Has the code of dress for success changed with fashion trends?

I’m often amazed by the fashion trends I see and the reactions to them. For instance many of the trends that my nieces are wearing are very similar to the type of things I wore in high school, but their parent’s reactions to them are different. My nephews dress way differently than my brothers did at their age, yet some accept it as the way they dress these days while others call it sloppy. Just so you know, from seventh grade up my brothers were really into stonewashed or torn jeans. So why is there always the continual generational fuss on acceptable personal dress codes?

What about business dress codes? Some towns in my state are trying to change the way others dress in order to give the town a better look to attract more interest from the business world. We want to attract new business and more jobs after all so let’s spend town budget on an advertising campaign to promote a better dress code. Some of these town leaders may be reacting to what their citizens want and others may just have been raised like me in the “dress for success” era. What do you think; do we need a dictated dress code?

Do fashion trends set what is acceptable business wear? In other words, is showing fancy colored straps hanging out of tops or proudly displaying plaids, paisleys and prints via pushed down pants ok at work? Should it matter where one works or is professionalism in attire not matter anymore? Do we only need to look good for interviews or is it still important for job advancement? What ever happened to dress for the success code of dressing for the job you want? Does wearing an office uniform of jeans and a T-shirt mean we no longer want to be managers or is it meant to denote the creative types and geeks from the rest of the work force? Do we still have white collar and blue collar uniforms, if we do – what do the colors really mean in today’s work force? Are logo-embossed polo shirts in matching colors a work uniform or just an identifier at conferences?

Did casual Friday kill dressing professionally or did it boost moral and creativity as was expected? Does your company have a dress code? Does this code make it easier to work or restrict you in some way? Let me know what your company is doing and what you think about it. Give me your perspectives on my other questions and fashion related ramblings too. Thanks for reading this and hopefully it did not cause you too much physical strain from excessive eye-rolling.

NOTE: Ehow Editors offer how to dress for a job interview tips to men and women.