Workplace fashion has gone casual: should lawyers join the trend?
Recently, a local legal event featured an attorney as its speaker. The speech was smart and professional, delivered with confidence and poise.
But I have good information that many attorneys present ignored the material and the speaker’s performance. They focused on her clothes: blue jeans and a button-down blouse.
The outfit was not a crime. (Perhaps a misdemeanor, depending on how many attorneys make up the jury.)
According to reports, many lawyers present thought that the speaker broke an important tradition by not wearing the sacred uniform of suit and tie. Others were puzzled or distracted or felt a touch of envy. Everyone had a strong reaction, which was unexpected.
It’s strange, because we all know very well that the rules of attraction are changing. Companies have moved away from formality.
I know, because when I take the train and walk around Chicago, I don’t see many suits anymore. The trend of anything goes.
Will this trend spread to the legal world? Have you already done it? It depends on where you live. I heard that in Silicon Valley, a lawsuit against an attorney is a red flag. It means being out of touch with the values and expectations of the client, a code defined by the technological revolution and its culture of innovation.
On the contrary, in New York or Europe, the question of attraction is normality. See a lot of formality due to the large volume of legal and financial firms in those places.
In versatile and down-to-earth Chicago, law firms have become less formal. But less formal does not mean NOT formal. When you walk near the Daley Center, you see more suits than anywhere else in the city.
Here, to a large extent, the tradition of lawyer’s dress code is alive and well.
That is good.
The legal profession is important and consistent; guarantees formality. This is particularly the case in a courtroom setting, where attraction can affect the way citizens view and respect the legal process.
From a professional point of view, our choice of clothing is a powerful marketing tool. This is true even in Silicon Valley, where the look and feel of the brand are different but the message is the same. Putting on the right clothing tells our clients and the rest of the legal world that we mean business.
It is important to look good if you want to cultivate a successful brand. Formal attractions, in Chicago at least, are still a board game for a lawyer or law firm. Show your clients that you take their cases seriously.
Another benefit of formal attractions is that it advertises that you are a lawyer. Example: when I go to a general networking event, as soon as I walk into the room, I get to choose the lawyers. Our suits are a dead giveaway. Soon enough, strangers come up to ask me if I am a lawyer. The next thing you know, we are exchanging business cards.
Of course, there are times when a suit is not needed. Like when I go to the office but I don’t have a court or scheduled meetings.
It sounds pretty standard, but it wasn’t always that way. Growing up, I remember my father, a lawyer, who left the house every morning in a business suit. No matter what he had planned that day, he was wearing the uniform.
The time has changed. We have all deviated from tradition on our way. But some things never change: we are still lawyers, we do important work.
While many industries have gone casual, dress code is part of who we are as lawyers. In a sense, that puts us in the rarefied company of cardiac surgeons, military generals, police officers, even the president, none who could do their life-changing work wearing jeans.
Okay, maybe cardiac surgeons wear jeans under their gown.
Look, if you want to wear jeans under your suit pants, where clients and colleagues can’t see them, go ahead and be my guest.
While we’re on the topic of weird locker room behavior, if you choose to go casual it doesn’t mean you can wear anything old.
The way you dress on casual days says a lot about your judgment, self-awareness, and how in touch you are with the times. These are important factors in how lawyers present their image to clients and colleagues.
Final argument: If you are a lawyer speaking or appearing before a full audience of lawyers, wear a formal suit. People will focus on what you say rather than what you are wearing.
Here’s a general rule of thumb in Chicago: In today’s less traditional times, when in doubt, take a good look, wear a suit.
