An antidote to casual fridays?

[CWetherby]

There's a solution for this: uniforms. In Chile, secretaries everywhere wear uniforms. They're tasteful, well-tailored business suits (with slacks and vests for winter, and skirts for summer) that the employers themselves pay for. Each business has a voluntary committee -- composed of its own secretaries -- that chooses the suits (and blouses) from a variety offered in uniform catalogs. Every two or three years, the old uniforms are "retired" and new uniforms are chosen.



You can imagine the advantages:

1) Uniforms insure that the secretaries will be appropriately and tastefully dressed.

2) Secretaries save money, because they don't pay for their own uniforms.

3) Uniform dress creates a team spirit, a sense that "we're all in it together." It also fosters pride.



I'm sure the United States will never go in this direction, but it works quite well in smaller, poorer nations.

When I worked for a 4-Diamond hotel on the east coast (which shall remain nameless), I had to wear a uniform. I don't recall its being terribly flattering--navy blue suit jacket and skirt, with horrible rayon blouse, but I had one co-worker who took her jackets to be tailored to her figure, and it looked great. It WAS nice not having to pay for clothes for work, but I don't think I'd want to do it again. Unless I could have a tailor fix that baggy suit jacket look! Of course, we had no say in what we got to wear as a uniform; maybe that would have made a difference.

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

Uniforms....

in my experience are always badly made and contain polyester. Don't like them! I had to wear them once and I hated it! I must say though that security guards I saw when I was in the US were well turned out. I didn't mind their uniforms at all, and your military are always well attired.

I also did notice thought that the tracksuit is now a type of uniform, and a very bad one at that. Saw a few suits, and those I saw in them looked great. I was in Cleveland and L.A.. Things aren't much better here in Sydney, with fewer and fewer suits and ties being seen, mind you it is still hot. I usually always wear a suit and tie to work in winter, even though my office is casual. Being a rebel in my own way!

 

[Mike Hammer]

Maybe it's time for a new trend.....

One of the most annoying features of the modern workplace is the rise and supremacy of "Casual Friday". I find this increasingly informal weekly event to be even more annoying than the usual run-of-the-mill garbage employees are frequently being subjected to by the Beavers of Human Resources desperate to prove they are more than glorified personnel clerks. Part of it has to be the weekly re-occurrence of this event; Casual payday or even Casual end-of-the-month would be plenty.
But, no, it takes place on a weekly basis. And boy, do people push the limits. Sloppy wrinkled shirts, jeans with holes, flip-flops and uncombed hair seem to be the new Casual Friday attire. And that's just the gals, you should see how the guys turn out!
There is something vaguely insulting about having your co-workers show up looking like they are going to have to mow the lawn later in the day. It smacks of just being too lazy to really prepare for the day.

In open rebellion against "Casual Friday", I'm going to suggest "Formal Friday" instead. I do not mean real 'Formal", of course; such clothing is impractical for a work environment. I mean a nice outfit you'd wear to take your Mom out to lunch for her birthday. A bit better clothing for a positive end of the week. I don't know about you, but by the end of my week, anything that takes away from the haggard look I develop is a bonus.
I say, rather than come in looking like something the cat dragged in, head in looking smart and snazzy.

Hey, it's just a thought

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Whole 3 page thread rant on it here.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7468&highlight=casual+friday

 

[panamag8or]

Whole 3 page thread rant on it here.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=7468&highlight=casual+friday

The last response was 20 months ago. Are we to dig back 2 years before posting anything?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

No, I was merely pointing it out so that if the poster wanted to read those answers, he could.

But -search- does work better then digging.

 

[scotrace]

The last response was 20 months ago. Are we to dig back 2 years before posting anything?

Always search first. Even if you turn up a thread that is eleventy hundred years old, it may bring the answer you are looking for. And if it does, give the thread a bump for new eyes.

PS - identical topics, threads now merged.

 

[Spats McGee]

I don't object to the concept of Casual Friday, in and of itself. The problem (as I see it, obviously) is that many people have a fairly low estimation of where casual ends and sloppy begins. Fortunately, I work in an environment where, even on the most casual of days, sloppiness is simply not acceptable . . . a law office. Blazers and shirts with collars are the norm, and, if you're going to court, a suit and tie, no question.

 

[Mike Hammer]

Always search first. Even if you turn up a thread that is eleventy hundred years old, it may bring the answer you are looking for. And if it does, give the thread a bump for new eyes.

PS - identical topics, threads now merged.

OK, gotcha. I wondered about the high degree of thread necromancy here, and also the existence of several 100+ page threads, and now I know.
I'll keep the above rules in mind when posting in the future.

 

[Edward]

I would say that by FL standards seven of the men were not overdressed for work at all.

My little brother is a programmer and has been working in that industry since graduation some years ago. Standards there are indeed somewhat different: he's considered to be one of the smarter dressers in non-denim casual trousers and polo shirts. The IT industry certainly is one in which people tend to more casual dressers in general. My feeling has always been that it started off as a youth rebellion thing: 'we're new and different and not like all you stuffy, traditionalist industries!', but over time has become as much an establishment as three piece, collar and tie might once have been. I remember once they had a new guy start who wore a suit for the first week - he was regarded as something akin to a space alien in their circles. I have no especial problem with a casual dress code (we have it here in academia), but I do think it a shame that some folks will always interepret "casual" as "no need to make an effort." It seems to me that if you don't make anything of an effort with your clothes, you can't have an awful lot of respect for the job. [huh]

 

[Ecuador Jim]

I do think "Formal Fridays" sounds so much better, and is alliterative

Ditto! I saw a piece recently that pointed out several companies that have a "no e-mail Friday" to get employees to start talking more. One person quipped, "We may be able to work remotely, but that doesn't mean we have to be remote with one another."

Amen brother.