Off the beach, into the office

For men, a clean, pressed shirt and quality trousers are essential for job interviews. Photo / Thinkstock

Togs, togs, togs ... undies - remember the advertising image of a beachgoer in swimming togs walking up the beach into a shopping centre?

For most employees, leaving holidays and the beach behind for work in the New Year means changing clothing from super casual to whatever the work role requires.

"If I'm getting up and heading for work in the morning, chances are I'll be wearing something different from what I wear to the beach," says Fiona Allen, human resources manager at Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa.

However, employers also need to be aware of the environment staff are working in. "If you're in an area that gets hot at the peak of summer you're going to want to have less clothing on, so it's a matter of dressing in a way that's still professional."

Inside Te Papa, the temperature is relatively constant all year round to protect the collections, but the occasional barefoot pad to the photocopier is not unknown. And open sandals that verge on the jandal appear in the warmer months.

With its hugely varied workforce, Te Papa is like a miniature city. Allen says the museum has a tolerant approach to employee work wear but professional standards apply.

While dress standards are often not written, they are understood to be part of professional codes of conduct. Of the museum's 300 permanent staff, about one-third wear uniform. Most are front-of-house hosts, shop, cafe, function and events staff. Back of house, clothing can be more flexible across a range of roles from curatorial conservators to metal workshop staff.

Managers are aware of setting an example; men may wear a suit with an open-necked shirt, donning a tie if they have a meeting to attend. In the heat of summer, one manager wore trendy black knee-length dress shorts with black ankle socks and shoes.

Having worked in the corporate and public sectors, Allen says dress codes are relaxing and business casual is becoming the norm. She says they also enjoy the colourful outfits and different hair colours and styles that creative, fashion-conscious employees wear.

What people wear is part of their overall performance, says Allen. "It's not just about the job you are doing and how well you do it, it's the way you present yourself while doing it."

But before clothing, grooming is essential. Wellington fashionista Amanda Nicholle says the basics require people to be clean.

"The givens of grooming are that you have clean hair, nails, ears, hands, shoes and clothes, and you smell good," Nicholle says.

Then, dress appropriately for the job. A working day can encompass many different activities, so planning is key. "You need to know what your day is going to bring, be prepared and be versatile" - something she says New Zealanders are good at.

Nicholle says to remember you are not dressing for yourself but for the role you are playing and for the people you interact with.

"If you are going to be bending or reaching over, you won't be wearing a very short skirt. If you are with older people, wear things they are likely to be comfortable with. It's about being sensitive to others and to the culture of a place."

In a tight labour market she thinks people need to dress for the job they want, not the person they are.

"If you are going for a job in a tattoo parlour, expose your tattoos. If you are going for a job in a funeral home, probably don't. It's about knowing who you are, using your brain and dressing according to the situation."

Basics she recommends for interviews are well-cut black pants, a clean, pressed shirt, a good pair of covered shoes that can be dressed up with scarf or jewellery - and for men, quality trousers, a nice belt and a shirt with a tie for a formal interview.

"Then people will concentrate on you and your personality and not be caught up in what you should or shouldn't be wearing."

HOW TO DRESS AT WORK

DO

* Be clean, tidy and well groomed
* Wash clothing
* Plan what you are going to wear
* Dress within your budget, according to role and culture
* Err on the conservative side when starting a job
* Check with HR if in doubt

DON'T

* Wear soiled, smelly clothes that look old or frayed
* Wear something if you have doubts about its appropriateness
* Show a lot of flesh in a frontline role
* Wear clothes you feel uncomfortable in