"BUT THESE ARE DESIGNER JEANS!"

At Rockwell, there was a definite dress code for members of management. In Orientation we were instructed that we should dress every day as if we were expecting to meet the President Of The United States or the President of our Company. THE President never visited, and although THE President didn't visit Columbus, he did visit our plant in California, but in addition to OUR Company President, we had the Governor, Senators, Representatives, Mayors, and the leader of the Strategic Air Command and other generals come to visit. Fortunately, we always had notice--or warning--of the visits!

One morning, I was walking through my area and I noticed that a female supervisor was wearing jeans. She actually looked very well turned out, with a white blouse and red blazer, black jeans and cowboy boots. (She had transferred from the Tulsa plant to Columbus and a great number of Tulsa-ites wore boots.) The jeans were a no-no. I went to her and said, "I'll watch your area while you go home to change your clothes." She said, "What do you mean?" I said, "You know that jeans are not permitted." She said, "But these are DESIGNER jeans; I paid $50 for these; they are Gloria Vanderbilt DESIGNER jeans." I said, "You know the rules." She said, "This isn't right; I'm going to Human Resources." I said, "NO you aren't; you're going home to change your clothes; this is a direct order." She said, "I suppose this is Robbie's doing." My boss Robbie was very strict. [I would NOT break my rule of blaming a decision on my superior.) I said, "No, I'm sure Robbie hasn't seen you or he would have called ME!"

I dislike the idea of casual Fridays. Why should one be casual any day of the week? I think casualness in apparel makes for casualness in all behavior. I recall the first time I worked on a Saturday at International Harvester and I came in dressed as usual and all the other Management people were dressed "casual". I never dressed "down" although my colleagues made fun of me, my workers did not. One of my workers commented, "They don't realize that you STAND OUT now because you are the only one dressed right." His saying "right" was the affirmation I needed.