Dress Codes and the Legal Profession
Dress Codes and the Legal Profession
Even the traditional law practice is open to ‘dress-down’ Fridays in our more relaxed working world. So what perceptions or possible issues might this raise?
Subjectivity aside — generally and objectively, our expectations may be to see certain particular (and even peculiar) dress codes depending on the business sector and the environment of that business.
Our clients at Kerseys may have expectations regarding the appearance of lawyers, just as they do of their surgeon, hairdresser or tennis coach. So, would a client be disappointed by a shirt without a tie, or worse, tee-shirt and trainers?
What is that disappointment about? Is it about a pre-conceived idea that if you dress in a certain way, the advice will be better or worse depending on the presentation of the wearer? There is a sharp reality that dress does breed a certain respect or distaste at polar extremes and the ‘average norm’ seems to be the road most well tread to retain the status quo, where expectation equals presentation and with expectation comes a sense of value and value of services provided.
Interestingly, the Law Society of Scotland has recently successfully assisted in gaining a concession from the UK Home Office, that Sikh solicitors are now permitted to carry their articles of faith, including a kirpan (a small ceremonial dagger) when visiting clients in detention centres.
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