Corporate culture: respecting the dress code

Corporate culture: respecting the dress code.

Corporate culture: it is the very essence of the organization. Ellen Wallach (organizational development consultant, speaker, writer and filmmaker) said "Organization culture is like pornography; it is hard to define, but you know it when you see it." I like David Javitch's (Employee Management) definition of corporate culture: "Culture is the sum total of everything that has been and continues to be on going in an organization." Great stuff there!

Many firms take this concept of culture very seriously and make a strong effort to assure that their culture is one of respect, that it is positive and that the employees take pride in their job from the CEO to the janitor because everyone plays a role and everyone represents the company equally. Part of an organization's culture is the dress code. What is acceptable in how the employees dress and where do you draw the line?

Personally, I am starting to believe that business casual blurred the lines of acceptable and unacceptable items of clothing for work. The company heads and the leaders form of dress set the tone of subordinates dress code. You are a leader because you have "dressed" the part, anything less from the staff is absolutely unacceptable. All organizations big and small should have a dress code set, items that are entirely inappropriate to wear to work regardless of what you may be doing or going after work. Respect the job, respect the office and furthermore, respect your fellow employees.

These are the items that I find inappropriate (please feel free to add, agree or disagree)

• short skirts and dresses


• low cut tops


• sneakers with everything including trousers

These are the things that I find crazy that employers find acceptable

• No jeans during the week, but sneakers everyday is okay


• Midriffs or ill-fitting shirts


• Wrinkled attire


• Evening make-up during the day


• Visible tattoos


• Cornrows!

Cornrows need to go AWAY! Most of my friends and I are over it, why isn't the rest of the world? I hadn't realized how present they are in the world until my friend, Eric Facebook'd about it recently. I chimed in because I agreed, but then I saw what he saw - I took a ride (on the subway) to the Bronx and was exposed to a Bronx I hadn't experienced in so long.

Yes, I am originally from the Bronx, but I haven't lived there since 2004 and when I visit the family, I don't linger on the streets, I go home; but there were cornrows everywhere! It wasn't as if I only saw it outside, oh no, no, no, no, no, no it was inside a hospital with a divisions, campuses, a board, etc (another blog entirely or maybe even a series about this hospital). Basically, the hiring manager saw this tattooed, long haired man with braids and said "this is the person we want to represent us." Makes no sense. No, I am not against tattooes, I am however against to seeing it certain settings where the people around are totally vulnerable, but I digress...

Do I wear sneakers to work now, oh h*ll yes; but why not? Everyone else does. So what are you going to do? A whole bunch of nothing.

~Charisse