Casual Dress

9 Pages 2228 Words

ck shiny shoes or heels for more comfortable clothing such as khakis, polo shirts, casual shoes, and sweaters. Jeans, sneakers, spandex, and revealing clothing in the professional work environment are still highly prohibited and shunned.
There are many who argue that this trend is here to stay. Why would this trend have reached so far if its benefits were not recognized? According to a survey done last year by the SHRM, The Society of Human Resource Management, eighty-seven percent of human resource professionals polled commented that their current companies allow casual dress option at least one day a week, even though only sixty-three percent of these respondents said that their companies offered casual dress codes. Forty-two percent of employers have in place a dress policy that allows everyday casual dress. The statistics are overwhelming; close to nine out of every ten companies are converted or are converting from tradition to permit their employees to dress casual at the workplace.
Many of these companies use casual dress codes and dress down atmospheres to attract new and talented employees. “We cannot attract the best minds with a formal dress code,” said Philip J. Purcell, Chairman of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Inc. They are also using this trend as a device to retain valued employees. Mitchell Sonkin of Cadwalader said, “This is a reflection of the new way in which business is done. People are no longer impressed by how you dress. [Casual clothes] breaks down barriers and make for happier and more productive people in the workplace.”
Casual dress in the workplace is said to promote a friendlier, more relax, and bonding atmosphere for the employees. “Because people have so little time, they need to connect at a personal level quicker. This casualization is more efficient: Information needs to be passes on more quickly, so the formalities fall by the wayside.” said Sherry Maysonave, author of C...