Categories
Antiwork

Work Dress Codes

This is kind of a small complaint, but I think it's a manifestation of bigger problems with work/professional culture. I'm in my early twenties, I haven't had a ton of work experience, and I'm lucky enough to have always had pretty good supervisors the places I have worked so far, but I have always been uncomfortable with some of the bigger trends I've seen across workplaces. I hate that the world I live in is so extrovert-centric. I hate the friendly-but-not-friends dynamic you have to have with your boss (it's very confusing to my neurodivergent brain). But a small thing that's so annoying to me, I guess because it is such a small thing, is work dress codes. As long as your clothes aren't blatantly offensive or wildly inappropriate (yes, I know those things are subjective), no one should care how you're dressed as long as you're nice to be…


This is kind of a small complaint, but I think it's a manifestation of bigger problems with work/professional culture.
I'm in my early twenties, I haven't had a ton of work experience, and I'm lucky enough to have always had pretty good supervisors the places I have worked so far, but I have always been uncomfortable with some of the bigger trends I've seen across workplaces. I hate that the world I live in is so extrovert-centric. I hate the friendly-but-not-friends dynamic you have to have with your boss (it's very confusing to my neurodivergent brain). But a small thing that's so annoying to me, I guess because it is such a small thing, is work dress codes. As long as your clothes aren't blatantly offensive or wildly inappropriate (yes, I know those things are subjective), no one should care how you're dressed as long as you're nice to be around and get your job done.
Your whole life you're taught not to judge people on how they look, but then employment depends on whether I'm wearing blue jeans or dress pants! I understand there are jobs where a uniform is important for safety reasons/your position is such that you need to be recognized by customers, etc. But there is absolutely no reason why I can't look put together and do my office job in some back room just fine in jeans and a T shirt.
I just think it's a symptom of a bigger problem that we have to “Be Professional” even down to getting the costume right. I think it's a more visible part of a work culture that shames people for being human.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.