Dress Code Pros and Cons

The dress code has been a topic of formal discussion since the beginning of the modern era, whether it is a dress code for office, for a school or a party there have been many voices and the favour as well as against the dress code. Dress code can be defined as written and, more often, unwritten rules with regard to clothing that a particular person or a group of employees or students should wear for their workplace and school respectively. It is not necessary that dress code is only for the formal purpose but there are also dress codes for party and athletes. Clothing like other aspects of human physical appearance has a social significance, with different rules and expectations being valid depending on circumstance and occasion. Every occasion can formally be associated with a specific dress code. Decency is subjective and dress-code association with culture and emotional significance varies from occasion to occasion.

Dress codes in a simple language are sets of regulations governing what is and is not appropriate attire for a given setting or event. These may include school, offices, college, and clubs as well. In years past, it was usually easy to convey a dress code by noting that the appropriate dress would be casual, business, semi-formal, formal, or black-tie. Over the years, the relaxation of clothing options in various settings has changed, often making it necessary to further define what type of clothes are considered proper for a given situation.

Dress code is an important part of formal life and even within a single day an individual may need to navigate between two or more dress codes, at a minimum, these are those that apply at their place of work and those at home, usually, this ability is a result of cultural acclimatization. There is a completely different dress that a person normally wears for a morning walk or gym and different from what he would wear in his office. There may be an event where a person has to attend an office party or a marriage ceremony where the dress code would be totally different, hence different societies and cultures will have different dress norms although Western styles of formal dressing for school and office are commonly accepted as valid in the most part of the world.

History of Dress Code
It is really difficult to trace the exact history of the modern dress code. However, since the ancient times, there were specific dress codes for emperors as well as other people in the key positions. Also, the fighting forces had their unique dresses as well as the flag. From ancient time’s Muslim dress code of Niqab, Burqa, Chador, and Hijab have been popular forms of dress codes for women in Islamic countries. However there have been countries banning these forms but still, these are even followed today in most parts of the Islam dominant countries.

History of formal dress can be traced way back at the times of Second World War. The continual relaxation of formal dress standards since the end of the Second World War is redefining what clothes constitute formal and semi-formal dress. The original term full dress was used in the 19th century and the early 20th century to mean the most formal option available, while half dress and undress ranked beneath it. They indicated different clothes, but correspond somewhat to the 21st-century structure of formal, semi-formal, and informal. These are the terms used by traditional etiquette and dress consultants, while contemporary consultants use looser, modern definitions, in which white tie is styled as most formal, very formal or ultra-formal; black tie as formal; and the traditionally informal lounge suit as pseudo-formal. Moreover, modern advisers recommend black tie for events traditionally considered to require formal dress and alternatives for what would have been semi-formal events.

Talking about the dress code at schools, many believe that school uniforms are a superficial aspect of a school. Superficial or not, school uniform is part of the history of British education. The English public school in the 18th and early 19th century had become anarchic, dangerous places in which boys from aristocrats and wealthy families as they wished and played voluntary games in whatever worn and battered gear was to hand. Interestingly many of our most popular modern sports including rugby, soccer, football, cricket, and baseball originated in the informal, off the rough and chaotic play of English schoolboys.

 At that time conditions were so bad that many parents refused to send their boys and instead had them educated at home until they were ready for university. The uniformity in clothing was one of the measures designed to replace chaos with disciplined order. Along with compulsory games, stricter supervision of the pupils' lives and morals, and a broadening of the classical curriculum, school uniform was an essential characteristic of the reformed public schools that emerged by the late 19th Century as some of the most effective and prestigious schools in Europe.

Importance of Dress Code

The dress code has become an important part of professional life and whether going for an interview or a business meeting these days everyone is expected to appear in a formal dress. The importance of a dress code for professionalism varies somewhat by industry, but the correlation between the two is generally strong. There can be different dresses at times but formals are always the first choice. Some companies prefer to allow employees to dress freely or casually for comfort, which works in more creative work environments. However, companies in which employees routinely interact with prospects, clients and business partners typically need a dress code to maintain a professional image which at most of the times includes shirt, trousers and a tie for males. Small businesses may benefit by maintaining a strong professional image.

Schools also commonly have dress codes to maintain discipline and order. Elementary and junior high schools may require students to abide by a dress code as part of the process of maintaining order on the campus and maintaining unity among the students. While a school dress code used to consist mainly of identifying various types of clothing that were not permissible on school grounds, the trend today is to specify a simple shirt matched with slacks or a skirt that serves as a uniform. This approach is thought to help minimize outward differences between the children and thus remove at least one factor of elitism or class distinction by having all the students wear essentially the same type of clothing.

However, there are also workplaces where a dress code is very important to give a clear description of ranks and positions. In the army, air and naval forces it is very important to have a dress code and also dress code are strictly followed in these areas. Different ranks have different dress and badges to clearly describe a rank. Also, a dress code is a great way to help outpatients in the hospital where different dresses define the physicians and nurses. Also, the dress code for surgeons and workers in industries and hazardous work locations include protective gears that may also save them from infections and accidents respectively.

Having a unique and smart dress for workers reflects the activeness and seriousness of the company or firm and gives out a strong message of unity and effective team spirit also. Workers dressed formally in the dress gives a clear indication of the professional behaviour among the employees and also give an impression of excellence. The way an employee dress carries a certain message of his personality, traits as well as punctuality, for those dealing with clients directly a well-maintained dress gives the first impression of seriousness towards the job.

Different Categories of Dress Codes for Different Places

Dress code varies from place to place and event. You cannot wear your dress for jogging or a school dress for a marriage function. In the same way dress code for an office is also different from schools. Every school, college, and workplace want to create a sober yet strict environment. However different categories of dress-code may include:

School Dress
Every school has a dress of their own which is unique from others. Each and every school adopts some form of dress code for their students. No long-term, formal studies have been done on the effectiveness of school uniforms, but many schools have kept their own informal statistics. While some challenges have been made concerning their constitutionality, in general, court rulings have supported codes that are instituted properly and can be shown to be rationally related to a legitimate pedagogical purpose. The safety of the children in the schools appears to be the overriding concern considered. A proper school dress is also meant to teach students discipline. Safety is one reason for a dress code; however, many educators believe that a dress code also promotes a positive educational environment. A specific school dress also prevents students from wearing gang-related colours to school, helps in instilling student discipline, helping to resist peer pressure, helping students concentrate on academics and aiding in recognition of intruders.

School Dress Pros
There are many benefits of having a uniform for school students as it helps maintain unity and equality among the students and also teaches them to be in discipline. Although there are a lot more reasons for having a school dress which may include:

• Students tend to experience less pressure in deciding what to wear each morning.
• Overall the uniforms cost less.
• There may be students from various economic sections; a proper uniform will not cause such disparity.
• Uniforms are designed to promote comfortable wearing.
• Student attendance improves.
• Uniforms promote a more studious environment.
• Students take less time to get ready in the morning.
• Children tend to concentrate more on their lessons.
• Uniformity promotes a reduction of violence in schools.
• Social conflict is reduced as students are no longer judged by the fashion police.

School Dress Cons
Nothing comes without some negative sides. If there is positivity then for sure there would be some limitations. So is in the case of school dress. There are a few limitations associated with school dress also. These are:

• Uniforms detract from a child's individuality.
• Curbs expressiveness among students
• A colourful environment may promote the interest of the students in the class.
• Students will always find ways to express themselves, leading to less desirable forms of expression such as tattooing and piercing.
• Schools should be a place where diversity is celebrated and students should be free to express themselves.
• The cost of uniforms at times can get prohibitive, especially when a family includes more than one school-aged child.
• A child in a uniform may be the target of bullies from a different school.
• Uniforms may lessen the child's comfort level while attending school.

Dress Code at Workplace
Yet another place where the dress code is of a great importance is an office, workplace or company whichever way we call it. A dress code at the workplace gives employees specific information about the clothes that are acceptable and those that are prohibited. Among the many advantages, having a clearly defined dress code keeps people safe and gives an air of professionalism to an organization. Also, the dress code at a workplace ensures professional attitude and seriousness towards the work. If you are new at work and are unsure as to whether your workplace has a dress code, contact your human resources department about the existing dress code.

It has often been argued weather dress code at work place is beneficial or not. Plenty of opinions exist when it comes to whether or not there should exist a standard dress code in the workplace. Though there are offices that permit casuals also, mostly these are offices where there is a creative environment prevailing. Indeed, it is difficult to determine whether an implemented dress code actually does better than it does harm. At times there are certain departments where the dress code is of utmost importance like sales staff of a showroom, hospitality personnel of a hotel etc. The implementation stage is also never as easy as people are not too susceptible to changing the way they work and what they wear while they work. Therefore, it is worth to examine the pros and the cons of implementing a dress code so that a distinction between the benefits and disadvantages can be made clearer.

Dress at Workplace Pros
The dress code at the workplace can be very effective only if it is implemented in the right manner with all employees agreeing to it. some of the advantages may include:

• The process of getting ready for work becomes easy.
• Dress codes are often necessary to keep people safe in the workplace if they are using equipment or working with chemicals.
• A standardized dress code takes away that attention from the office attention seekers by making them conform to the appropriate standard of the company
• Dress codes may mandate that employees wear uniforms or personal protective equipment such as gloves or eye protection.
• Dress code promotes professional behaviour among the staff.
• Gives a feeling of unity and team spirit among employees
• The workplace becomes less about showing off one's fashion.
• Dress code minimizes to zero the comparisons at workplace based on outfits and accessories.
• It is easier to have respect for co-workers who dress professionally as opposed to co-workers who look sloppy by taking casual dress a bit too far.
• A properly dressed staff represents the amount of seriousness and professional behaviour among the workers.

Dress Code at Workplace Cons
If there are advantages then disadvantages are also obvious. The dress code at the workplace no doubt have a lot of advantages but at the same time, there are certain limitations also faced by the process of imposing a dress code for a workplace. Some employers face a battle with employees who believe they have the right to dress and groom in a way that suits their personality. These shortcomings may be:

• Individuals have a right to express themselves, restricting them to a certain dress code may curb their creativity.
• There may be retaliation by the workers against the dress code.
• A dress code for employees may make them feel bored in office leading to declining in work efficiency.
• Senior officials may feel discomfort wearing the dress like school children do.