Appearance

For as long as anyone can remember, people and have been judge and have judged others on various things including appearance. Appearance says a lot who we are individually as well as collectively. Contrary to what people believe, how we dress or present ourselves conveys who we are and how we may be, regardless of whether it is correct or not. Appearance can be equally important as knowledge in the field when it comes to the workplace. Every day we are told to dress the part, to convey the proper message but what part are we exactly dressing for and what are we trying to convey? This idea is commonly confusing as jobs nowadays are now becoming more lenient with what is tolerated or acceptable for dress codes in the workplace. Things that were once never seen the workplace (like cleavage/chest, stomach, thighs, underwear, tattoos, piercings, hair styles, and unnatural hair colors) are now being seen in workplaces (Gavzer, 2008). But what do they convey? Do they really reflect the ideas of the company’s mission statement? Unlikely; but as of right now it seems as if these acceptances are here to stay for a while.

In present days, it seems as if professional attire has gone “out of the window” and business casual attire has seemed to replace it. In the past, more people were likely to dress in a traditional manner, or more professionally; this means dressing conservatively. For some, dressing this way gives an impression that one can be trusted and is creditable. It gives off a vibe of competence and confidence (Gavzer, 2008). It can convey consistency, commitment, value, and feeling proud of being a part of one’s organization (Hanley, 2009). Lastly, it gives a sense of warmth, intelligence, and an ability to relate to others. Poor...

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...iate it would be for those same items to be worn in the workplace. They were also asked preference questions in relation to men and women on to what degree they agreed or disagreed with different views of clothing attire. It is hypothesized that there will a significant difference in what clothing items were worn by different generations. Younger generations will be more likely to wear items that are less conservative than older generations when they were their age. It is also hypothesized that older men would have a more traditional view of what is as appropriate for men to wear and older women would have a more traditional view of what is as appropriate for women to wear. Lastly, it was hypothesized that younger generations would rate less conservative clothing items as more likely to be worn and more appropriate to wear in the workplace than older generations.