the cheap, knock-off over-priced clothing I've seen at stores in the mall. Some of those "club outfits" are cheap and no good once you wash them twice.
The clothing I saw many of these young women and men wearing, I have seen hanging in shop windows of stores that sell BabyPhat and Kimora Lee Simmons wear. True, many are likely knock-offs, but I've been in those stores and saw the prices and they're extremely over-priced! Extremely.
So I'm thinking, if they can afford to pay $49 for a pair of knock-off Baby Phat jeans, $55 for Roccawear boots, $20 for a Roccawear T-Shirt, why not take $150 and go to JC Penneys and shop their career wear clearance section and have five mix 'n' match outfits well suited for the office?
To come to your place of employment dressed for a Saturday night out on the town is highly unprofessional and does not indicate you're serious about work. This generation is far more advanced and privileged than my generation was yet some of them do very little to reflect this.
Is it spoiled or just a lack of caring on their part?
This is a cute weekend outfit for a barbeque or get-together, but NOT work unless you're working at 7-11 or as a bartender in a local pub.
At any rate, I went to compose a page for our Tuesday newspaper when I came across the 'Dear Abby' article for page B4 and it read:
YOUNG WORKERS MUST LEARN HOW TO ‘DRESS FOR SUCCESS’
DEAR ABBY: You’re in a position to do young people a great service by educating a generation that has grown up in a casual-dress world that there’s a line between how one dresses in one’s personal life and how one dresses for work. Cross it, and it could negatively affect your career.
I work for a large multinational company, and I am often shocked at the way people dress. Although there are clear business/casual guidelines, these lines are crossed by men and women alike. Talks behind closed doors have no effect. Sending out the corporate dress code to the staff has yielded no change in behavior.
I finally consulted the HR department and came up with an approved solution. The dress code was again sent out to all employees in my department, with the warning that the next violation would mean being sent home and deducting the time as a vacation day.
Sure enough, "Disco Dolly" showed up in a sheer, low-cut, sleeveless blouse with a micro-mini skirt and strappy sandals. When I sent her home, she complained that she was saving her vacation days. I told her she had violated the company’s dress code — again.
I also pointed out that her chances of promotion were now compromised thanks to the demonstration she had given that following simple instructions was beyond her capabilities. If you want to be regarded as a serious professional, dress like one!
Some "suggestions":
1. DRESS FOR SUCCESS, not sex. Women should not dress like streetwalkers. Leave the sexy, short, filmy dresses, cleavage-baring blouses and spaghetti straps for your personal life. This is an office, not a cocktail party.
2. COVER UP. No sandals or designer flip-flops. We don’t want to see your pedicure, your toe rings, the crust on your heels, or smell your feet.
3. MAKE IT FIT. Anything that hugs the body too tightly is not right for the office. We have a woman working here who looks like a sausage stuffed in a floral polyester casing. It’s hard to take her seriously. The same goes for a man whose pants are so tight that you can tell his religion. Ditto for pants that are so loose and low-slung you can see his underwear or her thong.
4. DON’T POLLUTE. By this I mean go easy on the fragrance. Some people have breathing problems and allergies. Do not pollute the office with a scent that arrives 10 minutes before you do and lingers hours after you’ve gone. This applies to men as well as women.
5. BATHE. There seems to be a new "natural" cult popping up whose adherents believe that washing removes vital oils from the skin and should be avoided. This phenomenon is more often, but not always, a male habit. Anyone in close contact with others should bathe or shower DAILY. — TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS IN FLORIDA
DEAR TRYING: I’m willing to wager that your letter will be posted on millions of bulletin boards in the business world. Your "suggestions" make good sense. While many companies allow employees to dress down on "casual Fridays," any business that wants the people it hires to be taken seriously should impress upon them that they must present themselves in a professional manner. Some companies do this in the form of an employee manual that lays it out in black and white. Because your directive was ignored, you were right to let "Disco Dolly" know there would be a penalty for noncompliance.
** ** **
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
1. DRESS FOR SUCCESS, not sex. Women should not dress like streetwalkers. Leave the sexy, short, filmy dresses, cleavage-baring blouses and spaghetti straps for your personal life. This is an office, not a cocktail party.
2. COVER UP. No sandals or designer flip-flops. We don’t want to see your pedicure, your toe rings, the crust on your heels, or smell your feet.
3. MAKE IT FIT. Anything that hugs the body too tightly is not right for the office. We have a woman working here who looks like a sausage stuffed in a floral polyester casing. It’s hard to take her seriously. The same goes for a man whose pants are so tight that you can tell his religion. Ditto for pants that are so loose and low-slung you can see his underwear or her thong.
4. DON’T POLLUTE. By this I mean go easy on the fragrance. Some people have breathing problems and allergies. Do not pollute the office with a scent that arrives 10 minutes before you do and lingers hours after you’ve gone. This applies to men as well as women.
5. BATHE. There seems to be a new "natural" cult popping up whose adherents believe that washing removes vital oils from the skin and should be avoided. This phenomenon is more often, but not always, a male habit. Anyone in close contact with others should bathe or shower DAILY. — TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS IN FLORIDA
DEAR TRYING: I’m willing to wager that your letter will be posted on millions of bulletin boards in the business world. Your "suggestions" make good sense. While many companies allow employees to dress down on "casual Fridays," any business that wants the people it hires to be taken seriously should impress upon them that they must present themselves in a professional manner. Some companies do this in the form of an employee manual that lays it out in black and white. Because your directive was ignored, you were right to let "Disco Dolly" know there would be a penalty for noncompliance.
** ** **
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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