• Business
    • Case Studies
    • Companies
    • Growth
    • Strategy
  • Functional
    • Finance
    • HR
    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
    • Books
    • LDR Show
    • Leadership Nuggets
    • Movie Wisdom
    • Soundbytes
    • Women & Leadership
  • Personal
    • Character
    • Values
    • Competence
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
Leaderonomics.com
Leaderonomics.com
  • Business
    • Case Studies
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

    • Companies
      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

    • Growth
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

    • Strategy
      Ways To Stay Motivated As You Build Your Business

      Ways To Stay Motivated As You Build Your Business

      Embracing Change

      Embracing Change

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      How To Build Winning Teams

      How To Build Winning Teams

  • Functional
    • Finance
      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

    • HR
      When Should You Speak Up?

      When Should You Speak Up?

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

    • Books
      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

    • LDR Show
      What Do Your Customers Need?

      What Do Your Customers Need?

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

    • Leadership Nuggets
      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

    • Movie Wisdom
      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Life Lessons From <i>Goodbye Christopher Robin</i>

      Life Lessons From Goodbye Christopher Robin

    • Soundbytes
      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      Finishing Our Race Well

      Finishing Our Race Well

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

    • Women & Leadership
      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

  • Personal
    • Character
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

    • Values
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

    • Competence
      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      The Shocking Truth About Success

      The Shocking Truth About Success

  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
Home
Personal

Business Casual Or Casualty?

March 17th, 2014 Personal

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Business Casual Or Casualty?Personal

Photo Source: Kevin Dooley

By WENDY LEE

I was reading an article onboard a plane when a little paragraph caught my attention – A survey done with human resources (HR) professionals in Malaysia found that more than 60% of potential candidates would be well groomed during interviews, but would slack off after that.

It’s similar to going for a cake with beautiful icing, only to find after a few bites that it tastes bland.

A female employee would be in her court shoes on her first day, but ballerina flats a year later.

A male employee would pick his best shirt on the day of the interview, but six months later, he would turn up in his just-woke-up-from-bed-T-shirt, should no one say anything about it.

Sounds familiar? This is common at workplaces here in Malaysia, except perhaps for the hospitality industry, where good grooming is part and parcel of the job description.

In general, we see people slack due to several reasons:

1. Complacency – I’ve secured my position. No one is going to fire me if I decide to wear my worn-out 20-year-old shirt today.

2. Office culture – No one else dresses up. Why should I? I’d be so out of place!

3. Attitude – You want me to wake up at 5am to mix and match my attire?

4. No specific guidelines – Who says my skirt is too short?

5. No proper training – I didn’t know my blouse is considered too trendy for work wear.

And when you have companies that adopt dress-down Fridays, the lines between what is acceptable and what is pushing the limit becomes blurred.

This is one of the headaches faced by many HR managers and employers, especially when a company has never had dress code guidelines, or when long-tenured staff have always dressed down at work.

Casual Fridays often create more wardrobe anxiety than its “casual” name suggests.

So how do you nail a relaxed yet work-friendly outfit for Fridays?

First and foremost, the term “casual” doesn’t give you the freedom to wear whatever you have in your closet.

Different companies will adopt different ideas on the term casual Fridays. There are companies that will only allow corporate T-shirts and there are those that will not have anything more casual than a short-sleeved shirt.

So, for the benefit of those that are trying to decipher the boundaries of business casual, here are a few pointers.

WHAT YOU SHOULD LEAVE AT HOME

– “Tired, worn-out” clothes that are faded should be used when you are doing gardening.

– Clothes that no longer fit you – either too tight or too loose.

– Ask yourself before you slip into any item – “Can I wear this for an after-nine clubbing?” If the answer is yes, then don’t wear it to office.

– Anything that either a cockroach or mice have had a share on. Even if it’s a tiny hole, the thread will eventually give way.

For ladies:

– No matter how much you want to flaunt your assets, the office is not the place for you to show off your ultra-short hemlines and plunging necklines.

– Flip-flops, no matter how comfortable they are, are a definite no-no in the office.

– For business casuals, you may replace your jackets with chic cardigans. But don’t go into anything that is made of leather or denims. Even suede materials will not look good after a few washes.

– You may swap for clothing that is slightly relaxed like cotton or linen. But don’t play hide and seek with sheer or opaque tops.

For Gentlemen:

– Collared T-shirts are still preferred. But do make sure your collars are not wrinkled.

– Your T-shirt must be relatively new, not stretched out of shape, or have bits of fibre coming out everywhere.

– Choose well-pressed khakis over jeans. But if you do pick jeans, pick darker, dressier fabrics.

– Forget safety boots and anything that looks old and scruffy. Dirty shoes don’t speak well of you no matter what the brand or the rest of your outfit is.

– Keep on shaving.

When it comes to business casual, the general idea is that you are still able to conduct important meetings or be presentable enough to meet clients. You never know who you may bump into.

Would you feel comfortable sitting with a VIP client wearing whatever outfit you have on that day? If a vendor or a supplier were to wear what you are wearing today, would you be impressed by him or her?

Would you trust and buy whatever product or service he or she is selling? If you are not 100% sure, don’t wear it.

Your image is your brand. How you look says something about you, the work you do, and the company you represent. If any of the five reasons above resulted in you slacking, do something about it. Don’t allow your business casuals to turn you into a business casualty.

Click here for more articles.

Share this :

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Tags
  • Image Matters
  • Wendy Lee
Next article Quotable Quotes: Sustainable Leadership
Previous article Helping Your Team Members Build Their Careers

Related Posts

Tips For Dressing Up From College To Corporate World Personal

Tips For Dressing Up From College To Corporate World

Entering Work 101: The Opening Act Career

Entering Work 101: The Opening Act

Beauty Is Not Just Skin-Deep Personal

Beauty Is Not Just Skin-Deep

How You Can Harness The Power Of Your Voice From Passive To Assertive Personal

How You Can Harness The Power Of Your Voice From Passive To Assertive

Go Get That Money, Money, Money Personal

Go Get That Money, Money, Money

The Right <i>Solection</i> : A Man's Guide To Footwear Essentials Personal

The Right Solection : A Man's Guide To Footwear Essentials

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bahasa Malaysia | English

Pick of The Week

Feb 4th 7:54 PM
Business

When Should You Speak Up?

Jan 31st 9:00 AM
Business

Embracing Digital To Power Growth

Jan 29th 9:00 AM
Functional

Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

NEW – On The Leaderonomics Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY0Z5dJVSI
  • Business
  • Functional
  • Leadership
  • Personal
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-Mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Back to top

About Leaderonomics.com

Leaderonomics.com is a leadership portal owned by Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming nations through leadership development. Leaderonomics.com features leadership insights, trends, CEOs, thought leaders, HR leaders and inspiring real-life stories for your personal and professional development.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy      
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.
[Sitemap | RSS]
Copyright © 2010-2019 Leaderonomics Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved