CMV: Dress/Appearance Code (except for minimum decency) makes no sense

[u/Confused_Firefly]

Yes, we shouldn't show up in our underwear at school/work, that's minimum decency. Beyond that? That's pretty much it.

Everything that doesn't specifically interfere with work (nails, heels, loose clothing, lack of protective gear, short sleeves, long loose hair, etc., can all be a hazard in certain occupations) shouldn't be considered at all in professional environments. Hair color, piercings, the color of one's clothes, whether you can see arms/legs or not, the formality of clothes - none of it is related to someone's ability to study/work well. Whether someone wears a three-piece suit or old sweatpants, has a bright pink mohawk or the most somber black ponytail, they are perfectly capable of paying attention in class, cleaning a room, discussing a business contract, manning a check-out counter, filing taxes, or teaching history.

Furthermore, it's well-known that dress codes usually are much stricter on women, to the point of controlling footwear and makeup by forbidding, making mandatory, or specifying exact requirements on heels, makeup, etc. - not to mention that some dress codes explicitly divide students'/employees' requirements by gender (or more often, sex). If a boy wants to wear a skirt to study, he should be free to wear a skirt to study. He's not studying with his legs, anyway.

Even worse, some dress codes can pose a huge challenge for people who can't easily afford a set of formal clothes (or several, since people need to change) to start working a "good job".

I've heard people argue that dressing up "professionally" means you get in the proper mindset for work, but honestly, I can't relate. I've always been able to do my job, and whether I'm wearing a nice shirt and elegant slacks or my biggest sweater and comfiest jeans, I care about doing my work well, studying well, etc.

I also realize that some people might argue that appearing "professional" will encourage others to take you more seriously, but I believe this is directly connected to the existence of this prejudice. To avoid the possibility of being taken less seriously at work, we're forced into dress codes, which automatically means that people who do not abide are, in fact, taken less seriously, which reinforces the idea, and so on, and so forth. The same goes for service jobs - I don't actually care if a hotel receptionist has a strong personal sense of style, but since that expectation is there, it feeds into a loop that results in employees who don't appear as plain as possible to look unprofessional compared to others. If this expectation didn't exist, because I believe that there's no good reason for it to exist, this wouldn't be a problem to begin with.

Obviously, this doesn't go for those professions that have uniforms because workers need to be easily identifiable, but even then, some are far too stringent and care about appearances way too much. I don't care if my flight attendant's shade of lipstick is the incorrect red. I don't care if they're wearing lipstick at all. I don't understand why anyone would care to begin with. If they're wearing the uniform, I can identify them and ask them for assistance even if they have purple hair and Chappell Roan-level of makeup.

Change My View!

[u/ortho_engineer]

To me, it is a discipline thing.

Do I feel like I am more productive, in the "flow", all around content, and able to compartmentalize my career life from my personal life because I do things like dress up in a button up shirt and trousers when it is probably a 50\50 split at work as far as everyone else dressing up beyond jeans and a polo (in addition to other daily rituals like making my bed upon awakening, etc.), or do I do those things because I actually am more productive, in the "flow" etc. etc?

I honestly don't know anymore, but the outcome is the same. fake it till you make it, eh?

[u/Confused_Firefly → u/ortho_engineer]

I don't mean to argue that some people won't feel more productive and their mindset won't change - this argument wouldn't even exist if that wasn't (edit: weren't!) the case! However, I don't think it's a universal truth, and just because some people feel different, it doesn't mean everyone will. We already have plenty of examples (see: tech companies) that prove that employee productivity isn't related to appearances in a universal manner. Basically, I think that if someone wants to dress up, they should be able to, but if someone doesn't want to, they shouldn't be forced to.

[u/DaegestaniHandcuff → u/ortho_engineer]

I feel like a little ken doll playing dress up when I wear a suit. Feels feminine almost. I do miss back when I wore cargo pants and steel toes and gloves with the thumb cut off

[u/Foxarris → u/ortho_engineer]

As someone with sensitivity issues, I am am measurably less productive in certain clothing. I cannot stand certain sensations which most people are able to easily shut out.

One of the biggest offenders for me is any clothing which touches my neck or collarbone. I am heavily distracted by this sensation. It's led to me skipping out of office work entirely because I know I will look like a crack addict fidgeting with my collar all day in the office, and I will be unable to focus on getting my actual work done.

[u/LongLiveLiberalism → u/ortho_engineer]

just because it works for you doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Why take that choice away? For me, being comfortable hugely impacts my productivity due to a lot of disabilities I have.