Times have changed since office work equated to wearing knee-length skirts, pantyhose and boxy blazers. Corporate dress codes have lightened up and now allow employees to dress in comfortable, casual clothes that are affordable. Gone are the days of spending more at the dry cleaners than at the gas pump and your jeans sitting in the closet until the all-too-short weekend. Now, you can wear jeans to the workplace in many companies.
Creativity
Finally! Employers have realized how important creative answers are to overcoming obstacles that stand between them and success. They also discovered that people are more creative when they are comfortable and not dressed like a bunch of Stepford Wives who have gone corporate. Since jeans are something almost everyone -- except a Stepford Wife -- has in the closet, adding them to the corporate what-to-wear list is a natural progression.
Benefit
Individuality gives employees a since of belonging to something bigger. By loosening up on the dress code to allow jeans and other causal clothing into the workplace, you have more flexibility to be yourself. This flexibility decreases stress levels and improves morale. A casual dress code is also one of those benefits a company can offer that costs zero dollars and yet is valued by employees.
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While you can wear jeans to work, under certain circumstances, you probably should not. If you are giving a presentation to outside clients or interviewing for an internal position, dress slacks, a skirt or even a stylish suit will help you feel more confident and look more professional. As a representative of the company, you will impress visitors with the success of the company if you dress successfully a lot better than you will in faded blue jeans, athletic shoes and a corporate polo.
Approriate
Not every pair of jeans is designed to be worn at work. The bleach-splotched, hem-frayed jeans that are soft from years or wear may be your favorite weekend slacks but may stand out as raggedy at work. The designer jeans that fit like a second skin and are frayed in strips down both legs may look hot at the club but may show a little too much of a good thing during work hours. Workplace jeans should fit and be in good to excellent condition. Leave the rips, tears, frays and funky, worn looks for play time.