Written by Janet Ellen Raasch
Janet Ellen Raasch is a writer and ghostwriter who works closely with lawyers, law firms and other professional services providers – to help them achieve name recognition and new business through publication of articles and books for print and rich content for the Internet. She can be reached at (303) 399-5041 or jeraasch@msn.com
The subject of law firm dress codes is guaranteed to get an animated response from any legal administrator.
Over the past decade, casual-Friday or casual-daily dress at law firms has become extremely popular with both staff and lawyers. Currently, the pendulum is swinging back to more formal business dress – strongly so in the major cities of the East Coast and increasingly so in the more casual cities of the Midwest and West Coast.
How does an administrator encourage staff and lawyers to adopt more formal business attire without having to rescind privileges that people have grown accustomed to?
“If you demonstrate to your staff and lawyers how their personal business style is closely linked with their ongoing career success, they will start to pay attention,” said Doug Paris. “They will not need an external code. They will dress appropriately because their internal code tells them that it is in their best interest to do so.”
Paris addressed the subject of law firm dress codes at the monthly educational luncheon of the Mile High Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (www.milehighala.org), held Oct. 18 at The Adams Mark Hotel in Denver.
Paris is founder of Denver-based Doug Paris Wardrobe & Design (www.parisdesignonline.com). He provides wardrobe design and consultation services to men and women who want to advance their careers as executives, managers, sales professionals and entrepreneurs. He is author of Style: A Life’s Work.
“Although my clients may differ in many of the details of their lives, the one thing they all share – no matter what their budget – is a desire to ensure that their personal style reflects their individuality and their unique purpose in life,” said Paris.
Enhance your style
Success in the legal field is based on skill, but also on relationships. “One of the key elements of any relationship, with both clients and colleagues, is respect,” said Paris. “The way you dress tells clients and colleagues that you respect them – and that you respect yourself. Individuals who dress well command respect and increase their effectiveness in the workplace.
“When choosing a business wardrobe, consider your personal style – who you are at the core of your personality and how your clothes reflect this,” said Paris. “Then, enhance your personal style through wardrobe in a way that helps you achieve your business goals and objectives – what you want to achieve professionally.
“Be careful that you do not confuse style with fashion,” said Paris. “Style is timeless and defines the individual. It is built upon the classics. Fashion is transient and embraced by the masses. It is built upon trends. No matter what your wardrobe budget, invest most of it on style. For fun, spend a little bit on fashion.”
“Business casual” is appropriate for casual-Friday or casual-daily law offices. “When people who work at law firms hear the words ‘business casual,’ both men and women should think in terms of three pieces of clothing,” said Paris.
“For men, this consists of a sport coat or sweater over a casual shirt and nice slacks,” said Paris. “An updated look is to wear a suit with a light-weight mock-turtleneck or an open-collar woven shirt. Women can wear a jacket or sweater ensemble.
“Khakis, jeans and knit shirts are weekend casual – not business casual,” said Paris. “In my opinion, they should not be worn at any time in a professional office by those who want to demonstrate respect for themselves, their colleagues and their clients.
“Shorts, tank tops, and anything too tight or too loose are also unacceptable,” said Paris. “From an HR point of view, the more skin, the more risk.”
Rules for the wardrobe
For those who want to “invest” in a business wardrobe, stressing quality over quantity, Paris recommends the 4x4x4 rule. “Less can be more if you buy coordinated classics – four jackets, four skirts or pants, and four shirts or tops. This simple start gives you 64 combinations – enough to wear a different outfit each day for two whole months.”
Another one of Paris’ rules for enhancing style is to pay close attention to the top ten inches of your body and the lower ten inches. People will notice these areas first.
“The top ten includes your head and neck – starting with a friendly smile,” said Paris. “Find a haircut and eye-glasses that flatter your features – updated, but not copying the latest celebrity. Women should wear subtle (not dangling) jewelry of the best quality they can afford; scarves should be subtle woven silk or cashmere. Men’s ties should follow the same guidelines. If someone calls your neckwear ‘snappy,’ think twice.”
The lower ten includes footwear and stockings. “Men will rarely go wrong using a black cap-toe dress shoe as a wardrobe basic,” said Paris. “Stockings should be quality fabric and calf-length. Women should focus on closed-toe pumps in several colors and should wear stockings – always in winter and virtually always in summer.”
Neither men nor women should ever wear sports shoes, sandals or flip-flops to the office – even at offices that are casual-Friday or casual-daily. Loafers are a classic casual choice.
“The rules will get you through most workplace situations,” said Paris. “Once you know the rules, it can be fun to break them – on purpose and with attitude to reflect your unique style, not by accident because you don’t know any better.”
Invitation consternation
Invitations to social events are confusing to many people. “You may see ‘smart casual,’ ‘dressy casual,’ or ‘professional casual’ referenced on an invitation,” said Paris. “In general, this means the same three pieces as business casual – but with an upgrade in fabric quality and construction. This is when you replace cotton and wool with silk and cashmere.”
If an invitation says ‘informal’ or ‘formal,’ the first thing to check is time of day.
For informal and before 6 p.m., men may wear a sport coat with an open-collar woven shirt or merino-wool mock-turtleneck shirt. After 6 p.m., add a tie or upgrade the turtleneck to silk or cashmere. Women can take a less-tailored approach than they use at the workplace – a blouse or sweater-set before 6 p.m. and fine, less-constructed clothing in natural fabrics after 6 p.m.
“For formal and before 6 p.m., dress is a dark suit and tie for men and tailored business wear for women,” said Paris. “For formal and after 6 p.m., dress is black tie for both men and women. A woman may also wear an embellished evening suit.”
Black tie is the most common formal event. For men, this means a traditional tuxedo. “In my opinion, black tie is never optional – no matter what the invitation says,” said Paris. “If it’s on the invitation, and you want to enhance your style, you wear it.” For women, black tie means a long (preferably) or short formal gown.
White tie calls for the most formal of evening attire. A man wears a tailcoat, a white pique vest and a white tie. A woman wears a very formal long evening gown and may wear long gloves.
“Whether casual Friday at the law firm or a black tie event with an important client – appropriate dress enhances an individual’s unique style and purpose in life,” said Paris. “Once this is understood, a dress code should not be necessary.”
