We live in a society where men and women are (allegedly) equal. Women have the same rights as men, can do the same jobs as men, and also can get away with a whole lot more than men when it comes to "appropriate" work attire.
Why is it that women can wear pretty much whatever they want and still manage to pass it off as "smart", while men are restricted to the rigid three piece suit, shirt and tie? In a world where it's not uncommon to see women wearing vest tops, cropped trousers and sandals to the office, why is it that anything other than a boring, buttoned up ensemble that hides every inch of a man's body minus his face and hands is frowned upon? Conservative is one thing, but is self expression banned when it comes to the sartorial options available to males?
Men are expected to live their lives in suits, and there's only so many guys who can style it up like Brad Goreski or Adam Lambert. For the rest, it's ill fitting, unflattering and just plain dull. God forbid a man wear black skinny trousers and military boots without being told he's dressed inappropriately...and facial hair? Well that, it appears, is just madness. Not to mention such offensive items as ear piercings and fashionable hairstyles that would be accepted on their female colleagues. It appears that as men become more open to experimentation when it comes to their wardrobes, higher forces become increasingly restrictive and keen to put a stop to such madness.
Why is society so threatened by the idea of a man expressing himself through fashion? Where is the need to force them to confine to what they consider "smart" and "conservative" to be taken seriously in the workplace? For every Scott Disick there's fifty David Brents out there. Is the idea of a man being able to go to work in something other than a plain, boring, dull...sorry, smart suit that horrendous? By no means is this an invitation for men around the world to don their tracksuits for business meetings, but can we not move towards getting rid of the boring dress code that stops men from being able to develop some sort of identity in the workplace?
xoA
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