Dressing for Work

Sarah: So John, what do you think about tattoos and piercings?

John: Oh. Well, I think they're okay. Personally, I have my ears pierced, and I have many tattoos. But in the professional world, different people have different ideas. So I had to make sure all of my tattoos can be covered by a t-shirt, so any person who sees me doesn't know that I have any tattoos.

But I personally think tattoos are okay. So if I saw a police officer with many tattoos on her arms and her neck, I wouldn't have a problem with it. What about you?

Sarah: Do you think in the future, maybe as you and I grow up, it will become more common to go to the doctor or maybe go to the bank and you see people, and they are professional people, but they have visible tattoos or earrings?

I also have a tattoo. So I think they're okay.

John: I agree. I think that in the future, it will be more and more commonplace to see people who have visible tattoos and piercings.

Of course, right now, people are having more and more visible tattoos that are very small. But maybe in the future, tattoos will be bigger and bigger. I think it's the same with piercings.

Nowadays, it's normal to see women and men who have their ears pierced. But it's still not common to see a professional working with their nose pierced or their eyebrows pierced. Maybe in the future that will be common as well.

Sarah: I think so. But one thing that I think won't change is professional clothing. I think these days and the future, I think a nice suit, a professional collared shirt, ironed pants – I think those type of clothes are really important for your job or for the type of job if you want a promotion.

And I think in the future, we'll see people with really nice professional clothing and then they might have visible tattoos or earrings. I think your clothes show how important your job is to you.

John: I see what you're saying. If I was trying to hire a lawyer and I saw two lawyers and both of them had tattoos and their ears pierced, but if one of the lawyers was wearing a suit, even if that person have tattoos and piercings, if they're wearing a suit, I would rather choose that lawyer than someone who had tattoos and piercings who was wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

Sarah: Uh-hmm.

John: So I agree with you that the clothing is more important for professional image.

Sarah: What do you think – these days, some of the computer companies or tech startups, the CEOs are young people and they'll go to work wearing jeans or shorts and a t-shirt. And they like to portray a casual atmosphere through their clothes. What do you think about that?

John: Well, in my opinion, the environment at a job, as long as everyone working there is in the same environment, maybe they should be able to choose what kind of professional attire is appropriate inside of that company. But the problem would arise when those workers have to interact with people from another company.

So if another company has a dress code where everyone is wearing suits and these two companies have to work together, there might be a problem.

Sarah: It's strange that clothes seem like they're so important. The knowledge and the product should be important but I think everyone looks at the clothes and makes a judgment.

John: Yeah. It's interesting that we all know the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" but we can't help but do that. Everyone is judging people by what they wear, and that's not going to change.

Sarah: I agree.