One of the most highlighted aspects of the workplace culture is your uniform. Every company has its own set of uniforms for its employees for formality purposes. Aside from that, it also showcases the unity of your brand. Uniforms can vary depending on the industry that you’re working for.
For instance, when working in a corporate office, you’re expected to wear a suit and tie, or a blazer and skirt. Formal dress codes can also be associated with real estate industries or finance companies in which professionals are expected to look formal when meeting with clients. If you’re working for a tech company, you may be assigned behind-the-scenes, which means your job doesn’t require you to face clients. Thus, you can wear less formal attires or clothes.
If you’re working in a factory, you’re required to wear protective clothing to make sure you’re safe from hazardous materials and complex machinery. People working in the medical industry are expected to wear scrubs and scrub pants to ensure they’re protected from harmful contaminants and body waste that they normally handle every day. Hence, uniforms exist not only for formality or identity, but also for safety purposes.
However, there’s still another factor that companies must also consider when planning out a work attire for their employees, and that’s comfort. Comfortable work attire has been associated with improved productivity. If you’re wondering why and how, here are the four reasons why comfortable clothes can boost a person’s productivity:
1. Allow More Movements
When it comes to the comfort of clothes, the first factor to be considered is their fit. It’s essential that employees wear clothes that are suitable for their size or body type. The clothes also have to have a few inches of allowance so these wouldn’t be too tight for the wearers. That way, their work clothes will allow them to do more movements. Aside from that, clothes in the correct size also offer ventilation.
Wearing work attire that restricts movements can affect one’s productivity. Not only will their performance be compromised, but they would dread to wear the same tight work attire every day, making them have a hostile attitude towards work. Thus, as an employer, you need to ensure that your chosen work attire for your employees isn’t only be presentable, but also comfortable enough for your employees to breathe properly and perform tasks efficiently.
2. Improve Mental Focus
Imagine if the company you’re working for right now doesn’t have strict rules for work attire. That means they allow you to wear casual clothes when you’re on your shift. You choose to wear your casual clothing as you find these comfortable, and these are also the same clothes you wear whenever you buy groceries. However, how do you feel as you sit in your office wearing your casual attire? Do you feel inspired to work? Are you having a hard time trying to focus on the tasks at hand?
That may have to do with your clothes. Dressing casually in your workplace can cause you to feel less focused and reduce your alertness. That’s because your inner consciousness is having a hard time differentiating between how you must act in your workplace and how you act when you’re outside picking up groceries. Every clothing has a symbolic meaning, such that formal attire demands a serious and focused attitude, while casual attire only entails a carefree attitude.
That explains why most companies implement a strict dress code for their employees. They want to make sure that their people are creating boundaries between their work and personal lives. For instance, a person wearing a suit and tie will feel more inspired to do their job and formally meet their clients because they’re dressed appropriately for the position. If a medical doctor wears a lab coat, they’ll be more focused on handling their operations and other medical obligations.
3. Gives A Sense Of Confidence
Another reason why comfortable clothes can positively affect your productivity is that they give you a sense of confidence. You feel more comfortable with what you wear when you know it matches well with your work environment. And, when you’re wearing something that fits your line of work, then you feel confident.
For instance, a factory worker dressed in comfortable work clothes will feel more confident that they can do their job adequately. An office employee dressed comfortably in their blazer and skirt will also feel more confident that they’re the right person for the tasks and can do them successfully. The way you dress can empower you, impacting the way you think and act. You become more creative, driven, and more productive.
4. Affect How Other People Treat You
Did you know that many employees hate their jobs because of how their co-workers mistreat them at work? That’s not a new thing, and, in fact, it happens to millions of employees every day. No one likes to work in a place where they’re mistreated, and all their work efforts are unappreciated.
One way to make sure people know how to treat you is wearing appropriate work clothing. If you’re in a professional work setting, it’s best to wear clothes that match what you do. The more formal your work attire is, the more likely people will perceive you as someone with a higher authority.
However, remember to never compromise comfort for formality. Thus, make sure the formal attire you wear is also comfortable for you. People can tell if a person isn’t comfortable with their getup because they appear awkward and always try to fix their clothes in an unconscious, habitual manner. This will only ruin your overall look, and people may lose their trust on you.
The Bottom Line
The four reasons mentioned explain how comfortable clothes is essential for better productivity. No one else is in command when it comes to the comfort of your clothes but you. If you’re not comfortable with your work attire, switch things up. Make sure you’re dressed in your best every day as it’s the first step in motivating yourself to do better, make the right decisions, and accomplish your goals. After all, the world is a stage—always dress the part.
