Heed Dylan’s words when setting a dress code

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/09/2018 (2609 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fall 2018 and the return-to-school season is now well on its way. Students with fancy new backpacks and shiny new shoes populate the sidewalks, as do parents escorting the youngest on their way.

That sounds like a standard routine return-to-school photo shoot. But wait just a minute! I thought I saw a photo of a young girl wearing what used to be called short shorts. I thought those were part of the list of banned clothing labelled not suitable to wear at school?

So, I was quite surprised to read that this fall that the dress code in some American public schools has become much more relaxed. So relaxed, in fact, that short shorts, micro-miniskirts, spaghetti straps and midriff-baring shirts are now considered acceptable attire. It seems there are now simply no dress-code restrictions of any kind. In fact, it was stated that students could come in pajamas if they so choose.

This radical change of thinking and about-face on a school dress code is said to have moved quickly mostly because of the #MeToo movement and the countrywide resurgence of student activism. After all, many of the dress-code policies at schools and the workplace have focused on women’s wear and today many are considered sexist. Accusations of distracting the opposite sex are now even laughed at; how could we have ever thought that?

Workplace dress code has changed dramatically over the years as well. Today, we see men wearing braided hair or man-buns, tattoos and earrings of all sizes and colours. I recall a time when a large grocery store was sued for discrimination because a male employee wanted to wear a beard. Those days are gone. Today, we see full beards, “soul patches” on the chin, moustaches, ponytails, coloured hair and man-buns at every turn. We are also seeing men wearing brightly coloured socks, mismatched socks and even red sneakers with their business suits.

Women, too, have moved from proudly showing their discreet little ankle tattoo to displaying multiple tattoos on their neck, shoulders and arms. Covering these tattoos at work is not required.

As well, one of the latest trends is to wear tightly stretched leggings and a longer shirt and/or to streak one’s hair to give it a splash of colour. For instance, I have a friend whose blond hair is streaked with red, another loves her purple hair and still another young woman surprises me with a different colour almost every week.

On the other hand, these are all simply examples of personal expression that in no way interfere with doing their job and thus are seen as perfectly acceptable. While they make for a good topic of conversation, no one would think that it is distracting to the opposite sex.

Dr. Francesca Gino, a behavioural scientist, suggests that what might be happening in society is people sometimes deliberately deviate from the normal dress code because it is their way of standing out from the crowd. And, when behaviour is deliberate, these individuals may also be seen as having a higher social status because they aren’t worried about being different and can get away with it. Not only that, being different is far more accepted today than it used to be.

Professor Susan Scafidi, founder and academic director of a research centre focused on fashion and the law, says that in her view, fashion has actually been on a slippery slope since the introduction of casual Fridays. And today, she says, the conversation on dress code is all about gender equality.

Scafidi points to the New York City Commission on Human Rights as an example of the new trend in dress-code guidelines. Their code expressly prohibits “enforcing dress codes, uniforms and grooming standards that impose different requirements based on sex or gender.”

What this means is no employer can require men to wear ties unless they also require women to wear ties, or ask that heels be worn unless both sexes have to wear them.

So, as you might expect, dress code is once again a big topic for discussion in the workplace. And the discussion has gone far beyond talk of the permissibility of open-toed shoes that started the debate 15 or more years ago.

Therefore, it’s probably time to sit down and review your human-resource policies — and particularly dress-code policies — to determine if there are any equity issues.

After all, I would hate to see workplace dress legislated by government and I am sure you don’t want to see a social-media frenzy — such as the recent spat over high heels — over your policy issues.

In reviewing your policies, be mindful of the following:

● Differential treatment of men versus women

● Potential of disparity or harm for a male or female employee

● Causing more of a burden for women than for men

● The perpetuation of stereotypical views of women as sexual objects

● The need for flexibility and fluidity of personal choice

● Potential conflicts with national origin, religious practices, disability and accommodation

Perhaps the best way to describe this continual cultural shift in dress code is to refer to Bob Dylan’s song, The Times They Are a Changin’.

In other words, change is continually happening and we simply have to develop a set of standards that meets both the needs of our organizations as well as equity and human-rights standards.

Thinking this through takes time, particularly because our own personal biases are not front and centre — we take ourselves for granted.

That’s why I suggest putting a committee of staff, management and an HR expert together, so your revised dress code will work for all concerned while meeting all human-rights standards. What’s the status of your policies on dress?

— source: The end of the Office Dress Code, New York Times, Vanessa Friedman, May 25, 2016, Redressing rules on student attire, Jocelyn Gecker, Winnipeg Free press, Associated Press, Sept. 21, 2018, Gaining Status with Red Sneakers, F. Gino, December 17, 2013.

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, CMC, CCP, M.Ed., is president of Legacy Bowes Group, the author of seven books, a radio personality, speaker, an executive coach and workshop leader. She can be reached at barb@