Wear your spunk and verve to office

Friday dressing at work now spawns everyday dressing. Reports Swati Soni

Sartorial statement is shifting at work. Dynamics between employers and employees are changing and the least we expect them to do is to dress like “Men in Black,” decked in suits and ties. The shift is evidenced by slipshod attitude of top bosses on dress code. Comfort dressing has replaced classic dressing.

Observing the shift in dressing sense, Malini Rao, an advertising professional, said, “A decade ago, for presentations or client-pitch we had to wear formals, but now I make do with denims too. Of course, we are allowed to wear anything but distractive.”  

 Narrating one of her experiences, Nirali Turakhia, a freelancer retailer, said, “It was on my trip to the USA I met the CEO of a startup. I was shocked to see him in shorts and here I was dressed in a business suit. That’s when I realized the shift from going formals to utter casuals.”  

But this view is hugely debated, amongst traditional employers versus the budding business tycoons. “Dressing at work has a lot to do with work-profile. Historically, suits have been an integral part of serious business and casuals back then communicated a laid-back attitude. But now a lot of business places have made room for both business and business casuals,” explains Manika Jain, a fashion stylist. “As long as the attire is appropriate for the work and is in sync with the setting, we are sorted,” she added.

The other reason for the shift in attire is attributed to young bosses taking the reins of big companies. Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahal and Rohit Bansal are spotted in denims and casual tees, or for that matter Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato is always spotted in casuals. “My style is to go complete casuals. I usually like to wear bright-coloured Tommy Hilfiger shirts or T- shirts with denims and boots,” says Shankar Ganesh, managing director, Nyka Events.

Echoing the same sentiment, Sanjeev Shah, filmmaker, said, “My cotton tees and shorts have spawned an everyday wear to work for me as well as my team. It’s the achievement at work that should matter and not my clothes, hairdo or tattoos.”

Casual Friday dressing is now making way to everyday dressing, but some companies still have decorum to follow when it comes to clothing. The employees could give a skip to suits but dresses, shirts and trousers are a must. Especially, it holds true for doctors and lawyers. “I could wear a skirt or a dress when I have to see patients as this dilutes the seriousness of my profession,’ says Dr Roshu Shetty, a gynaecologist based in Mumbai.

The kind and type of profession dictates what to wear at work. For many, it’s a strict code of formals like in case of bankers and lawyers. “For many companies’ deliverables matter and not the attire- the idea of appropriate clothing comes in question, when the interface with client is high,” explains Jain. “So the rules have to be clear. It’s perfectly fine for a company to favour the idea of everyday business- casuals, yet also understand that rules should be set and obeyed in offices.” The freedom to be stylish at work is a delightful and wonderful thing in principal, enforcing guidelines at centre levels is a must, because at the end of the day- work is a serious business.