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Adjusting to Your Office’s New(ish) Dress Codes

Adjusting to Your Office’s New(ish) Dress Codes

Plenty of people have been living, working, and sleeping in sweats since the first pandemic headlines. Now, with offices around the world reopening, many workers are wondering what to wear — and what not to wear. For translation and localization professionals, the answer will depend on the individual position, workplace norms, and — sometimes — the day of the week. 

Dressing for the Big Screen

For those pros still not working in-person full-time, let’s face it: Video calls and virtual meetings are the new norm (though in many cases across the localization industry, they’ve been standard for years), and along with them, plenty of advice about how to present oneself. Ours? Keep it simple. Opt for not-too-busy patterns and just-enough accessories for a neat and tidy look.

Good-bye, Double Standards

The necessary acceptance of work-from-home setups has enabled many employees to let down their hair during work hours. While the exact look varied by individual, trends include pajama bottoms (and/or tops), untamed manes, and past-five-o’clock shadows. Notably, WFH loosened requirements that traditionally applied only to women, such as make-up and high heels. Bosses urging workers back to the office would do well to keep dress codes egalitarian.

Striking a Balance

Of course, for all the dressed-down styling, some of us out there still enjoy getting dressed up for a day at the office. There’s nothing wrong with looking polished, so long as you don’t stick out like a sore thumb once you’re back among colleagues. Aim for just one or two degrees of “dressiness” above the norm, if you’re so inclined. If your coworkers wear sweats or workout gear, try sleek jeans and a blazer; if everyone else does jeans, up the game to business casual. And it never hurts to take part in casual Friday, at least for the sake of team bonding.