The following exchange was overheard recently in the first class carriage of a London bound train:
"Oh, hi, David - casual clothes day again?"
"No, worse than that - we're supposed to wear casual clothes every bloody day now. It's a complete nightmare!"
The scrapping of the traditional "uniform" of the City worker, which has begun to happen in those firms who wish to be seen as modern and forward-looking, was supposed to be greeted as a liberating experience by employees, a welcome release from the conventions of formal wear. So why are many complaining that the new rules present problems of their own?
Part of the difficulty seems to be that we do judge by appearances. No management edict is going to make it possible to turn up at the office in tatty jeans; we are supposed to convey a "smart casual" image - but what does that mean in practice? A well cut jacket, perhaps, with a designer shirt, no tie? Nothing too tweedy, of course - we don't want to look countrified…what about a turtleneck sweater? Or would that seem a bit elderly for the firm's youthful, laid-back image? What about shoes - those sleek black shoes, of which you have three interchangeable pairs, are way too conventional for the New Look. What about socks, for heaven's sake?
Of course, for women employees the concept of formal wear has always been less rigidly defined. To some extent they have always had to grapple with the problems implied by "smart casual" dressing, and the shelving of that useful standby, the neat grey suit, is just one more irritation which has to be coped with. But for men, a whole new area of anxiety has just opened up. Instead of the simplicity of a traditional suit and tie, which offers scope for self-expression in small variations of style and colour, the unfortunate employee has to grapple every day with the problems posed by putting together a suitable look out of his existing wardrobe. Soon it becomes evident that new clothes are required in order to turn up for work in a variety of reasonably smart outfits, which can nevertheless pass as informal by the old standards. But what about the impact our appearance makes outside our own workplace? You may feel quite happy lunching in the staff restaurant in your designer sweatshirt and chinos (though you'd better stick to salad - this look is a lot more unforgiving than the good old dark suit), but how will you feel if you are suddenly called to do a client presentation? Will the client see you as excitingly unconventional, or just scruffy?
In some organisations there is a consensus about dress which does in fact reflect a truly democratic ethos in the firm. All employees have been encouraged to put forward their views, and agreement has been reached on a set of guidelines which everyone finds acceptable. But too often, what happens is that new dress codes are imposed from above as a means of suggesting modern enlightened management techniques, without the trouble or expense of making any real changes in staff conditions. The rules about dress for work are just rewritten in a more subtle way, which actually makes greater demands on the staff. Yes, the firm is getting rid of the old stereotype - but the pressure is on to conform to a new, young, fashionable stereotype, which looks good only on the twenty-somethings in IT. There is the suggestion that dressing down is in some way more egalitarian; in fact, the greater choice available will emphasise differences in purchasing power.
If you look at a picture of City workers in 1960, it will be evident that small changes have occurred over the years without any deliberate intervention. The once-familiar bowler hat has disappeared; pinstripes are much less common. Fashion evolves naturally, and if left to make their own decisions, people will find individual ways of interpreting its rules. But now the politically correct bandwagon is rolling, natural evolution is being overridden, and it is probably only a matter of time before the new trend takes over completely. So what will happen then? Paradoxically, today's casual fashion could end up as tomorrow's standard wear - who knows, in twenty years we may see a stream of tired workers flowing over London Bridge, identically attired in regulation denim.