While work attire is edging toward greater casualness, the Quill survey found that about 56% of respondents indicated that their office strictly or somewhat enforces an office dress code. Despite the encroachment of casual attire in the workplace, 85.3% of respondents think that a professional office should have a dress code. Another 87.5% believe that a dress code affects the environment of an office. As if to validate the importance of preserving a dress code, more than 11% of administrative professionals have witnessed a co-worker being sent home from work to change clothes.
The consensus among women was that professional attire on the job helps them command more respect and that sloppily dressed women are perceived as also doing sloppy work. Male respondents, in general, welcomed the relaxation of dress codes regarding suits and ties but still consider a professional demeanor to be reflected in proper attire. More than 21% of respondents indicated that their supervisor adhered to a different dress code than the one to which they have to conform.
