Do you care how your coworkers dress? Does the decline of formality of dress bother you?

[Harold falcon]

Lol. ITT SW&D apologists.

 

[Caustic Man]

for me it's the implied laziness that gets to me. if a guy can't be bothered to dress up a little at a fancy restaurant then what does that tell you about his character as an individual?

I dunno, I guess I have to be a little more forgiving than that. I know some brilliant people who simply don't care about dressing well. I don't hold it against them, but I simply choose to be more mindful of it.

The tab!

Oh god, don't remind me!

 

[Makoto Chan]

If someone is just fitting in, it doesn't bother me at all. I think the point is that when I see someone who DOES put forth some effort to dress well, it makes me happy.

 

[Claghorn]

a) I fully back pB for DH (though actually have been thinking this for the PublicTranspo and Bathroom threads).

b) Did some reading during lunch. Couple of quick things
-a lot of the literature concerning business attire addresses gender differences.
-most of it concerns self-perceptions rather than the perceptions of others (which seems to be the intent of this thread, others being ourselves)
-people who do dress in traditional business attire (vs business casual and casual) perceive themselves as being harder working/more efficient....but this perception is sometimes the opposite of what is true
-a great deal of how attire affects self-perception seems to involve the expectations of attire in the particular workplace.

Two tables which gave me wood:

 

[bertie]



a)

b) Did some reading during lunch. Couple of quick things
-a lot of the literature concerning business attire addresses gender differences.
-most of it concerns self-perceptions rather than the perceptions of others (which seems to be the intent of this thread, others being ourselves)
-people who do dress in traditional business attire (vs business casual and casual) perceive themselves as being harder working/more efficient....but this perception is sometimes the opposite of what is true
-a great deal of how attire affects self-perception seems to involve the expectations of attire in the particular workplace.

Did you conclude that it affects how people feel about themselves but that they may be wrong in their perceptions?

 

[GothamRed]



Did you conclude that it affects how people feel about themselves but that they may be wrong in their perceptions?

As succinct an analysis of human nature as you'll ever find.

More to the thread point, I'll be honest, I do get annoyed, but my annoyance (in the workplace) is more the result of my co-workers not bothering to visit a tailor than not dressing "better" than polos and khakis. To be fair, I am in NYC and my firm is pretty formal, so...lots of old lawyers in terribly fitting sack suits and lots of young lawyers who haven't bothered (or had the time) to buy new/tailor old clothes to fit all the takeout they've been eating at their desks.

On the other situational hand, it absolutely infuriates me when I see men at the opera, ballet, symphony, theatre or any restaurant where appropriate dress should be expected, in anything less than an odd jacket - particularly when they are often with a well (or at least appropriately) dressed companion.

 

[Claghorn]

Did you conclude that it affects how people feel about themselves but that they may be wrong in their perceptions?

One of the articles I read did, yes. I don't recall (I read several in a rush) exactly, but I believe that in certain situations, dressing in traditional business attire in a workplace geared toward business casual actually has a counterproductive effect. I wonder if this is because of how others treat such people (perhaps perceiving them as aloof or arrogant, and thus less likely to freely communicate and therefore negatively impacting their performance), how their own self-perception affects them ("I'm awesome, I clearly work harder than other people" and then that complacency saps work ethic), or a reflection of their priorities.

I doubt most of it applies to us...I think most SF members clearly dress the way we do because we love clothes. Nothing more complicated than that. And as a lot of people in this thread posted, after a few weeks of being the overdressed guy, people realize that that's just who you are.

To directly address pB's initial question: I am not even slightly bothered by how people dress around me. However, I'm a little bit bothered when they do attempt to dress up and fail at it.

 

[bertie]



On the other situational hand, it absolutely infuriates me when I see men at the opera, ballet, symphony, theatre or any restaurant where appropriate dress should be expected, in anything less than an odd jacket - particularly when they are often with a well (or at least appropriately) dressed companion.

I'm sure there has been a thread or two on this but that is another area of sartorial discordance I am eternally puzzled by - when you see nicely dressed women with guys who look like they just spent a day fishing. Again, does not irritate me but does puzzle.

 

[bertie]



One of the articles I read did, yes. I don't recall (I read several in a rush) exactly, but I believe that in certain situations, dressing in traditional business attire in a workplace geared toward business casual actually has a counterproductive effect. I wonder if this is because of how others treat such people (perhaps perceiving them as aloof or arrogant, and thus less likely to freely communicate and therefore negatively impacting their performance), how their own self-perception affects them ("I'm awesome, I clearly work harder than other people" and then that complacency saps work ethic), or a reflection of their priorities.

So still no evidence that formality of workplace attire affects productivity? I think that was part of OP's expanded question in creating this thread.

 

[Caustic Man]

it absolutely infuriates me when I see men at the opera, ballet, symphony, theatre or any restaurant where appropriate dress should be expected, in anything less than an odd jacket - particularly when they are often with a well (or at least appropriately) dressed companion.

I went to Don Giovani when I was 17 and dressed in a studded leather jacket and a spiked mohawk.

 

[GothamRed]



I went to Don Giovani when I was 17 and dressed in a studded leather jacket and a spiked mohawk. 

Much more respect for that than dad jeans and a long sleeve printed tee, or pleated dockers and frayed polos, which is most of what I saw the other night...and, ultimately, it's about respect.

Plus, you had a jacket on.

 

[bertie]



I went to Don Giovani when I was 17 and dressed in a studded leather jacket and a spiked mohawk. 

Don Pedro, Don Ottavio or Masetto?

 

[Caustic Man]

Don Pedro, Don Ottavio or Masetto?

I honestly couldn't tell you. I have never been that much into opera. My sister is big into it though. She could tell you which aria, what was omitted, etc. All I knew was that it was written by Mozart. lol

 

[bertie]



I honestly couldn't tell you. I have never been that much into opera. My sister is big into it though. She could tell you which aria, what was omitted, etc. All I knew was that it was written by Mozart. lol

I meant which role were you playing

 

[GothamRed]



I meant which role were you playing

LMFAO