Confusion reigns in workplace fashion - Your life

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2003

Have you ever been inappropriately dressed at work or a business function? If you answered "yes," you are not alone; if you answered "no," you may be wrong. According to a study completed by California State University, Sacramento, marketing professor Dennis Tootelian, nearly two-thirds of Americans have felt inappropriately dressed at a business or social function and more than two-thirds are uncertain about the differences among business attire, business casual, and casual dress in the workplace. Nearly one in three report that it is more difficult to know what is acceptable to wear to the office today than it was 10 years ago.

Sixty-two percent of 500 people surveyed said that they had been inappropriately dressed at a business or social function, with slightly more men than women taking note of their fashion faux pas (64% vs. 61%).

According to Tootelian, the biggest fashion problem for workers today is the concept of "business casual." For men, the standard for business attire has been a suit and tie with shined, matching shoes. Business casual could mean anything from a sports coat with or without a tie to pleated cotton slacks with a collared short-sleeve polo shirt and loafers. For women, business attire already offers them a choice of pants suits, dresses, suits, and coordinated skirt-and-slack ensembles. The notion of business casual may be more subtle, with factors such as pattern, color, texture, and material playing a role.

His study also found divisions along generational lines, younger respondents having a different, more-casual perception of what constitutes business attire. "For them, the concept of a coat and a tie isn't even on their radar screen."

Tootelian maintains that dressing appropriately for work and business functions--as well as displaying good manners and a sense of etiquette--is still important for workers who want to make a good impression and advance their careers. "Those who don't dress appropriately can put a ceiling on their careers really quick." Still, he does not expect American businesses to make a sudden U-turn to more formal dress codes: "I would expect the changes are here for a while."