The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/34686
Dress to Impress? Maybe Not… F inally! It’s safe to stow the winter parka and snow boots in the back of the closet! For those who live in more temperate climates, trust me when I say there is great relief in this simple act of acknowledging fair weather has finally arrived — at least for a little while. Choice of outer wear isn’t the only wardrobe decision we face each morning as we prepare for another day at the office. Standing in my closet, I run through a mental checklist, trying to decide what to wear: What is today’s weather forecast? What meetings are on my calendar, and who’s attending? What are the odds of my running into the managing partner today? I usually end up choosing something closer to the “suit” end of the dress code spectrum. That is unless, of course, it’s Friday, and I’m feeling rebellious, donning khakis with a button-down shirt and (gasp) denim jacket. An informal survey of my ILTA peers revealed a wide variety of dress code policies in effect in today’s law firms and legal departments. Most shared the usual prohibitions against sheer or otherwise revealing fashions as well as rumpled or ripped clothing. My favorite provision was an explicit ban on any shoes that make noise when walking — apparently the office manager has a particular aversion to that “thwack, thwack” noise some shoes make when the wearer comes traipsing down the hall. Despite some common ground, it turns out that “business casual” is a term with many different definitions and interpretations. However, as an organization addresses nuances of the definition, there does appear to be one common theme among law firms: most policies seem to reflect the cultures and expectations of the firm’s clients. IP boutiques in Silicon Valley tend to reflect the jeans/casual attitude of their free-spirited technology clients. In contrast, firms that cater to top executives in banking and other conservative circles tend to place much greater emphasis on the “business” end of “business casual,” indicating that neckties may be optional, but jeans are absolutely verboten. The “business casual” concept and its myriad variations really started catching on at large law firms in the late 1990s, with some firms being slower than others to pick up on the trend. So what does the future hold? What will attorneys and staff be sporting in the year 2020? How will dress codes evolve as trends change? IT’S ALL ABOUT IMAGE Firms may follow the lead of some clients and codify their dress code expectations to an all new level. In December 2010, Elena Berton wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal, reporting that the banking powerhouse UBS had issued a new dress code manual directed at a pilot group of their Swiss retail banking employees. The 43-page policy is geared toward projecting an image that will impress customers with a professional, polished appearance. However, the treatise went well beyond fashion dos and don’ts to include personal hygiene and grooming habits, among other things. Women are advised that “light makeup consisting of foundation, mascara and discreet lipstick ... will enhance your personality.” Stubble and excessive facial hair are out-of-bounds for men, as are dyes to mask grey hair because the “artificial color contrasts excessively with the actual age of [the] skin.” The initial pilot of the new policy coincided with a new advertising campaign focused on re-establishing the bank’s brand and increasing customer confidence. Will the law firm of the future incorporate employee dress codes into their overall branding and marketing strategies? In 10 years, will we be taking our professional fashion cues from our business development departments? Will lawyers be tasked with codifying what can and can’t be worn at the office? Imagine…if UBS came up with 43 pages to describe appropriate business attire for retail banking employees, how will that expand when a bevy of attorneys gets involved? Keep in mind this interesting contrast: In the United States, the federal tax code is nearly 14,000 pages long, while the Swiss government’s authority to even levy taxes expires in 2020 unless it is renewed via constitutional amendment. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 81