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Linda Thomas AICI CIP designs and delivers
“Image Awareness”
programs throughout corporate America. Linda earned the credentials
of Certified Image Professional through the Association of
Image Consultants International, is an award winning member
of the National Speakers Association of North Texas and a
published author.
Past Seminar Recipients
- Alliance of Technology and Women
- Amarillo Globe-News
- Army Air Force Exchange Service
- Boeing - Corinth Leadership Association
- CCA - Christian Community Action
- Chapman, Hext & Co., P.C.
- City of Irving
- Cityplace Conference Center Sales
Force
- CWS Apartment Homes/CWS Capital Partners
- Dallas County Community College District
- Dallas Network of Career Women
- Denton's Young Professionals
- Flextronics Network Services
- Foodservice Leadership Group
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram Ad Academy
- Four Seasons Resort & Club
- Glaxo Smith Kline
- Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Greater Lewisville Assoc. of Realtors
- Hampton Inn
- International Association of Administrative
Professionals
- Leadership & Productivity Institute
- Meeting Professionals International
- Merrill Lynch
- Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
- Omni Mandalay Hotels
- Panhandle Human Resource Association
- Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP
- Right Management
- SMU - School of Engineering
- Southwest Human Resource Management
Conference
- Sun Microsystems
- SWACE - Southwest Association of Colleges
& Educators
- TECCOR
- Texas Education Agency
- Texas Instruments
- TGI Friday's
- The Associates
- Travis Wolff Advisors & Accountants
- UNT - University of North Texas
- Women in Insurance & Financial
Services
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Innovative Authentic Education: “Have
you heard... Business Casual is on the way out?”
On September 23, 2002, newspapers throughout the United States
announced that both Bank One and The Bear Stearns Companies
(a Wall Street brokerage and investment banking firm) were
reversing their Casual Dress policy. Men now would be expected
to come to the office dressed in suits and ties, and women
would be required to wear suits or dresses with nylons. With
the bursting of the “dot com bubble” and the tightening
of the employment market, employers across the nation no longer
were quite so concerned that their valuable staff members
could be lured away by competitors offering Casual Dress as
a benefit. Corporate managers now sought employees who would
reflect the company’s image in their personal appearance,
just as it was reflected in the firm’s landscaping and
physical property, its décor and furnishings, its printed
materials, and its Web presence.
Initially, the introduction of more casual attire in the
corporate workplace was welcomed across the United States
by managers as well as employees. Managers believed that work
habits would improve if employees were permitted to dress
more comfortably. Gradually, however, the trend got out of
hand. Now that casual attire in the workplace has been an
established policy for more than ten years in over 52% of
US corporations, employees have begun to “push the envelope”
~ frequently arriving at the office dressed in clothing more
appropriate for working on the lawn than on an important proposal
or contract!
And with summer upon us, some businesses are adopting a more
casual dress code in order to accommodate their workforce
during the warmer weather. This can lead to problems, however,
particularly among female employees who sometimes select summertime
clothing that reveals too much skin ~ such as plunging necklines,
shorts, miniskirts, and navel-revealing crop tops. Under the
circumstances, it is no surprise that so many companies are
sending their business overseas where wages are lower and
employees dress as if they have respect for themselves, their
jobs, and their employers.
One of the problems resulting from casual attire in the workplace
has been the assumption by many employees that “casual”
implies “no rules”. Outfits that could be considered
Weekend Casual are being worn to work during the week. Studies
have shown that the lax nature of workplace attire affects
the atmosphere.
When employees see themselves and their colleagues dressed
as if they are participating in off-duty activities, they
begin to behave correspondingly. Eventually, managers are
forced to draw the line ~ as in the case mentioned above involving
Bank One and Bear Stearns. They now are requiring their workers
to adhere to a stricter dress code, leaving many employees
to ask, “Just what is Business Appropriate?”
Ms. Linda Thomas established her image training consultancy
in 1999 when The Associates and Sun Microsystems each asked
her to assist them in initiating a new corporate dress code
by providing instruction for the employees on the topic of
Business Casual.
Ms. Thomas’s expertise now frequently is sought by
companies throughout the United States, whether they are recovering
from the effects of “Casual casualties” or simply
wishing to instruct their workforce in the area of appropriate
professional dress. This is not the complex labyrinth that
many employees dread, as Ms. Thomas makes clear in her fun,
informative, interactive seminars. Attendees often are surprised
at the valuable information they acquire.
For instance, Ms. Thomas explains that the hot, stiff suits
that may have been worn during the 1980s or 1990s will never
be made again. The garment industry now manufactures light-weight
wools that feel like silk. An inspection of clothing labels
reveals that many new fabrics have a 2 to 4 % microfiber content
which helps prevent wrinkling. Microfiber fabrics also provide
more “give” along the seam lines, increasing the
comfort level of the clothing.
As Ms. Thomas has seen in her seminars, some of the resistance
to dressing more traditionally stems from the fact that many
Americans have gained weight since they stopped wearing suits
and jackets. They currently have closets full of traditional
outfits that they no longer are able to wear. Ms. Thomas tells
her seminar attendees that it is best to donate this clothing
to programs that help individuals who are entering or re-entering
the workforce.
According to Ms. Thomas, the most important lesson attendees
can take away from her seminars is this: Be sure you understand
your body’s proportions, so that you will wear clothes
that fit your body as it is today. We draw unwanted attention
to ourselves when we attempt to hide our body shape with clothing
that is too large ~ or when we attempt to appear younger than
our age with clothing that is too tight or revealing.
Powerful Appearance seminars are designed to educate men
and women in the area of personal appearance, empowering them
with the ability to shop choosing intelligently for clothing
that will enhance their personal and professional lives.
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