When company dress codes go wrong

A colleague shared a snippet lifted from the pages of his company’s dress code with me recently. Not only is it one of the most confusing policies I’ve ever seen, but it also tells me they’re spending way too much time on writing and enforcing policies and procedures—a possible red flag for anyone trying to avoid company bureaucracy.

 

For starters, they call it “business professional casual,” so you know it’s got to be good. Let’s take a look at some of their other “highlights” (or rather “lowlights”):

 

As a female, you CANNOT wear:

• capris, open-toed or open-backed shoes
• sleeveless blouses or sweaters, or sweaters or blouses with sleeves that are considered “too short”
• earrings that are considered too big
• shirts that are untucked
• skirts (unless you have hose on)

 

I’m sure the same rules for women apply to men but, in addition, men can’t wear:

• golf shirts, khakis, or rainbow suspenders (that means Robin Williams’ character Mork from Ork and the prop comic Gallagher are going to have to look elsewhere)

 

Other guidelines outlined in the dress code:

• You have to wear a wedding band whether married or not
• Men get a pocket watch (talk about a sweet perk) on their first day with their laptop and blackberry
• All employees should “always” have a “blazer” on the back of their chair in case they have an unexpected meeting pop up

 

If stringent dress codes aren’t part of what you’re looking in a corporate culture, and you notice as you arrive for an interview at the company headquarters a legion of blazers placed neatly on the backs of chairs, be sure to make a mental note of the closest exit.

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