We live in a world of appearances and we are what we project or what we would like to project. The style of our dress, car, bike or subway, residence makes up a part of the message we send to others about WHO we are. Whether you change into “flip-flops” and pyjamas when you get home from the office is only seen by you and your family. Many people preserve their privacy and limit appearing in old tracksuits to their small (very small) close circle.
As soon as they cross the door threshold on the way to work, there’s not a hair out of place (on the surface at least) and even if wearing a casual style at work is allowed, these days there is a hierarchy and subtle skill in knowing how to dress. The good old unique jeans are replaced by the Denim Office version on Friday, cocktail evenings, tech business environment, etc… In short, today’s language of clothing is intriguingly more complex and the rules have changed. Twenty years ago, downtown women wore a skirt suit with navy blue tights (both in 45 degree summer and in winter) with a white blouse with a collar on the jacket. Depending on the country, you could find a variant of the black velvet headband or scarf tied nicely around the shoulders. Companies reveal their culture and personality through the dress style of their employees. Several years ago, I could also guess what professional services firm candidates work for when they presented themselves for an interview in my offices, from nothing but their dress, haircut and posture in the waiting room. The corporate spirit transcends the individual. We choose to work or hire people who seem to convey the same values. The appearance, accessories and lifestyle make up as much a part of you as your ideas and convictions. In a nutshell, it’s hard to preach voluntary simplicity when you’re driving an SUV or vice versa.
Nonetheless, today we can be an engineer, lawyer or accountant in a large firm and display the metro-sexual “style” or even the ultra-feminine style of the “Suits” or “Sex in the City" style. But the fact remains that we do not dress the same way, depending on which city we work in or the industry, company and position. Employees don a corporate uniform to integrate better. New recruits are often noticed to have changed their style after a few weeks or months. What’s more delicate is that you need to know how to rapidly decode this legendary corporate uniform in order to adopt it, as you will be quickly alerted to the style of leadership, management, attitude and behaviour that marks your organisation and your boss or colleagues will be more hesitant to point out that you should consider revamping your wardrobe…
Are you more credible if you dress in Prada? Not so sure… Except maybe if you work for Vogue or in the high end fashion world. Recently Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, was criticized for her Gucci tailors and her collection of top brand handbags. I also remember very well that one of my clients told me one day that he did not recruit a candidate who had the best professional profile when she came to the final interview with her Vuitton bag. It had shocked him. In another case, the CEO of a company for which I had just recruited his Chief Financial Officer called me one morning to tell me that the candidate hired had turned up the first day at the office in a Porsche. Lack of taste or judgement? The major law firms, accountants and others know well that office decor sets the tone for their fees. The more prestigious the address and the more sumptuous the decoration, the higher the bill will be. Some clients appreciate it, others don’t. External signs of wealth are not always welcome. A president who arrived at the office in a Bentley could increase the feeling among his employees that they are being exploited while in another context it might instead stimulate them to excel. It’s all a matter of perception and the industry. When it happens that there is an excessive wage gap from the base employee, tensions emerge. Although 50 years ago it was acceptable for a boss to earn 20 times the wage of the lowest worker, in 2013 we see some bosses earning up to 300 times employees' salary. Although all employees don’t read the annual report in detail, they know how to see or read the newspapers and “people” magazines. Your executives and senior management must therefore be attentive. Furthermore, when social media gets involved it’s important to be more vigilant and have a certain deference to the image you transmit, especially if you are in business (versus showbiz or fashion).
Any company has its own written and unwritten codes and it’s up to you to decode them and know how to adapt without losing your personality.