News flash, Zoom meetings are not an excuse to wear whatever you want

Dressing for work seems to have lost its sentiment in recent months.

Our routines and daily work habits and rituals have become unrecognisable.

It would have been hard to imagine months ago that workplace dress codes would now include a hoodie and slippers.

However, the events and impacts of COVID-19 have begun to settle and the novelty of activewear as workwear and slippers for shoes has officially worn well past its welcome.

And while these changes have impacted every aspect of our daily lives, it is important now, more than ever, that we adapt, and as much as I hate to say it, pivot, and take some control back of our lives, especially with our work wardrobe.

Having sat through many a Zoom video meetings over the last few months (as we all have), I have never felt quite so surprised and shocked at the general deterioration and lack of effort now put into how some people dress. 

A Zoom video meeting is still a meeting, and regardless of if we are at home or in the office, projecting professionalism has never been more important.

In a world where human connection and interaction has changed from handshakes to virtual introductions, it is the one opportunity you have to build a sense of who you are.

It has never been more important to tell your story through what you are wearing and how you present.

When it’s via a video meeting, your audience is looking right at you. They are up close and personal, probably a little nosey and likely analysing your backdrop, hair and outfit.

Source: supplied.

In addition to the critical connection you are trying to form through the screen, we are all trying to retain our motivation and sanity through what is truly an extraordinary time.

Dressing for your day and dressing for your mindset is incredibly important.

Staying motivated is difficult and the world and everyday living at the moment can be a little overwhelming.

The clothes we wear influences our mood.

While you are working from home, yes, a full corporate outfit would make no sense, but there are plenty of options outside of activewear that are practical and professional. 

As a company with the core value of the importance of dressing, and as a team of uniform experts, we are probably more attuned to the slow but obvious deterioration of care around dress, and we have decided to start talking about it.

We have started an internal campaign for a bit of fun called #TAGTHEDAG as well as #ACTIVEWEARISFOREXERCISE to have a play, and call those out who don’t brush their hair for a meeting, or turn up to a Zoom call straight after a yoga class in — gasp — yoga gear!

Common sense is not common, and like the importance of dress codes in retail or a corporate office, organisations need to start implementing and managing dress codes for work from home, particularly video meetings where appearance can matter. 

It’s important that individuals and organisations start to take some responsibility for dress sense in a virtual world of meetings.

This new world appears to be our new normal, but a steady decline into dishevelled it need not be.

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