A typical marketing plan involves logos, TV spots, and billboards. But is there another way to advertise your business? If your company ever has face to face interaction with a client your dress code will speak volumes of your company's values. Several months ago my company changed its decades old policy to allow jeans to be worn on Fridays. For an officer which requires a shirt and tie four days a week it was a big deal.
Some firms are famous for their quirky dress codes. Tech companies are notorious for allowing its companies to show up Monday morning wearing flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts. Others like recently purchased Newsweek adhere to a very strict and professional dress code.
Deciding what duds should be worn in the office needs to be an intentional decision by management. Yes, it creates a company culture but it also impacts recruiting. As potential hires are weighing their options, dress code will certainly be taken in to account. There is also customer interaction. While some customers enjoy the relaxed nature of a contemporary, casual dress code - others see formal dress as an indication of a more serious approach to work.
As a general rule companies with a more creative focus have a more relaxed dress code. However, even Richard Branson's Virgin stopped short of going more relaxed than "business casual" after it acquired a bank earlier this year.
After my company changed its dress code, upper management was generally trusting to ensure we would still take our work seriously. In fact, to send their message we were shown this video (language is PG-13).
-Dave
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