# Why Your Company's Dress Code is Outdated **Related Reading:** [Further insights here](https://changehub.bigcartel.com/blog) | [More perspectives](https://www.alkhazana.net/2025/07/16/why-firms-ought-to-invest-in-professional-development-courses-for-employees/) | [Additional resources](https://croptech.com.sa/why-companies-ought-to-invest-in-professional-development-courses-for-employees/) I walked into a client's office last month wearing my usual blazer-and-jeans combo, and their receptionist actually asked if I was there for a delivery. Twenty-three years in corporate consulting, and I'm still being judged by whether I'm wearing a tie that serves no functional purpose whatsoever. Let's be brutally honest here: most company dress codes were written by people who think the internet is still a fad. ## The Suit Delusion Corporate Australia is clinging to dress standards that made sense when we were still sending faxes and scheduling meetings three weeks in advance. You know what doesn't make you more professional? Wearing uncomfortable shoes that slow you down, or ties that literally restrict blood flow to your brain. I've watched brilliant analysts stumble through presentations because they're constantly adjusting their collar. Meanwhile, the software developer in sneakers and a polo shirt is solving problems that save the company millions. [Personal recommendations here](https://ethiofarmers.com/what-to-anticipate-from-a-communication-skills-training-course/) show that comfort directly impacts performance. The obsession with formal wear is particularly baffling in our climate. I've seen executives sweat through $300 shirts in Sydney's humidity while insisting their team "maintains standards." What standards? The standard of looking miserable? ## What Actually Matters Here's what I learned from working with over 200 companies across Australia: dress codes should solve problems, not create them. Good dress standards are about three things: - Safety (steel caps in warehouses, closed shoes in kitchens) - Customer expectations (banking clients might expect suits, tech clients definitely don't) - Team cohesion (not making the intern feel excluded because they can't afford designer labels) Everything else is just tradition masquerading as professionalism. I remember working with a Brisbane marketing firm where the CEO insisted on suits for client meetings. Their biggest client? A startup founder who showed up in thongs and board shorts. The disconnect was painful to watch. [More details at this website](https://minecraft-builder.com/what-to-expect-from-a-communication-skills-training-course/) about adapting to client cultures. ## The Generation Game Millennials and Gen Z aren't destroying professional standards by wearing sneakers to work. They're questioning why artificial barriers exist in the first place. And frankly, they're right to question it. A 22-year-old programmer generates more value in jeans and a hoodie than most executives do in their thousand-dollar suits. But we're still measuring professionalism by how much someone spent at David Jones. The irony? Some of our most successful entrepreneurs built billion-dollar companies while wearing t-shirts. Look at Atlassian's founders - they're worth billions and still dress like they're heading to a barbecue. Because they understand that creativity doesn't require cufflinks. I've seen companies lose talented people because their dress code felt like costume requirements. Smart people don't want to play dress-up for eight hours a day. They want to focus on doing good work. ## The Real Productivity Killer Want to know what's actually unprofessional? Forcing your team to waste mental energy on arbitrary clothing choices every morning. Decision fatigue is real. When you're spending mental bandwidth choosing between the navy suit or the charcoal one, that's brain power not being used to solve customer problems or innovate products. Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day for exactly this reason. Not because he couldn't afford variety, but because he recognised that consistent excellence requires eliminating unnecessary decisions. [Here is the source](https://ydbvideolight.com/what-to-expect-from-a-communication-skills-training-course/) for research on decision fatigue in workplace settings. ## Australian Context Matters We're not London or New York. Our business culture has always been more relaxed, more practical. Why are we importing dress standards from climates that require wool suits year-round? I've worked with mining companies where the head office insisted on business formal while their most valuable employees were wearing high-vis and hard hats. The disconnect isn't just absurd - it's divisive. Melbourne's coffee culture proved that excellent service doesn't require uniforms. The best baristas wear whatever they want, and customers keep coming back because the coffee is exceptional. Not because someone's wearing a bow tie. ## What Progressive Companies Do Differently The smartest companies I work with have moved to context-based dressing. Meeting with conservative clients? Dress accordingly. Working on code all day? Wear what helps you focus. Canva's Sydney office is a perfect example. Their dress code is basically "don't be inappropriate." Their culture handbook emphasises comfort and self-expression. And they're one of Australia's most successful tech companies. Google's offices embrace radical dress freedom because they understand that innovation comes from diverse thinking, not conformist dressing. When you stop policing appearance, you can focus on policing performance. Some companies are going further. Netflix famously has no dress code policy at all - they trust their employees to use judgment. [Further information here](https://spaceleave.com/what-to-expect-from-a-communication-skills-training-course/) about trust-based workplace policies. ## The Hybrid Work Reality COVID changed everything. Your dress code can't ignore that half your team is working from home in tracksuit pants. The contrast is jarring: professional from the waist up for video calls, whatever's comfortable from the waist down. We've accidentally proven that appearance has minimal impact on work quality. Smart companies are acknowledging this new reality. Some have "camera-ready" policies for video meetings and "comfort-first" for everything else. Others have abandoned formal requirements entirely. ## The Economic Argument Let's talk money. A professional wardrobe costs serious cash - especially for women, who face much stricter appearance expectations. Entry-level employees might spend their first month's salary just looking the part. That's not professional development - that's a barrier to entry disguised as standards. Companies that provide clothing allowances or relax dress requirements see better diversity in hiring. When you remove financial barriers to "looking professional," you get access to talent from different socioeconomic backgrounds. ## Moving Forward Here's my recommendation after two decades of watching this evolution: focus on output, not outfit. Create dress guidelines that serve actual purposes: - Safety requirements clearly explained - Customer-facing role expectations - Special event standards - Comfort and practicality guidelines Drop everything else. Trust your team to use judgment. If someone's clothing choices become a legitimate workplace issue, address it individually rather than creating blanket rules that treat adults like children. The future belongs to companies that eliminate arbitrary barriers and focus on results. Dress codes are just another unnecessary barrier between your team and their best work. And if you're still insisting on ties in 2025, you're probably the kind of manager who thinks open offices increase collaboration and unlimited leave policies increase productivity. Some battles aren't worth fighting. This is one of them. **Additional Reading:** - [Our favourite blogs](https://performancepro.bigcartel.com/blog) - [Related articles](https://www.imcosta.com.br/why-professional-development-courses-are-essential-for-career-growth/)