I was raised by a very strict mother who would hardly
tolerate indecency in any form or shape. That withstanding, all skirts and
dresses were expected to hang below the knees. It has taken me years to feel
comfortable in anything less than what was engraved in my mind while growing
up. Way before I started working, my mother would make for me formal suits
because she was grooming me for the workplace in the near future. Unfortunately,
I have never been a typical suit person so you can imagine how much long
suffering I had to exercise.
When I got my first job, I took my mother’s precaution and
dressed up in the best way I could for my first day at work. To cut the long story
short, I was over dressed for my role. I could tell there was something wrong
from the moment I walked into the office based on the constant stares and
bewilded looks from my colleagues. By the end of the day, I had figured out
what my problem was but did not know any better how to ‘dress down’.
If you were raised in a similar way, you know how hard it is
to unweave those thought patterns that were planted in your childhood. It takes
a lot of grace and radical determination to learn to swim against the tide and
that is exactly what I had to do. I had to find my style and learn to feel comfortable
in my new wardrobe. The more I got a grip of my profession in the social
services sector, the more it became clear what was the acceptable dress code
for the different roles in that regard.
Professional dress code will differ from one profession to
another. It is unreasonable for one to expect all professionals to dress the
same way yet there is a minimum acceptable standard that cuts across all
professions. The standard is decency in whichever way you dress and present
yourself. Even mechanics have an acceptable dress code for their profession.
Your ability to successfully integrate into your profession has a lot to do
with your ability to understand and appropriate professionalism in your
outlook.
Some professions such as lawyers have a preset standard for
acceptable dress code while social workers will have to find their rhythm within
the culture of the organization they work with. Take the time to inquire as
well as observe your fellow professionals to find the right balance between
comfort and professionalism. Without a doubt, every professional needs at least
one formal suit in their wardrobe for that deal breaker moment. It may not be
your daily code but you need it as a backup plan for a formal event that turns
up unexpectedly.
It is also important to find the balance between formal and
casual. Most workplaces tend to dress down towards the end of the week so you
need a couple of casual smart outfits for those specific days. Reminds me of a
young man who I met and he confessed that he wore formal suits seven days a
week because that was his interpretation of formal dress code. He often looked
out of place while hanging out with his peers on the weekends but he was
strapped in his self-made prison. Talk about going over board, that is what he
had done.
Find the right balance between your personality, professional
expectations and budget limitations. There is no point in looking sharp when in
actual sense you dread every minute that goes by. Find clothes that suit your
personality, fit within the acceptable dress code and are affordable with in
your budget limits. Be happy with your look and you will love every moment of
your working day. Often times less is more so there is no point in sticking out
like a sore thumb unless it is part of your style.
No comments:
Post a Comment