Despite changing fashions in the workplace, ties still command an element of respect. Image courtesy of Dave Di Biase/sxc.hu
It may be the age of
casual Fridays and tie-less suits, but it seems the majority of workers still prefer dealing with those wearing
formal clothing – according to a new poll.
The research by officebroker.com, who help thousands of small businesses each year, found that nearly three quarters (68 percent) of workers felt ‘more confident of a positive outcome’ when dealing with smartly dressed
business people.
A mere one in five said they preferred the casual approach with 12 percent stating that they had no preference.
Workers were said to feel ‘more respected’ when dealing with others in formal attire, with many stating they believed the service they would receive would be of a ‘higher quality’ than by somebody in a t-shirt and jeans.
However, the importance of formality was found to have its boundaries with 8 percent of those polled stating that a tie wasn’t necessary when trying to project a professional image.
Of those workers polled 60 percent said their business still operated a traditional, formal
dress code. Twenty eight percent said they were allowed to wear what they wanted all the time, with 12 percent going formal when meeting external people.
Unsurprisingly formal attire was most demanded in traditional
professional services industries such as finance and law, with a more relaxed dress code allowed in
creative industries and among firms which had little direct external interaction.
A spokesman from officebroker.com said the results go some way to dismissing the belief that the days of the formal
dress code were numbered.
He said: “Never before has there been such diversity in what people are allowed to wear to work and as such workers are dealing with an increasing number of informally dressed people. However what our research found was that, for most, they actually felt more confidence in the person they were dealing with if the person was dressed formally.
“It’s all a matter of first impressions and regardless of a person’s ability they will be judged on how they look. We found that smarter dressed employees made a better first impression which may help them establishing long-term business relationships in the future.
“It is worth noting that opinions differed significantly between industries and for some a person in a
suit and tie would be viewed as outdated and out of touch with the latest industry trends.”
He concluded: “One of the most interesting findings was that what ‘formal’ now stood for had changed, with nearly all the respondents admitting that they felt a tie was overkill. However, lose the jacket as well and for many you may be seen as being underdressed, it really is a fine line.”