It’s lunchtime in Bushnell Park. Employees from area businesses have crept out of their cubicles to take in some crisp fall air and grab a little something to nosh.
A man walks across the street in his suit and tie.
Behind him, a pair of ladies in flip-flops and deep V-necks swill office gossip.
A group of men approaches from the opposite direction, a mix of collared shirts (top collar button undone, nary a tie), polos and faded khakis. They breeze past an older gentleman in a navy blue blazer. Then there’s the group all in denim.
This is the look of business in Hartford, and it is far from uniform.
Even within specific companies, dress codes vary by department, by job and by amount of outside interaction. Some companies argue lax rules feed creative genius. Others are holding on as tight as possible to the status quo — or at least its more modern version — and are demanding business casual every day for everyone.
“Research has been done … How you look affects the way you behave, your demeanor, your posture, the way you communicate,” said Rosis E. Lugo, a part-time image consultant and a staunch opponent of wishy-washy dress code policies. “I have people who tell me, ‘I got rid of all my suits.’ ”
Although he doesn’t recommend ditching all the suits, for Brent Robertson, president and chief creative officer of Web-design company Fathom, shirts and ties are far from normal.
“With our creative team, it’s all about self-expression and comfort,” Robertson said. “Giving [our employees] license to be free with what they wear basically gives them a chance to express themselves.”
In the company’s Pratt Street office, Fathom employees are a “family,” he said, so there’s no need to impress. But there is a “sexy” stereotype that comes with Robertson’s line of work. That’s what his clients expect, so that’s what Fathom delivers. Employees must be ready and able to bring their A-game outfits.
The Right Match
Robertson’s perspective is not industry specific. Insurance behemoth CIGNA also adheres to Fathom’s philosophy, to some extent.
Ten years ago, CIGNA enforced a standard dress code policy. “Casual Fridays” were a slight reprieve.
CIGNA’s current dress code has only glimpses of its stringent predecessor, said CIGNA spokeswoman Gloria Barone. With eyes and ears on employees, the competition and new hires, the company has listened and learned and discovered that, when it comes to corporate style, “one size does not fit all,” Barone said in an e-mail.
Now, dress code differs per specific job. Employees with more client contact must dress more professionally, while those somewhat restricted to inter-office encounters can enjoy a style significantly more relaxed.
Still other Hartford companies, like ING, remain relatively old school.
Runway Rules
ING recently opened its new facility off Day Hill Road in Windsor, and the company plans to flaunt the building among its constituents worldwide. It will be a corporate showpiece, and ING consistently reminds employees about what constitutes “business casual,” said ING Spokesman Phil Margolis.
To ram the standard home, ING hosted a company fashion show back in June. The runway was flooded with apropos business casual looks meant to decode the meaning of “business casual” for the company’s 2,200 employees.
