The Way to Work: The Dress Code

A major pharmaceutical company was so distressed over workers’ attire that they called an etiquette specialist to say, “'Help! People are wearing spandex to work!” So, for starters, don’t wear spandex to work. Also, accept that the higher-ups are unlikely to be impressed by your college wardrobe or your club-going attire. If you’re having trouble establishing what the standard is, author Jared Shapiro advises, “In the corporate world, you have to dress like your boss, or the people above your boss.”

MSN and CareerBuilder teamed up to show you 15 things you should definitely not wear to work. You probably already figured out that your scruffy beard or miniskirt wouldn’t go over well, but did you know that too much cologne or athletic socks with your work shoes will also make you look bad? As one human resource expert explains, “Yes, the workplace has become more casual … but there really are limits!”

A poll conducted by career site Monster.com found that only 55 percent of respondents thought that it was wrong to have your underwear showing when you’re at work. That’s probably the generation gap talking. But while young graduates insist that they want to be able to express themselves, it’s downright offensive to employers. A 54-year-old marketing executive explained, “I call it the three D’s: distracting, disgusting and—although it’ll betray my age—disrespectful.” Time magazine describes what offends the bosses, what the employees want and where to draw the line.

The phrase “corporate attire” conjures up images of drab suits and lifeless ensembles, but it doesn’t have to. For those who want to look ready for work but would like to retain a degree of fashion, Marie Claire offers the “What to Wear to Work Gallery.” Learn how to dress for corporate success, fit in at the cool office, handle business travel or rock the nine to five. There are numerous pictures of clothing, accessories and outfits in each category. Some of the items are a little pricey, but they should help you get the general idea.

Summer can be a particularly hard time to dress appropriately for work. It's tempting to dress for the heat and not for the office, but it can lead to some unprofessional attire. The ABC News Web site shows five women sporting slightly scandalous summer outfits that would probably not gain the boss's approval. Fortunately, ABC also recruited a Lucky magazine correspondent to help the women make a few small changes that transformed their beat-the-heat ensembles into office-appropriate apparel.

Young workers have expressed that it’s important that their work outfits don’t interfere with their lifestyles. If part of your lifestyle is biking to work, biketraffic.org has advice on how to dress so that you’ll be comfortable both on your bike and at the office.