Casual Image Isn't Going To Attract Business To Area
Sandy Dumont, personal and corporate image consultant

The Virginian-Pilot, Local Business FORUM, June 2007

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Scouts from Brooks Brothers checked out Virginia Beach before they selected the caliber of store they would open there. Evidently, they noticed that most people dressed casually, even in offices, so their recently opened store features casual clothes rather than Brooks Brothers’ typical formal attire. In Norfolk, a similar thing happened when Nordstrom opened its store in MacArthur Center. It is a “B” Nordstrom instead of an “A” store.

The way you look and dress announces the outcome people can expect from you. It also announces how you feel about yourself. Apparently, outsiders have concluded that we have a very casual attitude in Hampton Roads. Some folks might relocate here as a result. But what about corporate entities?

This region has declared that it will seek to gain more corporate headquarters here. Without question, it is good for jobs, revenue and status for the region. It is not the employees of corporate giants who will be making the decisions. If that were the case, casual attire would be a big draw. Corporate decisionmakers have read all the university studies, and they know that employees are less productive in casual attire. Hence, Hampton Roads will get lower rankings from the decisionmakers.

Anyone who travels the country will notice that highpowered cities with busy airports and corporate headquarters galore also have a preponderance of residents attired professionally rather than casually. This region is spending a lot of money promoting itself to big corporations, but we may be overlooking an important factor: the image of our work force. Business casual is dead because it never gave anyone the advantage in this highly competitive world we live in. The first stage of its demise began shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, when brokerage firms noticed that employees conveyed more confidence and trust when attired professionally. They dumped business casual attire almost overnight. It was a good move because it was a time when confidence was shaken in the investment world.

Employees grumble that they don’t want to be bothered with wearing ties or nylons again, but employees are hired for the “comfort” of customers, not for their own comfort. Employees in high-rise office buildings in Norfolk and Virginia Beach have been spotted wearing flip-flops, T-shirts and muumuus that look like beach cover-ups. You may say, “What does it matter as long as I get my work done?” A recent study concluded that when you look at another person and he or she looks good, you feel good about them. The report also concluded that there is a boomerang effect, and that when you look at someone who looks good, you also feel good about yourself.

It is also very likely that you will be more productive when working alongside a person who makes you smile when you look at them. Yes, Hampton Roads, business casual is dead. It was a business casualty and has not helped anyone get ahead or feel more confident and dynamic. Professional attire has been shown to increase confidence, credibility and perceived stature, and it might even increase the stature of our region.

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