This last Friday, one of my neighbors and fellow commuters arrived
at the bus stop dressed in denims and a t-shirt. He is a civil engineer from
Ireland, recently brought in from Australia to work for a construction firm in
the Bay Area. His Friday garb reminded me that Dress-down Friday is still
common these days.
This particular practice became popular years ago and was a
particular favorite among employees in the tech industry.
Dressing down became the norm for 'techies' and spilled over
gradually into other office-based working environments, depending on the
industry. Dressing down in a law office is still rare. Like my character, David
Gitano, in Salsa Dancing with Pterodactyls imposed on his staff, a dress code
is in place in most legal establishments, banks, financial management,
accounting - in fact, wherever there is a high level of fiscal, social or
governmental responsibility.
Working people dress according to the perceived respect owed to
their establishment. That particular aspect of dress reminded me of
expectations for proper dress etiquette when I was a child.
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| pamelawright.com |
We had recently moved to the Bay Area from rural Maine. My
mother was adamant that certain conventions and standards were to be
maintained, regardless of what anyone else did. For example:
- A lady always wears gloves (a good idea when you consider recent health reports regarding public transportation)
- A lady of whatever age always wears her Sunday best to go Downtown to shop (this now applies to shopping malls)
- A lady of whatever age always wears a hat in church (particularly important at Easter)
These simple requirements
became archaic and unnecessary in the mid-1960s when any form of dress or lack
thereof became acceptable.
They may seem inconsequential
but this sort of elegance is a function of civilized society and their gradual
disappearance and replacement with less formal and occasionally rude behaviors
allows an erosion of basic etiquette.
In societies where close quarters
means very little privacy, the development of strict formal behaviors is
essential. Civility in crowded circumstances prevents altercations and my
mother’s charming, superficial dictates were the cream on top of a standard of
behavior my mother expected of us, as young ladies.
