Are Company Dress Codes Getting Too Casual?

 

Business casual or “flip flop Fridays”, THAT is the question.

Recently, there has been a trend in many companies to ‘loosen the ties’ on corporate dress codes, so to speak. Many innovative companies, like Google, Apple, and Facebook, are ditching the suits in exchange for a more laid-back dress code. The thought behind the change is that the more relaxed dress code will inspire innovation and creativity. If you have seen The Intership, then you know how relaxed and innovative the Google headquarters are, so it should come as no surprise that employees dress casually with very few restrictions. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, was recently spotted at a conference wearing open toed Nike sandals and slouchy jeans. These successful CEOs would rather have employees focus on the work the are doing than if their clothes are work appropriate.

We, at launchbox, believe in being comfortable and have no formal dress code, although all employees consistently show up looking put together. Outfits are never sloppy, but the laid-back dress code allows employees to fell comfortable in the office. We would rather focus on getting work done than spend time enforcing dress code rules.

However, while innovation is desirable, is it wise to ditch the formal dreads in more corporate offices? Should the partners of a law firm be sporting baseball caps and clever graphic tees? There is definitely a line between causal and sloppy, but where is that line drawn, and who draws it? How do we decide between looking professional and being comfortable? Do we have to choose?

This Fast Company article addresses many of those questions, and poses a few more. We would love to know what you think!