Was thinking about this topic lately over a relaxing chillout session with my girlfriends, all in their established careers, mid level executive to senior manager level and ....
we realized one thing.
Though there are so many image consultants, veterans & newbies in the industry to help groom the corporate race, WHY is it that we CONSISTENTLY see our locals or foreigners still in their sometimes monotonous boring color-mismatching style (shirt with pants/ blouse with skirt for ladies & gentlemen) five days a week & completely casual (teeshirt & berms /shorts) on weekends?
But when you have attended a corporate grooming seminar/workshop before, you know the corporate dress codes set for us ain't that.
As we dwell deeper into the scene, we actually realise this one thing.
Associations are important as they play an important role in setting good standards.
After setting standards, the more critical work we are left here is to UPDATE and COMMUNICATE these standards.
After speaking to a good handful of renowned image consultants in the market today, we found that the standards may or may not be applicable to many large multinational companies today as they grow global.
Even as auditors or bankers in ORQ or Shenton Way are merely in shirt & pants, no ties.
Many companies like Apple, Google & Facebook adopt & prefer the smart business casual code.
The ones in Nike & Adidas are dressed very simply or rather encouraged to wear sporty.
No business suits.
Not even the CEOs today.
We saw alot of CEOs & Chairman leaving their ties at home and come simply with shirt & jeans!
Where is the corporate dress codes??
We were told they wear blazer only when they meet very important clients, other times they are dressed in smart casual - shirt & jeans.
And i can vouch for this.
When I was an auditor from one of the Big Four, the employees & the bosses of most of the large MNCs we audited are allowed to adopt the global dress codes (referring to Americans) which is again, shirt with pants, no ties, sometimes polo tees, and they are in comfortable trainers, not shoes.
Those who are really in suits all the time are the ones selling jewellery in Goldheart, Lee Hwa Jewelry or those working in luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari & those front line in the hotels. These are Customer Service Staff.
So how do you interpret this?
1) There is a lot of work to be done as image consultants? A major facelift, renovation work to carry out!
2) Image consultants need to review what they have been taught in their syllabus to adapt their approach here. Many people also now have their personality injected in their dressing. If you really clueless, you can copy the customer service staff.
Be yourself.
Learn how to find your individuality in your dressing.
Xoxo,
Gelainza
