Wearing a tie in a company that does NOT embrace ties?

[Katzenjammer]

...if our directer catches you with a tie and you dont remove it, he may try to cut it off (this is a running joke with the ONE employee who wears a tie every day and gets a tie cut off every annual meeting).

A Freudian analyst would have a field day with your boss, by the way.

 

[Mav]

And Bolo ties are easy to tie. Even I can do it without directions.



I haven't worn those since grade school when I got back from my summer vacation to Arizona.

Same here, substitute "Montana" for Arizona. They are, however, the peak of style and class in Masonic Lodges.

I can't wear my sidearm at work.

Sportcoat.

 

[Tomasso]

Sportcoat.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

fftopic: "But wearing a shirt and tie on the weekends often provokes comments such as at the Library last Saturday - 'Oh are your working today'?"

 

[Talbot]

Oh I know. I guess I got spoiled working union jobs where the boss had to have an actual reason to fire you, beyond "I don't like the way you look".

I'm not disagreeing with you, its a bit more subtle. Its also a matter of human nature.

At senior levels, personal appearance is a side issue. There is a collective corporate consciousness. The dominant alpha's of the tribe do not trust what they don't understand.

Will he take a fall for me? Does he understand how I'm thinking? Can he pull one out of the box for the team? How can he/she be influenced?

No matter how good a rainmaker you are, if 'they' are scratching their heads about you, 'they' can't be sure of you enough to trust you.

If 'they' can tick the boxes above, and you are even a mediocre rainmaker, break out the tutu's.

Otherwise, it is highly unlikely will you be given an opportunity to achieve your potential, or to win one for the Gipper. In my corporate environment, succession candidates are actively assessed for their desire to 'fit in'. The polite term is 'high social desirability'.

I'm not even going to mention those that think that, by being different, you are judging them.

I'm not arguing for conformity, just understand what you are dealing with.

Know also, there may be bigger issues in the workplace to take a stand on than neckwear.

 

[Tomasso]

fftopic: "But wearing a shirt and tie on the weekends often provokes comments such as at the Library last Saturday - 'Oh are your working today'?"

Try a silk knit tie, Binkie. Somehow they're not thought to be as offensive. Or better yet, move to Manhattan where people have better things to do than comment on your attire.

 

[Torpedo]

A breach of the dress code in my organisation could lead to losing your job, should you choose to ignore your manager's formal warnings. But the dress code sets a minimum dress standard, not a maximium. So no sandals, tracksuit pants & singlet tops at the office, but a suit & tie is fine if that's what you want to wear. Even if your manager doesn't wear one.

I disagree. If you dress more formally than your boss, it could be perceived as you being uppity. Also, if the fact you dress that way draws favourable attention from other people (customers, executives outside your organization, etc), it could be taken badly by your boss too, because he could interpret that your attitude puts him in a bad light by comparison. It could also happen that you are mistakenly assumed to be the boss because of your appearance, and be accosted as such, instead of the real one. Again, he could be uncomfortable with that.

Unreasonable as you may find it, but it still could happen. [huh]

 

[Pompidou]

When I worked a warehouse job, I made a point of outdressing even the management. It was totally impractical, probably led to my eventual dismissal, and screwed up some otherwise nice outfits, but I liked everyone assuming I was more important than I was. I was quite often mistaken for being a visiting corporate VIP by visitors that didn't know better. You are what you look like, in the eyes of the outsider. A dozen guys in sweat pants and t-shirts, two or three in company polo shirts, and me pretty much in a suit - like Staples hired James Bond - with a fedora. It was totally ridiculous and inappropriate, but dress code only set limits for sloppy dressing, for lack of a better word - you had to at least look X good. They had no limits for how good you could dress, and like with my nice red hat which sadly I didn't have at the time, just the Whippet, I liked standing out. I'd wear the tie if I were you, because I wore ties in worse employment than you. Maybe cut a tie yourself, so that your boss knows you know what's coming, and that you really don't care. Come to meeting with a pre-snipped tie. It'd be great. It'd be saying, "Yeah, manager, cut this."

 

[Talbot]

Bolo tie...

If the boss cut your Bolo tie, you could make a new one out of his blue network lead.

Wouldn't be as stylish, but you would have his attention

T

 

[BinkieBaumont]

fftopic: "I get the same thing at the office , everyone comments on my shoes and where do I get them from, even the CEO, if we ride the elevator together , compliments me on them, though I rather think I need to wear a pair of plain black Oxfords just to prove I can be a "Team Player"

 

[Torpedo]

When I worked a warehouse job, I made a point of outdressing even the management. It was totally impractical, probably led to my eventual dismissal, and screwed up some otherwise nice outfits, but I liked everyone assuming I was more important than I was.
(...)
I was quite often mistaken for being a visiting corporate VIP by visitors that didn't know better. You are what you look like, in the eyes of the outsider.
(...)
It was totally ridiculous and inappropriate.

[huh] :eusa_doh: [huh]

 

[Feraud]

^ How not to dress at the workplace.

 

[Edward]

Idiocracy

Hilarious, yet depressing flick. It's uncannily relevent.

I saw that for the first time a couple of months ago. I felt it could have been much better - the premise was superb, the realisation a little lacking - but the prologue was a superb critique on the direction in which contemporary society is fast headed.

 

[Mid-fogey]

I'm with Feraud...

...on this one.

I'm a division manager with 30 years work experience. I wear a tie because I’m management. Workers are given an choice, and no one does it.

Doing it your way is for the self employed, business owners, top managers who set the rules, etc. If you don’t like the way they do things, there are other jobs.

 

[Pompidou]

[huh] :eusa_doh: [huh]

Just figured I'd give a real example of all the doomsaying everyone was mentioning. I don't really know if the attire led to my dismissal - I wasn't the only one let go, after all. And as for ridiculous and inappropriate, well, any time you flaunt the expectations of your workplace, that's what it comes down to. There's no difference between the proposal of the OP and the reality of me, when all is said and done. Wearing outfits to work that are frowned upon, with full knowledge that they are. I think I deserve a :eusa_clap for the honesty.

 

[JimWagner]

I think I deserve a :eusa_clap for the honesty.

Sure. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[JLStorm]

I appreciate your input everyone, but this thread has taken on a life of its own. No one is getting fired over wearing a tie, a full suit, a baseball hat, or a t shirt. Its just not the way its done at our company. If you can do the job and do the job well, you can screw up in almost every other area besides sexual harassment and keep your job. Ive seen it happen throughout the years, trust me. Everyone works hard, people are paid well, and people who cant hack it dont last long. Those who do last are at the top of their game and really dont get worried about being shown up. We work as a team and that was really my concern is making sure I didnt project an image that put me outside of that team. This was more about whether I would be known as "that guy that always wears a tie" or remembered as "that guy who did that exceptional job". I wanted to look nice without standing out anymore than I do, for more than a fleeting moment. I wasnt sure what the opinion of me would be, but getting fired doesnt enter the equation. I might take flak for a tie, I might get made fun of (neither of which I want), but I wont be fired.

The dress code consists of no shorts and no open toe shoes. And you must be clean cut, groomed, and look professional. They strictly enforce the shorts and open toe shoes rule, but the rest is on a case by case basis.

Im not sure where people started to assume that I was new in the workplace. Maybe I gave that impression, but that is not the case. I just recently started to love ties thats all. I am a well educated, experienced, and well certified project manager currently handling my divisions largest project (2.5 yr 52M). I wouldnt give up my jeans for anything, but just like some men love to wear a watch, I love to wear a tie...no idea why, I just like them.

Anyway, I as mentioned earlier, I have decided to forgo the tie unless I am on-site with the customer. Even though the customer does not expect the tie, its much more accepted and it makes me feel better. In the winter, I often wear a sports coat and no tie, its one or the other, but never both.

As far as the guy who wears a tie everyday, he goes all out, french cuffs, tie, etc. I think its an exceptional look and if I could deal with wearing pants instead of jeans, Id probably emulate it on-site. The tie cutting, is in jest (for the most part), but its also because he eggs the management on by flaunting his ties during an casual meetings. This years meeting was pretty funny actually. As usual he wore his shirt and tie and the directer called him up to the stage and while he was talking, he cut his tie. The gentleman finished talking and slowly took off his tie unbuttoned his shirt and had another shirt and tie underneath lol. He walked away smiling. Im sure the director thinks he is a strange bird, but at the same time he is respected, because he does a great job. He also obviously stands out far more than I care too.

 

[VitaminG]

I disagree. If you dress more formally than your boss, it could be perceived as you being uppity. Also, if the fact you dress that way draws favourable attention from other people (customers, executives outside your organization, etc), it could be taken badly by your boss too, because he could interpret that your attitude puts him in a bad light by comparison. It could also happen that you are mistakenly assumed to be the boss because of your appearance, and be accosted as such, instead of the real one. Again, he could be uncomfortable with that.

Unreasonable as you may find it, but it still could happen. [huh]

that could be so. I've been fortunate to not find myself working somewhere where that would be a concern. My boss is secure enough in his abilities at work that he's not concerned that my appearance is going to make him look bad. If I dressed like a slob though, it would attract all kinds of attention & he would have to answer to the CEO about why his staff was contravening the corporate dress code.

We have a corporate casual environment, meaning at minimum a collared shirt & trousers and the only issues we've seen relate to people trying to sneak around the dress code. Occasionally girls will try to get away with something like a spaghetti strap singlet top or sandals. Guys might try to argue that their casual shoes are smart enough for the office. Last one I recall was a guy who was wearing something resembling an Hawaiian shirt. He was told that was fine for casual Fridays but not suitable for Mon-Thursday. He took note and has had no further dress code related issues at work.

I wear a suit and fedora to work. My boss prefers a business shirt (no tie) & trousers. His boss also chooses not to wear a suit. So far I've only really received compliments on my appearance, if anyone feels compelled to comment at all. When I first started dressing nicer (ie. better than the standard set by the code), I would occasionally receive some friendly ribbing that I must be on my way to a job interview (since I'm dressed up nice). But that died down as people got used to how I dressed daily now.

 

[theinterchange]

(this is a running joke with the ONE employee who wears a tie every day and gets a tie cut off every annual meeting).

There is something unutterably sad about that line.

Randy

 

[Paisley]

JLStorm, I'm glad to hear you work in such a positive environment. I'm sure we all brought a lot of our own experiences to our responses. I've been in so many flaky, shaky job situations that I think a person ought to play every card to stay employed. I've been at my current job at a very stable company for seven years. The quality of my work is such that I get assignments from out-of-state offices; I don't think any other admin at my company can say that.

While I could probably wear a tutu to work at this point, I don't. Every day, I put on business-like clothes, fix my hair, put on a moderate amount of makeup and head for work. The hair flowers, eye shadow, and sparkly jewelry only come out at night. Mostly, that's out of respect for myself, my employer and my coworkers. But also, employees come and go there, and I don't want a new one to think I'm dying to go somewhere else.

Your die-hard, tie-wearing coworker sounds like a real character. There's one in every office.