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From: defaria@hpclapd.HP.COM (Andy DeFaria)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Dress code
Message-ID: <6610004@hpclapd.HP.COM>
Date: 3 Aug 90 23:28:29 GMT
References: <847@meaddata.mead.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Calif. Language Lab
Lines: 43

Real good stuff!  Good response!

>It is also interesting to consider the flip side of this.  What would you
>think if you went and interviewed at a company where everyone in the software
>department wore a suit.  Let's assume that you didn't get a chance to
>ask anyone about this. But when you went away, what would be your first
>impression?
>Would you conclude that they MUST have a forced dress code?  Would you
>conclude that the place is too "stuffy" for your tastes?  

I spent 8 years contracting and every place I went a suit was required so I
have seen the "flip side".  Would  I conclude that there  is a forced dress
code.  Sure I would if *everybody* was wearing suits.  And the part  that I
don't like about that is the word "forced".  I don't like being forced.

>I don't defend dress codes, but I have also seen people who do like to
>dress up every day be ostrasized or ridiculed as being vain by others who
>regularly dress more casually. 

The difference is that at a  company that has a strict  dress code, you are
not ridiculed but *told* to change.

>When the
>image of "who they are" (devil may care, free thinking, casual type)
>person conflicts with the  image of that the company decision maker wants to 
>see portrayed (structured, dedicated to the organization, formal) that
>is where the problem lies. 

But who's to say that the "company decision maker" is  right?  I mean I can
understand  that a  suit is associated with formallity  and structure but I
believe that it's  a creative leap of  the imagination to associate  a suit
with dedication   to   the  job.    (I  believe   that   "dedicated  to the
organization" is protrayed by wearing a suit.  After all you  are sucomming
(sp?)  their rules, but is professionalism  dedication  to the organization
(loyality)  or is it   dedication  to the job  at  hand that  best exhibits
professionalism?)

>Scott McGregor
>(personally, I prefer varied environments with a mixture of casual and
>formal dress.  I won't force that on anyone, but I might use that as
>one aspect of deciding where I would be comfortable).
>----------

Most definitely agree!