Suits swapped for 'casual office attire'

Fewer businesses in the UK are demanding that their employees wear a suit to work, a new survey has shown.

Now, only one in four workers don a smart suit before heading to the office, research from the Aziz Corporation has revealed, reports Online Recruitment.

And six out of ten offices have a more lax dress code in place, the firm discovered.

However, chairman of the Aziz Corporation Professor Khalid Aziz stated that employees should dress conservatively if in doubt.

People will be judged on their appearance as well as their abilities and in the current climate some bosses will be reassessing their workforce, he said.

Although, Professor Aziz noted that there is no longer a perception that we have to wear suits in order to be smart.

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Another recent survey by Peninsula revealed that lucky underwear is chosen by six out of ten job candidates on the morning of an important interview.

According to ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg, the real issue is not dress at all, but attitude.

How a company presents itself is vital to client relationships, he asserts.

Formal business attire sends the message that commitment is disciplined and structured.

Though employees no doubt feel more comfortable in casual dress, it's worth noting that top people in successful companies are always smartly turned out and attentive, with an air of being ready to do business, he says.

Note that two of those qualities have nothing to do with appearance, they're pure attitude. On top of that, attending clients in a business suit does give an impression of respect and consideration, he continues.

Smart casual may be borderline, but trying to tell your clients you respect them by wearing jeans and trainers is unlikely to create a favourable impression, he concludes.