This is NOT your MTV (Subtitle – Is a dress code really necessary?)

The well-dressed man came out of the streets. He took a wrong turn and got lost, so he was looking for directions to a business that just happened to be right behind our office building.

As I started giving her instructions, one of my colleagues (let’s call her “Sarah”) bolted out of nowhere. And that’s when the gentleman had a whiplash moment! With the sudden snap of his neck in the opposite direction from Sarah’s, it was obvious there was something behind me that I was doing my best not to see.

I stopped talking for a moment to figure out what the hell could have made him NOT want to look my way, and that’s when I saw Sarah’s way of dressing, or rather lack of clothing, was abominable. For some reason, Sarah, who was otherwise a practical person, decided to dress in a smart black pantsuit, complete with a vest… which would have been very stylish if she had worn an actual blouse. With her perky breasts peeking out of the vest, I was speechless.

After confronting my supervisor about the matter, we determined that it was time for some sort of intervention. In all my years on the job, I never thought I would have to tell a roomful of women not to show their underwear (ie thongs), keep their neckline buttoned up, and discourage them from wearing open-toed shoes in our industrial building. , to name a few items on the list.

I looked at the group I was going to target and made a discovery: the ladies I had the hardest time reaching were all influenced by MTV. Young, club hopping, toe touching, “fresh out of college” guys – many had never had a “real” job before coming to our agency. They need guidance.

Which brings me to this point: In an ideal world, you would never have to tell adults to “pull up your pants, drop your skirt, button up your shirt (or blouse), cover your stomach, or any of a dozen practical locker room”. details you could teach your four-year-old before he performs in a school recital.

But this world is far from ideal. And many people at work aren’t smart enough to figure out the “proper” way to dress on their own. Of course, not all work environments require “proper” dress codes, but don’t think for a moment that it doesn’t reflect on you, one way or another.

A businesswoman once told me that she turned down a contract with a large agency (which was extremely qualified), simply because of the way they presented themselves. As she put it, “They can dress however they want in their offices. But when you introduce me and my people, when you want my business, you better dress like you care.”

On another occasion, after a year of doing business over the phone, a businessman was scheduled to meet the CEO (and therefore me!) for the first time. Usually dressed in a simple top and slacks, on this particular occasion I dressed in a pantsuit accessorized. “Jack” noticed immediately. In fact, she told the CEO, “This lady here is the complete package. She’s great on the phones, she dresses very well and her nails are beautiful and trim. The complete package.” (No matter that my pantsuit hadn’t seen the light of day in months, or my nails were $5 flat irons, I had accomplished my purpose: I impressed the client, which gave them a positive impression of our agency.)

So when you’re wondering if a dress code is necessary, you might want to look at it this way: as “Jack” would say, dressing up is part of the ‘package,’ just like coffee or copy paper. It’s part of doing business, and it could make the difference between landing that much-needed contract and those mega layoffs you’ve been trying to avoid.

And if you get complaints, just tell your people that you are running a real business with real customers. Let them know, “this is NOT your MTV!”