If the warm weather tempts you to wear skimpy summer clothes to the office, you can expect to get a dressing down, warns Róisin Ingle
'No jeans. No tennis, athletic shoes or flip-flop sandals. No T-shirts, sweatshirts or athletic wear. No shorts, skirts or extremely short skirts. No leggings, jodhpurs, tight pants, or sweatpants. No wind suits, stretch pants, or capri pants. Blouses, tops, and shirts must be of sufficient length to cover the beltline. Men must wear socks." Phew.
The above is just a brief excerpt from the unintentionally snigger-worthy Summer Dress Code of one American company which is enough to make you grateful that our summers aren't hot enough to necessitate such rules. But this week's unusually balmy weather has got Irish office workers thinking about their own summer dressing dilemmas.
"When I joined the company I was told about a dress code which I agreed to but thought was excessive when it came to things like not exposing shoulders," says Aoife, a twentysomething who works as a personal assistant in a Dublin IT firm. "I make sure everything I wear is smart and professional but with weather like this I will sometimes wear a cotton top with thin straps. As long as you are not exposing too much flesh you can get away with it."
Another woman, working in an American company here, was treated like a naughty school girl when she dressed for hot weather in a floaty cotton dress a few years ago.
"It was a beautiful summer's day," remembers Isobel. "I was wearing a light dress down to my feet and up to my neck but with spaghetti straps showing my shoulders."
After consulting the dress code the managing director shuffled over in her direction. "It was quite embarrassing - he had been looking over at me all morning and at around lunchtime he came over and told me I wasn't dressed according to the book because my shoulders were exposed and sent me home."
She was lucky. In the US, workers are fined hundreds of dollars for breaking the sartorial rules.
In the Dáil, politicians, like the rest of us, are also faced with the thorny issue of what not to wear. Progressive Democrats TD Fiona O'Malley says that while looking smart is essential, she can sometimes get away with wearing an outfit into Leinster House that she might wear on the beach.
"A light summer skirt and a floaty tunic, that kind of thing," she says. "Because of air-conditioning the Dáil chamber is actually a pleasant place to be this time of year but it can hot up in the offices and corridors."
A female director of one Dublin accountancy firm agrees that if a company has a decent air-conditioning system there is no reason for anyone to dress inappropriately. She adds that most of the time women "get away with a lot more than men" when it comes to summer dressing.
"I am sitting here at my desk wearing a sleeveless T-shirt though not with spaghetti straps. If I get up to walk around or go to a client meeting I will put my suit jacket on just to make the outfit more formal. Men still have to wear regular shirts in the formal business environment because they have to wear ties so they can't get away with wearing T-shirts under their suits," she says.
Are Bermuda shorts or three-quarter-length trousers ever acceptable for men in the corporate environment? "Absolutely no way," she laughs.
Some companies, such as computer manufacturer Dell, organise special days when the dress code is relaxed to allow for the warmer weather.
"If the weather is nice we have 'shorts and shades' days," says Annette Condron, communications manager of Dell. "It's smart casual on Fridays when people can pretty much wear what they want. In summer a lot of the guys wear chinos and polo shirts. For women the code would be no skimpy or revealing tops or items such as belly tops."
When the temperature rises it's natural to want to wear lighter clothes, but that sunshine feeling can also lower inhibitions to a point where employers get nervous. There's a serious issue here, says Pat Delaney of the Small Firms Association.
"In a climate of increasing sexual harassment cases it makes common sense to be careful about the kind of clothes you wear," he says. "Lighter clothing doesn't have to mean less clothing and that goes for both men and women."
The best advice goes, if you think a piece of clothing could be inappropriate for the office, then it probably is.
Summer attire: Dos and Don'ts
DO
Dress to impress Try to resist the temptation to turn into a slob when the sun comes out. Ladies, your jewelled flip-flops may have cost a fortune, but with chipped toenails they look trashy. Gentlemen, that white singlet vest makes you look like Rab C Nesbitt not Pierce Brosnan.
Layer light fabrics Your air-conditioned office might actually be chilly so don't risk getting a summer cold by leaving longer-sleeved items at home.
Silk and linen Dress in silk, or linen layers and you'll be fine inside and out.
Shoes matter Wear shoes that are appropriate for your job - this means comfortable flats as opposed to towering wedges if you do a lot of running around.
DON'T
Flash the flesh Ladies, low-cut tops may feel summery but that's no way to earn a promotion. Think Mary McAleese or Emily O'Reilly not Samantha Mumba or Kerry Katona. And guys, unbuttoned Hawaiian shirts in the office don't make you look "fun", they just make you look sad.
Wear novelty tops Your groovy Tintin shirt is fine on holidays but not when you are pitching for new business. "Witty" slogan T-shirts are also a no-no. We know it's summer but nobody should have to try that hard to have a personality.
Forget to cover up Even if you are trying to bend the rules with an inappropriate shirt or top, always have a jacket handy for when that jobsworth from Human Resources is on the prowl.