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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

A Study on Workplace Attire in Indian Corporate

Amit Singh (Asst Prof), Mrs Smita R Kenneth (Asst Prof) Department of Business Administration, SRGI Jhansi,UP

ABSTRACT

Clothing or attire conveys a message, which is unconsciously yet immediately picked up by people ones meet. A simple and inconspicuous outfit while generally accepted maybe considered too loud for certain places and occasions. Such is the magnitude of dressing sense that people tend to gauge persona and merit according to the outfit. Although it may have an excellent grasp of what to wear in social gatherings and general get-togethers, official or business attire can get employees confounded. Unlike the common misconception, business attire doesn’t always mean a formal one. It may include evening wear and also be the casual business attire for those official. The office casuals however, differ from regular casuals but are definitely not formals and dressing is formal but not like the general formals. It goes without saying that appearance matters a lot and more so in the corporate arena. people attire is most often considered a reflection of their personality and consequently of their work style. It makes a statement about both how a person feel about himself/herself and what people can expect from a professional. The purpose of this study is to analyze the workplace code that should consider appropriate by employers and employees at workplace.

Keywords:- Appearance, Business Attire, , Dressing sense, Employers & Employees.

INTRODUCTION

Society’s standards (or lack thereof) regarding and grooming have certainly changed over the last 50 years. Taking a trip on an airplane used to mean “dressing up” and wearing the kind of clothes you would wear to church ― a and tie or a dress and heels. Now people fly in and and regularly wear to church. Some employees would happily wear nothing but sweatpants or jeans to work if their employers would let them.

For some employees, personal appearance ― including hairstyle, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, and head coverings as well as clothing ― is a form of self-expression. Religious mandates can also affect an employee’s appearance. Employers are confronted not only with excessively casual appearance but also with other extremes: looks that are too suggestive, too political, too dangerous, too bizarre. What’s “slightly sexy” to one person can be “downright vulgar” to another. So what’s an employer to do? How far can you go in regulating your employees’ appearance?

Generally, a company can enforce a dress code and standards related to employee appearance. However, employees must follow some legal restrictions and acknowledge some commonsense considerations when adopting, revising, or enforcing a dress code.

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

Dress codes that require gender-stereotypical appearance for women and men do not affect all people to the same degree. Indeed, for most gender conforming men and women, the typical sex-based dress code policy is unobjectionable. For others, however, having to appear stereotypically feminine or stereotypically masculine is so discordant with their identities that it may result in a total inability to remain employed in a particular workplace. The power, therefore, of the anti-differentiation approach to equality for dress code challenges is that the discrimination in a dress code policy "inheres in the not in its impact on any group or class."

LITERATURE REVIEW

“The way you look directly affects the way you think, feel, and act . . . . When you dress down, you sit down—the couch potato trend. Manners break down, you begin to feel down, and you’re not as effective” (Kaplan-Leiserson, 2000, p. 39). Stephen Goode (2000, p. 4) states the findings of research psychologist, Jeffery L. Magee, that “Continually relaxed dress leads to relaxed manners, relaxed morals and relaxed productivity” and “leads to a decrease in company loyalty and increase in tardiness.” Dolbow suggests that the accepted casual dress in the office workplace is causing “casual attitudes and a lack of office decorum” (2000, p. 10).

There are benefits to wearing casual clothing in the workplace, such as good morale, open communication between managers and employees, and a lack of cost to the employer (Gutierrez & Freese, 1999, p. 35-36). However, Gutierrez and Freese also note that the “professional image may be weakened if clients feel employees are too casual to be entrusted with their business.” Whether or not employers are aware of an effect in job performance because of casual dress is unknown. This problem was categorized as developmental research because it “focuses on the change and process of human development . . .” by examining “aspects of behavior in particular sociocultural contexts” (Brown, Cozby, Kee, & Worden, 1999, p. 9).

“There once was a time when a person could walk into the office of a manager, account executive, or salesperson and expect to see the individual behind the desk adorned in crisply pressed with starched white . It was something that was not open to discussion but rather ingrained in American culture that certain dress was considered appropriate in those professions” (McPherson, 1997, p. 134). However, since the beginning of the 1990s, a change has been occurring called casual dress (Biecher, Keaton, & Pollman, 1999). There are a variety of reasons as to why this adoption of dress has happened. Some sources state only the factual evidences for the implementation. “Casual Fridays were introduced, experts say, to improve morale among cynical white-collar folks who saw their coworkers falling like flies during the layoffs of the 1980s and early 1990s. Generally, the casual look was never meant to replace traditional Monday-through-Thursday business attire” (McPherson, 1997, p. 134).

Sweeney (1999, p. 38) used the words of Michael Zolnierczyk, director of sales and marketing at Model Apparel, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, who said “the casual dress movement began about five years ago in Los Angeles with such companies as Levi Strauss and Liz Claiborne.” Other resources say that “the birth of dress-down days is . . . credited, in part, to the high-tech companies in the Silicon Valley of California that, when they started 30 years ago, hired primarily people from blue-

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

collar backgrounds” (Gutierrez & Freese, 1999, p. 32). More than one source believes that this is the case, because Kaplan-Leiserson (2000, p. 38) states, “we could thank (or blame) the Internet age . . . . It’s generally agreed that casual days started on the U.S. West Coast, where computer companies allowed programmers to dress comfortably to encourage creativity. Like the Internet, the casual trend spread.”

Despite this more objective approach to the whole issue of casual business dress, there are those who feel that the change has been for a variety of subjective reasons. “Casual dressing may be the result of two distinct trends: a return to elegance as a way of conveying professionalism, and a loosening up of formal dress codes, as demonstrated by casual Fridays and dress-down days” (Biecher, et al., 1999, p. 17). “The dress-down movement is as symbolic as it is the result of indulgent management. Its roots are traceable to the egalitarian movement that began permeating industry in the early 1980s, leading to the current ideas of ‘teamwork’ and ‘empowerment.’ The idea was to reduce or eliminate class distinction regardless of one’s rank, salary, or corporate position” (p. 18). Kaplan-Leiserson (2000, p. 39) quotes Judith Rasband, director of the Conselle Institute of Image Management, as having said, “The trend isn’t about . It’s about the whole casualization of America that began in the turbulent 1960s. It’s about the general decline in civility.” “The dress- down mood here may be connected to the volatility of the job market in the last few years. You cannot sustain a high dress code during a period of instability” (McPherson, 1997, p. 135).

Overall, the outstanding consensus is that there has been a rise in casual dress in the recent past. “In the past 10 years, the trend toward dress-down Fridays and dress-down every days has spread through the corporate world” (Gutierrez & Freese, 1999, p. 32).

METHODOLOGY

. “Our employees are the ambassadors of the organization and their attire reflects the culture at their workplace,” said S Varadarajan, executive president, human resources, Tata Teleservices Limited. . The employers expect at interviews or at workplace is a standard dress code. Some Companies, or or even clubs sometime have what is called a 'dress code' which is nothing but a style of dressing considered appropriate at that place.eg) Normal office dress codes suggest Formal and shirts for men from monday through thursday, and smart casuals on fridays.Asking someone to follow the dress code appropriately would mean asking them to dress according to the manner suggested by the place.At place of work Casual and funky look only represents careless or carefree attitude, which makes employee undeserving for the job. It is expected from employees that they remain simple and most importantly dignified, which automatically conveys that they are calm, passionate and intelligent enough to handle the job. It is better to let the dress do the talk before they do, at the work place. The purpose of the study is to analyze general Formal business attire for employees (both males and females) defined in many Indian organizations and describe basic guideline for workplace attire. The

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

study totally based on secondary data gathered from newspapers, magazines, Internet and companies’ websites and previous research papers.

OUR APPROACH

Dressing up for a work position is still a struggle for many. How people dress up for work shows how seriously people take their work and that’s how others will perceive them. In this time of cut throat competition, seniors are constantly judging their subordinates, not just their work but also presentation skills.

Why organizations have dress code:

There are several reasons for an institution or organization to have a dress code.

 To promote unity and cohesion, since people who dress alike tend to subconsciously bond together; this is one of the reasons for various military and paramilitary groups to have a standard .  To project a certain attitude or culture, such as business casual or professional; this is why many legal firms and offices require business professional or business casual dress.  To discourage the formation of subgroups - this is often the reason for school , as administrators try to keep cliques and other in-groups from forming based upon clothing worn.  Another reason would be safety, particularly in industry and manufacturing - empoyees need to wear close-fitting clothes (no long flowing sleeves or ties) around machinery to reduce your risk of being pulled into the machine and killed.

Dress code in Indian corporate-

Business Formal Outfits For Women

In Business casual Attire for women wear simple and printed cotton in daily wear especially during summer season. Cotton are soft, comfortable and easily manageable and relax. Dress code include and sari blouse should be simple like u shaped neck blouse. Sari is typically worn over a (cotton ). Sari color depends on their face color or which it suits for them. Mostly saris color is light and dark green, blue, yellow and pink. While working you should pin up on the back shoulder so this keeps the sari in proper position to feel comfortable. For example, in our country jobs like teacher, secretary in any office and lawyer wear simple and printed sari. While going for job interview Indian women wear casual sari because to look smart and Very professional looks. Women mostly wear Indian dress to look professional on regular bases. Dress includes long (salwar) and Kameez. Tops should be half sleeves avoid too short or

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

sleeveless. Avoid fancy . A salwar kameez can be stitched in almost fabric, like chiffon, georgette, silk and cotton. It can be simple or heavily with artificial gem stones and embroidery, depending upon one's personal choice. Both salwar kameez and sari are traditional Indian dresses for females; we can find more women wearing the former. This is because it is more comfortable and requires, comparatively, less maintenance. Some women do not know to mix and match. They wear a formal top with jeans and hope it passes off for a formal dress. Of course they can wear western style formal dress too. Many women come dressed in garish make up. They feel it is fashionable to color their lips and nails a bright shade of red, or some jarring color. In an office set up, women have to be elegant and not frightening. Also some ladies have attachments on their bags that tinkle as they walk. Or they wear huge anklets that chime as they walk. These are considered distractions and they have to be avoided. Of course, it has been easier for the men to adapt than the women. For Indian women, who for the longest time, had been restricted to domesticity, venturing into the workforce meant taking on soft service sector jobs, i.e., teachers, bank tellers and retail store clerks. This meant not having to adhere to such a restrictive dress code. Saris were common. With educational standards rising and the Indian economy finding a prominent place in the international market, women began to enter sectors long-dominated by their male counterparts; and so began yet another interpretation of business formal. Today, with women working across all industries and sectors, business formal has become more or less defined to mean professional. As wide as the interpretation might seem, it has for the most part meant pants, collar shirts, the Indian two-piece salwar kameez, and flowing A-line that stop short just above the ankles. While redefining themselves, their capabilities and their feminity, women have continued to restrain their fashion sense to conform to age old conservatism. Even today, when these female executives travel internationally to secure multi-billion dollar deals and sit on global committees, they carry their identity as Indian women foremost. When given the choice, most prefer the pants/ look to the formal skirt/blouse ensemble. Conservative freedom could be the best way to describe it for these female executives. In a country where there remains even to this day, a lack of ethics standards, human resources policies and quality control, their choice of dress has found a sort of comfortable niche, neither being regulated nor challenged. Having defined business formal for themselves in the absence of established codes, Indian women today are balancing the thin line of what is acceptable and what is not, using the western world as a reference. On the whole, traditional Indian clothes are more comfortable than Western clothes, especially in the heat. Surprisingly, even in extremely hot weather, having your arms and legs covered with very light cotton actually keeps you cooler than and halter tops can. The can be as comfortable as , especially if they are made of pure cotton. They are by far the most comfortable thing to wear for overnight journeys.But traditional Indian garment are not only comfortable, they are also beautiful—and they are far more flattering to imperfect figures than most Western styles. Even a person with a very prosperous figure, so to speak, looks much more graceful and beautiful in a sari or well-cut Punjabi dress .The sari, which is arguably the most beautiful style of dress in the world, is the most common form of women’s clothing; it’s worn almost

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

everywhere in India, although it’s wrapped in different ways according to local custom. Saris are comfortable and easy to wear once get used to them.

General Attire The day-to-day attire for women, since liberal, depends largely on the choice of colour. A few of the following tips will help women deck-up for the daily office routine:

 Stick to pastel shades. Flashy and over bright colours are a strict no-no at office.  Formal business suits with close pressed trousers and without ties.  Shirts or either matching or subtly contrasting the overall outfit.  Formal skirts with compulsory  A tie or to add a little bit colors is permitted.  Close toed formal or firm-fitted open-toed heels/flats.  Minimal and simple .  Black or brown leather belts.  Black or brown leather purses or office bags.  Subtle make-up in basic shades if required.

Indian Formals  Deep colored saris, preferably cotton saris.  Well-fitted salwar-suits with dupatta.  Loose fitting kurtas, preferably collared, without dupattas  Avoid plunging necklines and fancy neck-patterns on blouses and kurtas  Sleeveless attires allowed but not straps.  Firm-fitted to avoid the noise on office floor.

Official Party Or Get-Together The employees’ dress code on official get-togethers also applies to the spouse of the employee. When dressing up for own office’s get-togethers or even for husband’s office get-together, the following should be the code:  Dark tailored suits and white linen blouses without ties.  Knee-length dark one pieces with close-toed heels or flats.  Knee-length skirts and compulsory stockings with bright but not flashy blouses.  A bright or scarf can be used to accessorise the outfit.  Broad straps for sleeves are allowed.  Avoid over-flashy colours but light and basic colours like baby-pink and peach are welcome.  Avoid over-exposure of legs and cleavage.  Light make-up in basic shades.

Indian Outfits

 Deep and royal shades of saris and salwar-suits with subtle borders or glittery embroidery.  Matching but subtle open toed with/without heels.  Matching clutches or simple purses. 42 Amit Singh, Mrs Smiths R Kenneth

International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

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Business Casual Outfits For Women  If business formal attire for women is a slippery affair then business casual outfit is a definite swamp. However, these pointers must give enough directions to guide you through the marshland called business casuals for women.  Skirts, slacks, blouses, , sets and  Khakis, chinos, and with polo shirts or casual button-downs.  Avoid cut-offs, tank tops and flip-flops.  Knee-length or -length kurtas with denims.  Closed-toe/ heels or sling-backs.

Business Formal Outfits For Men:

Men have to wear formal shirts and pants, their shirts have to be tucked into their pants and they have to wear . But many come with shirts not tucked in and wear floaters to office.When employees come to work, they are supposed to be clean and appear clean. So outfit has to be ironed and neat. Wearing dark shirt and pants too are not aesthetic in nature. Light colored shirt has to be paired with a dark pant. Some people come wearing the same shade of shirt and pant. It gives the impression of a uniform. People who work in factories and workshops have uniforms, not in corporate offices. People working in airlines, hotels and travel business will have uniforms. Wearing of jeans in office is frowned upon, except when it is worn on Saturdays. On Saturdays casual dress is allowed.

Not only dress, even the accessories have importance. The right pair of shoes have to be worn. No sports shoes, bathroom or any other casual footwear can part of corporate dress code. Shoes can be black, brown or tan shade. When formal shoes are worn, it gives the outfit an elegant look. Even have to be elegant, no torn ones or sagging ones. Belts have to be subtle and look sophisticated. One cannot come wearing fancy belts or belts that are frayed. Calling attention to belt is not a fashion statement. With western-wear particularly, high heels are considered ideal for a professional look. Not stilettos, but just a couple of inches of heels. If men are not comfortable in those, a good alternative is wedges, which have a broad platform at the heel. However, increasingly, flat shoes are being accepted in the corporate environment. in a corporate environment, fully open- toed shoes and slippers are not considered appropriate. Many do not come well groomed to office. They do not believe in shaving or having a decent hair cut. Some sport a pony tail and some come wearing crumpled clothes. Having a bath every morning and a generous dose of deodorants is very essential.

General Attire: Most companies make formal dressing a norm for their employees. This norm calls for men to be dressed in regular formals like:

 Pastel-colored pants.  Shirts varying from light solids to small and inconspicuous checks and stripes  Pastel ties complimenting the overall outfit (if required by the employer)  Black or deep brown leather belt with a small or no buckle.

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

 Close toed shoes, laced or others but always well polished  Dark coloured socks.  Office bags like laptop bags or basic leather bags.

Official Party Or Get- Together On such occasions, employee may have to share space with the senior-most management along with your immediate boss. Such get-togethers are often family affairs hence employees must ensure that their spouse is also decked up for the occasion. This sort of dress code is apt for award dinners and dressy evening business associations. When the dress code is to dress in business formal attire, the following goes:

 Dark tailored suits  White shirts with links  Close toed shoes of conservative colour and style  Pocket squares of silk or linen.

Business Casual Outfits for Men Casuals create a ground for much debate. Remember, they say casual but they mean office casuals. They are less formal than general but more formal than clubbing outfit. Men need to strike a balance. High-End Business Casuals  Suits with dressy sport shirts  Dress trousers  Dressy collared sport shirts that do not require a tie  Sweaters or sport  All leather belt and shoes or subtle lifestyle shoes Regular Business Casuals:  Khakis or chinos  Knit golf shirts  Collared T-shirts with subtle prints  Black or brown leather belts  Sandals or sneakers

Along with all the above, both men and women must take care to follow general cleanliness guidelines religiously like:  Clean cut nails  Neatly styled or cut hair  Avoid strong perfumes but deodorants are a must  Avoid facial hair or keep it neatly trimmed at all times.

Women preferred Fab India, India’s very popular destination, for its cotton-made skirts, shirts and linen pants, while men stuck to formal pleated pants, button-down shirts in various prints and solids-- short sleeve for summer and long sleeve for winter. For a new graduate in such a market, it then becomes the natural course of action to head to a Fab India or a Phillip Van Huesen. Incidentally,

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International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

when PVH first entered the Indian market, they did carry both women’s and men’s lines. However, the formal pants and straight, short skirts didn’t generate enough demand from its female customers, and thus the retailer made a conscious effort to focus on menswear.

Apparel brands such as Raymond, Vimal, Wills Lifestyle, Grasim, Louis Phillipe and Jade Blue among others are promoting this new look men formal that reflects the modern world. Advertising campaigns are tailored around this new look, too. High energy colours have spread from accessories such as ties and pocket squares to the main garments. And with bold checks, stripes, inner detailing patterns and slimmer fits, companies are trying to create excitement around work-wear. “The Indian male is becoming more conscious, with style evolving across all dressing occasions including work- wear,”

While many companies have modified their product lines when venturing into a new market--like McDonald’s McAloo Tikki burger (India’s vegetable sandwich consisting of a potato patty)--PVH has actually benefited from the growth spurt India has undergone. Executives realized they needed to adopt the professional attire of the western world in to be taken seriously and achieve competitiveness. Accordingly, they had to sacrifice comfort for the formal attire of the global business community.

Dressing style of Indian business Icon:-

 Sabeer Bhatia-The email pioneer ensures that he is always dapper with fine suits and Oxford shirts with mirrored Italian leather shoes when working. His casual attire is limited to neat Polos, pressed khakis, and suitable complements.  Ajay Bijli-The CEO of PVR converted his family’s trucking business with a single cinema screen into the multi-crore empire that it is today. His suits and designer, sturdy shoes place him at the pinnacle of corporate chic and professional panache  Muzaffar Ahmad Noori Bajwa-A straightforward man with crisp, classic styling, he keeps his corporate attire well tailored with sharp suits and bold, gentleman's ties, and accessories.  Shah Rukh Khan-The creator of Red Chillies Entertainment is a through and through style icon. Suits, jeans, t-shirts, and any type of clothing and accessory, Bollywood’s King is able to them all justice.  Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI- Bank-An unbelievable overachiever, Chanda Kochhar has proved that being simple can make a style statement too. She completely understands that clothes play an important part in proposing an image of confidence and triumph in this corporate jungle. With crisp silk and cotton saris pinned properly, Chanda Kochhar creates the right grace, sophistication and authority. She completes her look by adding some refined ornament pieces which match her clothing and compliment it in true sense  Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, BIOCON-The queen of biotech, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is known across the world not only for her well-thought business ideas, but also for her power dressing. This fashionable lady has multi-hued avatars when it comes to fashion. Sometimes she is spotted in elegant traditional outfits, but most of the times she carries her chic businesswoman look with formal suits. She adds a dash of style statement to her clothing by 45 Amit Singh, Mrs Smiths R Kenneth

International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com September 2014, Volume 2 Issue 4, ISSN 2349-4476

picking matching and her love for pearl is quite evident with her beautiful pearl strings that complement the heavenly blush on her face.

CONCLUSION

Generally, a company can enforce a dress code and standards related to employee appearance. However, employee must follow some legal restrictions and acknowledge some commonsense considerations when adopting, revising, or enforcing a dress code. Sex discrimination claims challenging the imposition of dress codes seem to favour the Employer, There are many corporate work environments that enforce a professional dress code. Each employer has their own policies and will have different requirements when it comes to dress codes. Some careers in professional settings include:

 Finance  Legal  Banking  Sales It is also best to dress in a professional manner for interviews or business meetings. Remember that it's important to make a good first impression and the image you project will often be one that employers or clients will not forget. Clothes can say a lot about a person and if one dress professionally and have a polished look at a meeting or interview, it can indicate that a person take the job seriously and understand the industry. There are several things to avoid when dressing professionally. These include:  Short sleeve shirts  T-Shirts  Jeans  Shorts  Sneakers   Anything wrinkled, dirty or torn

A well define attire certainly provides the best formal look & most professional image for the organization & makes any employee look very smart in their line of work. It gives them the confidence & very smart look they strive for each day & greatly enhances their confidence in their work representing an establishment. It also drives them on for greater success in their role to achieve the very high expectations & standards of the organization. Irrespective of whether it is Indian or western, wearing something that fits you well is what will give you that extra boost of confidence!” REFERENCES [1]Barnes, ML and Rosenthal ,R(1985,in Kaiser,1990), interpersonal effects of experimental attractiveness ,attire and gender, journal of personality and social psychology,48,435-446.

[2]Barr, ED (1934,in Kaiser ,1990),A psychological analysis of fashion motivation, New York: Archives of Psychology.

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[3]Brooke, I (1937) A history of English , : Methuen

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