Do you think appearance doesn’t count in the workplace? Well, think again. The quality of your work might be the most important thing but your appearance also leaves an immediate impression on your colleagues, management, including the customers you attend to. While eccentricity might be allowed and even embraced in some settings, most workplaces are conservative and want you to be too. And if your company has a dress code policy which you don’t adhere to, your job could hang by your threads. But this is not it, guys- Dressing appropriately varies from gender and also the kind of job you have. In fact, our clothing also has a lot to do with our social status, you don’t believe me, then let’s take a quick look at some of the characters from Friends.
Beginning with Chandler Bing, nobody knows what chandler does. Okay jokes aside, he works first as an IT Procurement Manager and then as a Vice President of IT Procurement with the specialization Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration in the first 9 seasons and as an Advertising Copywriter in the end. We would very clearly notice that Chandler’s job required him to wear suit and pant which he turns around with his very colourful ties. The very purpose of dressing according to our workplace is for us to blend with the rest of them.
However in the last few episodes when Chandler quits his job and works as an Advertising Copywriter, although his co-workers dress more casually, he still could not break away from the habit of wearing formals which makes him stand out in a very negative light.
Coming next to our trend setter, the undisputed fashion queen of TV show Friends, Rachel Green rocked all the workplace attires. She first worked as a waitress at coffee shop, then an assistant at fortunate fashions where she was also required nothing but pouring coffee, buyer and personal shopper at Bloomingdale’s, and lastly as an executive at Ralph Lauren. We’ll look at the trajectory of her workplace attires beginning with the coffee shop. Usually as a waitress, people are often required to wear a uniform t-shirt with an apron and a skirt. At the coffee shop at central park, she had the freedom to choose from her own wardrobe. But we can see that Rachel mostly chose to wear casual t-shirts from a wardrobe full of dresses, sweaters and formal shirts. Why so? Because working as a waitress and having a low paid job, the people she meets and mingles with does not demand her to be so formal and from such a position when she however moves to a high end job where the cultural and social values are high, she is required to dress up in a certain way. Such a trajectory can be seen throughout the show.
When she started working at Fortunata Fashions, she starts dressing up a little more sophistically- we can see how she starts wearing sweaters with her maxi skirt and her hair is properly made, a way in which she never dressed before.
Next when she starts working at Bloomingdales she wears her pencil skirt and tight clothing, with her hair tight behind and tosses with her fancy jewellery. The major reason why we see her dressed in proper business attire, predominantly is because it presents a visual image and sends a message that the employees are professional.
Next when Rachel starts working in Ralph Lauren, we see a stark difference in terms of her hairstyles and choice of clothes. She often wore a printed shirt with pants or skirts- The silky texture of which stood her out in a higher status position than all the other workplaces. Printed clothes have been very trendy since the beginning of the 21st century and Rachel not only keeps her personal style in mind but also the office culture and overall vibe of the company. Specifically working in a fashion designing company, it becomes very important for her to maintain a professional image of herself and the business where employees routinely interact on a daily basis with prospects, clients and business partners.
Appropriate workplace attires are thus extremely important for professional success. All the characters can be seen fitting into their social and cultural set up as and when their situations changes. And no matter what, they never forget to assert their identity through their fashion statement. Be it by changing dressings like Rachel or by standing firm on what you are, like Chandler. Together these characters have shown us the trajectory of various fashion elements as being influenced by their occupation in particular.
By Ashmita Saha (1733132)
Friends & Fashion 