Casual Dress May Be the Policy, But Appearances Still Count - Brief Article

HR Magazine, August, 2001

Even though casual dress policies largely have become the rule rather than the exception in today's workplace, appearances and neat dress still make favorable impressions and can actually bolster a person's success at work.

While appearance for both men and women can be a key to their success, a recent survey of U.S. workers age 18 and older found that a woman's appearance has more of an effect on whether she is taken seriously on the job.

The majority of workers responding to the survey reported that a neat and professional appearance helped them to get and keep their jobs. They also said it was a key to gaining responsibilities at work and to receiving pay raises and promotions.

The survey was conducted as a joint project of Women Work! The National Network for Women's Employment and the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association. Of the respondents, 84 percent of the women and 68 percent of the men believed that professional appearance has an effect on success at work, and 75 percent of the respondents believed that appearance at work affects how women are perceived by others more so than male counterparts. Nearly 80 percent of the respondents also said that clothes, hairstyle and makeup can make a significant difference in their perceptions and confidence that a woman has the skills and knowledge to perform her job.