The Saga of Office Dress Codes

' Pink!!'  Anne screamed. 'I can't wear pink to my office mama! It is not allowed.'As Anne's mom stood looking at her daughter's animated antics, Anne explained to her that in her office they had office dress codes and pink was one of the colors that was off the list of wearable colors. And Anne continued to wrestle with her choices in her wardrobe.Are you among the ones who stand in front of their wardrobes each day wondering what to wear to office? Yes, If your office has a prescribed dress code decisions become simpler, to a certain degree.  What one wears to office reflects the culture of the office. Office dress codes essentially are an image exercise. Companies that want to project a serious corporate image to their clients issue office dress codes to all its employees. You will notice that professionals working in banks and financial institutions understand the dynamics behind power dressing and you will find them immaculately dressed - always. Generally companies prefer that their employees wear all formal on the weekdays and business casuals on the weekends.As a professional, one is expected to dress impeccably. A person who takes time to dress well probably takes his job seriously too. If you aim to be in the top management one day, you probably know that personal appearance really counts. Impressions count. Appearances count too and more so if you have to deal with company's clients. If you look groomed and professional, your clients will have easier time in trusting you and your employers will probably be watching every move of yours carefully and you will definitely score over your competitors who probably don't think the same way. The idea here is to dress for success both, organizational and individual.Generally to be on the safer side, men can go for double breasted or single breasted suits depending on their frame and choice. The colors can be shades of blue, charcoal and grey. A white shirt is the basic but lighter shades of blue win the day. A conservative tie, nice trimmed hair, subtle cologne, mild aftershave with all tattoos hidden ought to do it. Women can go for formal pant suits or skirt suits. Light colored shirts and black or brown neat shoes, groomed hair, neutral lip colors and black or brown eye liner, simple ear rings and a simple chain look elegant. Fruity or floral perfumes are preferred. Pierced ears with multiple earrings, tattoos, cheap perfumes, frayed clothing, jingling jewelry, flip flops should be avoided at all cost. Never wear sneakers to office; they aren't business casuals not by any stretch. Your supervisors and HR can always help you in case you find things too complex.Certain offices have uniforms. Uniforms certainly make life easier for everyone. Office dress code violations are taken seriously by the organizations. Advice, warnings may precede the official actions taken by the HR. The world being a global village, office dress codes help in bringing a sense of uniformity in the collective diversity in offices where people from different strata of life and nationalities come together to work under one roof. Office dress codes work as a unifying factor and certainly help avoid the disasters and distractions that casual dressing may bring in serious working environment.