Why is it so difficult to dress for work?Race
En muchas empresas los empleados vestidos en jeans o vaqueros se han convertido en algo común, si no es que la norma. Incluso algunas empresas que solían exigir vestimenta de trabajo formal están optando por atuendos de trabajo más casuales.
In general Motors, the clothing code consists of two words: "You saw properly";The Facebook CEO, lover of sweatshirts, does not have any clothing code;Ebay does not have a formal dress code either, but expects employees to "use their best criteria" to do it professionally according to the work they do;Amazon encourages employees to feel "comfortable at work; and JPMorgan relaxed their clothing code to make it an informal executive.
Informal clothing codes are used to attract and retain employees, but without the uniform of a suit that serves any day, employees have to decide for themselves what is appropriate and that can be difficult.
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Having more maneuvering margin with work clothes opens more options and sometimes it causes confusion: is it too short?, Too striking?, Too elegant?
"Companies have become more informal in dress and that has definitely caused a lot of stress or anxiety for people who now have more options when they don't have to wear a suit.There are so many combinations that it is more difficult worked.
The evolution of work clothes
It was not always like that.In the 1980s the costumes were the norm.
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Anne Donovan remembers the evolution of fashion well.When she began her career at the PWC consultant in 1983, her work outfit consisted completely on matching suits that generally combined with a blouse with a loop in the neck.
She clearly remembers when the pants entered the female wardrobe.It was in the mid -1990s and she worked in human resources in the firm.He saw a colleague with pants and pulled his arm.
"I asked what I was doing," he recalls.His colleague told him to take a look around because women were starting to wear pants in law firm."I remember saying,‘ this is not how the world of consulting ’works’.So archaic was ".
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Shortly after, Donovan requested maternity leave and when he returned in 1996 they wore pants."It wasn't just the company, it was the social norm".
When PWC announced an informal business dress code in 2016, workers thought that "it was great," says Donovan, who is now responsible for ensuring that the company's culture is competitive with the market.
The PWC dress code is now "Get off for your day".Employees must still follow the clothing code of the clients they are working with, but if they are in the PWC office, jeans and tennis are fine."Jeans do not change your ability to think, you don't need to be in an awkward suit," says Donovan.
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Rising women
For a long time - to fit and look as strong leaders - women adopted an appearance that imitated male fashion, explains Wendy Bryant Gow, image advisor, founder and executive director of Lily Winston.
"For a long time, women had been wearing men," he says.
After the pants revolution of the 1990s many companies began to adopt informal Fridays.Many companies allowed employees.Finally, on informal Friday he conquered the rest of the days of the week and the informal executive style became more common in the offices.
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Over time, as the most comfortable outfits became acceptable, women's work clothing options were extended: more female dresses and pants, less pantimedia and shoe options grew to include a variety of styles.
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"When we entered the 2000s, women who were going to work really wanted.
But informal clothing environments can be more betrayal for women, says Sylvia Ann Hewlett, economist and author of the Executive Representative book.
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One of the reasons is that women also have the additional burden of having to worry about dressing too provocatively or, at the other end of the spectrum, too conservative, says Hewlett."It is easy to sin a youth and seem that you are not ready for a great opportunity, or sin years and seem that you already want to retire.".
His research found that women have a small four -year -old window, from 38 to 41 years, when they are considered suitable for leadership roles.Men instead have a 17 -year -old window.
"Casual dress does not project leadership in women.In a world in which there are few women leaders, you must reflect your authority and potential with a somewhat more elegant aspect, and be aggressively informal does not help, it is not interpreted as power, ”he says.
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Informal professional clothing codes can also be a disadvantage for people of color, hewitt argues."We are still scheduled to imagine that an aggressively casual woman perhaps occupies a minor position and that is also true for colored women".
Sandra López, Vice President of Intel Sports Group, is a woman and Latin.At the beginning of his career he dressed to fit.
"I didn't have the authority I have today.He dressed as one of the boys, with pants costumes and never wearing needle heels...to transmit more masculine features, authority and power.I thought it was important to cement as much as I could as well as my male peers ".
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But over time he realized that he was really hiding his identity.As he went up on the professional scale, he won more confidence to accept who he was."I don't apologize for wearing red heels and dresses.I really began to have a wardrobe that represented what it was as a person ".
Although his clothes have changed he still has his “power” suit in the closet.It was a black striped suit similar to that of his male colleagues."It represented power.I will never give it it, it reminds me where I started and how much I have evolved, "he recalls.
Professional and functional clothing
Sali Christeson's fight for dressing every morning led her to found in 2016 the female clothing company Argentina.
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"Historically, I have never been able to find something that I would love to use for work," he says.
The company produces work clothes for women looking for comfort and functionality with a lot of personality.For example, their blazers have multiple pockets: one for a cell phone, another for a credit or identification card, and a place to store pens or lip brightness.
"Now you can go to a meeting with our Blazer and then directly to lunch with your colleagues.You don't have to return to your desk to search your bag ".It is those subtleties, she says, which can match the land in the office.
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As the line between work and personal time becomes increasingly diffuse, work clothes could become even more relaxed and comfortable.
"As our workday extends to absorb most of our waking hours thanks to technology, you can dinner, bed the children and then return to the laptop and work three to five additional hours," says Scott Birnbaum, founder of the Red Capital firm is Ventures.
His firm was one of the first investors in the Allbirds footwear manufacturer and in the Outdoor Voices sportswear company, with the idea that informal clothing will continue to infiltrate the office while workers try to introduce more personal moments in their day, asA quick meditation or a yoga session.
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Even Ann Taylor has added more elastic material to his pants and jackets."Our client wants to feel as comfortable as possible at work," says Rosen.
Men's costumes are also more elastic today.Éclectic, a French men's fashion retailer, recently opened a store in New York City that markets bags made of fibers that are stretched, in the same way as training clothes, and that help regulate the temperature and provide more flexibility.
"Today you have a traditional suit or a sweatshirt or a comfortable outfit like the ActiveWear style," says Franck Malegue, founder of the company.
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"I think many of those who wear ActiveWear -type clothes are doing it mainly because they want comfort and style.They would be happy if they could maintain the activity they enjoy, but they retain the appearance and elegance of a more traditional outfit ".
As the work continues to occupy more spheres of our lives we will not have time to change for a fast training or a meditation session, says Birnbaum.
"We are all resistance workers, and if that's how you are living your life, then you want to optimize comfort.".
With the collaboration of Vanessa Yurkevich of CNN.