I wrote this for one of my college classes about corporate management behavior in the movie
Office Space. I obviously chose to focus on clothing:
The Language of Clothing for Corporate Dress
Organizational Behavior
April 18, 2006
Stephanie Willson
Josette Balthazar
Katya Wildgen
Danielle Brooks
In the movie Office Space Initech represents a computer corporation which houses primarily senior management executives, non-management employees, (which include software engineers, and technicians), and administrative staff. The employees and executives in the corporation represent a good foundation of what most employees and executives might be found wearing in the workplaces across America.
The importance of wearing the right corporate dress can determine how employees and management are perceived and treated by their peers, their supervisors, and other business clients in corporate America. Choosing the correct wardrobe and accessories, among other important details can make or break even the most well intentioned employees. That said, recommendations as to how each of characters in the movie would have survived the ‘Bob’ interviews in retaining their jobs at Initech are explored.
The characters portrayed as the “Bobs” in the movie wore executive level ‘uniforms’ to the office, and their style of dress enhanced their relationships with upper management in the company. The Bobs personified the management “gold standard” of dress: the rules that should be followed if one wants to be perceived positively and respected within the professional realms of the firm.
Upper management executives at Initech include Vice President - Bill Lumbergh and Don, who both played two of Peter Gibbon’s eight bosses. Their chosen forms of office attire differentiated them from their subordinates. These executives also interfaced well with the consultants, such that the consultants mirrored the type of outward appearance that the executives respected.
The movies main character, Peter Gibbons, serves as an ideal bridge between a model representation of the regular employee and an executive. Peter’s character places a foothold in both of these worlds. In certain scenes of the movie, Peter portrays his feelings about Initech with regard to the types of clothing he chooses to wear.
Non-management employees at Initech include software engineers, technicians and the administrative staff. The ‘office uniforms’ worn by Michael Bolton, Samir, Milton Waddams and Tom Smykowski provides adequate detail about their status within the organization. Their choice of clothing automatically places them in a ‘lower level’ position within the organization.
The level of hygiene/grooming and the types of accessories worn by each of the main characters in the movie, such as glasses, briefcases, watches, shoes, and so forth, are equally as important in preparing for an interview. One might emphasize the importance of these factors in their personal presentation. Research based recommendations for how the non-management employees could have aced the ‘Bob’ interviews had they chosen the correct work pieces are also disclosed.
Initech’s best known management proto-type of who the other characters should have been emulating in dress was their dreaded boss, Bill Lumbergh. Take notice of the body language between Lumbergh and Slydell and one will soon realize that these two men saw each other as social and work environment equals. When looking on the surface of what Lumbergh and Slydell have in common, one can see that they have communicated through their similar and shared clothing styles in which they view each other as peers. Although they both have different ways of expressing their own personal flair, there are enough details to clue each other into with whom they are speaking.
The biggest key give away towards the unspoken management dress code at Initech is the suit. In the book Dress for Success by John T. Molloy, the management characters follow Molloy’s advice and follow the unwritten dress code that they all seem to understand. They know how to announce to the company that they are still wearing suits even though they have taken off their jackets. The primary symbol that is displayed amongst one another when their jackets have been taken off is their suspenders. Suspenders are usually only worn with suit trousers, cueing the viewer that they did indeed come into the office with a jacket which is sitting by their desk and ready to be put on at a moments notice.
The Dress for Success book goes into detail by instructing non-management individuals how to mock dress like their superiors on a budget, which is in fact based upon empirical research using a scientific method. The results are so tangible and exact that other experts in the clothing field have repeatedly had to give credit to this author like, Allison Laurie in her sociology textbook The Language of Clothes, in which Laurie states, “John T Molloy instructs businessmen and women on how to select their clothes so they will look efficient, authoritative and reliable even when they are incompetent, weak and shifty.” (Laurie)
The most basic principal to remember in this Dress for Success book is when working for a corporate office with a formal dress code; one should wear a dark suit – always! In the book The Gentleman’s Wardrobe Book, the suit is also strongly encouraged for success in one’s career:
“In this age of fast hiring and promoting, some managers are making decisions on people in the first ten seconds of a meeting. When you dress appropriately, others know that you know the rules. You want to respect those around you and be respected; dressing well has more to do with that than people realize. I hear a story of how a promotion was denied because of a man’s failure to know how to dress properly. Management responds by assuming that if he can’t dress well, he may not be able to adapt to what is necessary in other parts of the job.” (Karlen and Sulavik)
In Molloy’s research, he gets into the psychology behind management by conducting one of his many surveys in which he interviews one hundred top executives of major corporations by asking them questions such as:
“Would a number of men at your firm have a much better chance of getting ahead if they knew how to dress? Ninety-six said yes, four said no.
Would you hold up a promotion of a man who didn’t dress properly? Seventy-eight said yes, twenty said no and two chose not to express an opinion.” (Molloy)
Clearly, since presentation is so key in not only getting your job, but in keeping it as well; the rest of the office at Initech would have done well to emulate a toned down generic version of Lumbergh and their other Initech managers in their dress as much as possible. The managers basically all wore the same uniform which the Bobs responded to very positively. The basic dress was again a suit in which trousers had suspenders, a tie to express their status, long sleeved oxford shirts in all white, or when colored then to be having white collars and cuffs, Italian shoes, and expensive accessories such as Swiss watches, class rings, thin metal rimmed glasses, and metal pens.
The nuances of each manager’s clothing choices reflected their individual personality setting themselves apart amongst their peers as not only an equal, but as an individual. Bob Slydell, went to the extreme of wearing leather braided suspenders to set himself apart as being creative. Lumbergh’s obsessive showcase of matching or coordinating ties and suspenders set himself up as not only the flamboyant clothes horse, but also as the man in charge. The other managers stuck with the general unofficial dress code without much deviation since they played less of a primary role in the movie requiring distinction and authority.
Peter Gibbons represents a foothold in both the non-management and upper management worlds at Initech. In his non-management position, Peter wore starched, button down cotton shirts and ties, with dark, pleated business slacks. The face of his watch was classic in style, and attached to a plain black leather band. In terms of grooming, Peter’s hair is always well groomed, and his face clean-shaven. Peter chose to wear brown shoes, which were not high in style and aligned more with his non-management position within the company.
Within his role as manager however, Peter dressed himself in plain dark suits with white button-down shirts of a higher-grade cotton material. In this new management role, Peter understood that his wardrobe had to change to go hand in hand with his higher level position within the company.
Alternatively, Peter’s meeting with the Bobs was unique in that during the interview, he was the only employee who had been dressed in weekend attire which included jeans, flip flops, and a flannel shirt. This situation confused the consultants because they were unsure as to Peter’s dress whether he held an upper management position or if he worked within the lower ranks at Initech. The Bobs, therefore assumed that Peter was management material who usually wore a suit to work on a regular basis. This perception was based on the fact that not only did Peter throw the consultants off with his weekend attire, but he also exuded a high level of confidence in his demeanor. What the Bobs did not realize was that Peter did not really care what they thought. His non-challant attitude came across as confident and probably even arrogant to them; therefore justifying their assumptions that he must have been a part of ‘upper management culture’. This example shows that portraying a high level of confidence and wearing the right attire can go a long way in influencing the perceptions of one’s audience.
Peter’s attire at times exemplifies his contempt toward Initech in general. In the article “The Psychology of Clothes” by Ernst Harms, it states that “dress is founded primarily in the world of emotions. It is not only a kind of covering but also a kind of mimicry through which man expresses any of his subjective social sentiments.” (Harms) In various scenes in the movie, Peter’s personality and frame of minded tended to come out in his choice of office wear. His outward appearances at times placed him at risk with his superiors. For this reason, it is important that one adhere to a consistent level of professionalism in the office place with regard to outward appearances. As one author puts it:
“Results from a sample of MBA students indicate that those who valued workplace attire used it to manage the impressions of others and believed that it positively impacts the way they feel about themselves and their workplace outcomes.” (Karl/Rust).
When the non-management employees met with the Bobs they could have perhaps done much better in the interview with some planning. Their need to emulate management’s attire is easily affordable to them and could have been picked up at many discount stores such as “Filine’s Basement, T.J. Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Men’s Warehouse, Today’s Man, and Ann Taylor Loft”. (AU Career Center)
Three Initech employees that personify the average non-management employee are Michael Bolton, Samir, and Tom Smykowski. Michael and Samir are classic software engineers while Tom is a customer service representative who communicates frequently with the computer engineers. Michael and Tom have a similar style of dress regardless of their different departments. Samir has his own unique flair that sets him apart from both management and his peers.
Michael’s professional dress consists of short-sleeve striped shirts, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. Michael’s shirts are lightly shaded in mostly light grey or blue, but his tie is often of a much brighter color than his shirt. Michael’s typical accessories are a black belt, an electronic watch and glasses with wide lenses. Michael’s hair is medium length and groomed in a careless manner.
Samir, the other computer engineer, wears all spectrums of color especially in the jewel tones when it comes to his professional outfits. The color of his usual long-sleeve shirts varies from bright purple to dark gray leaning more towards bright colors. Samir’s classic uniform consists of dark pants, black shoes, and a leather belt which is similar to Michael’s belt. Samir’s bright gold watch seems even brighter than necessary and was distracting to the viewer. He also wears a very short haircut, and profiles a mustache and a beard, which usually has negative connotations in corporate America.
Samir may think that his bright-color look makes him look representative and important, but it is actually diminishes his position and authority. One of the rules of business attire is to stay simple: “The less detail, the fewer the colors, the stronger your authority is. Clean lines, simple designs and monochromatic looks all work well in the business environment”. (Hempsall) Regardless of Samir’s position at Initech, he still can prove his professionalism by showing respect to himself and his co-workers if he considered giving preference to lighter shades and clean cuts in his choice of slacks and shirts.
Tom Smykowski who dressed in an older version which is very similar to Michael’s consisted of short-sleeve striped shirts, dress pants, tie, and big glasses. Tom wears a tie that is a tone or two darker than his shirt, computer watches, and a very conservative and neat hair cut. Compared to Michael and Samir, who keep their badges on their belts, Tom keeps his badge on his shirt pocket along with two pins.
All three characters are dressed in business casual, but none of them reaches the unofficial dress code. Gloria Starr, president of Global Success Strategies, Inc. specifies these issues by giving her impression of some professional employees that “they’re great at their jobs; however, they don’t have any idea how to present themselves professionally with their clothing.” (Lee).
Samir, Michael, and Tom’s clothing implicitly announce to the Bobs in their interview that they, as employees, carry no weight in the company through their personal choice of clothing and in their styles, colors, and accessories. None of these men wore suits, which automatically placed them in secondary positions within Initech. The Bobs, when making their cuts know that there will be no repercussions in cutting their jobs, and there will be little need to explain their decisions. “We are much more likely to believe, respect, and obey the man who wears a suit than a man who does not. Suits are associated with authority, with position, with power.” (Molloy)
Today, short-sleeved button-down shirts are not a proper way to stay professional within the business casual look. Michael’s appearance needs lots of improvement to achieve the look of a respectful engineer. His clothes are occasionally wrinkled, and his hair requires neat grooming. His electronic watch is also too eccentric for his peers. According to the Potentials, “the forces of economy, business culture, etiquette and the media came to pull office attire trends back towards the more formal end.” (Potentials) While Samir, Michael, and Tom complain about their failure to get promoted based on their professional achievements, they would be wise to heed the words of Anne Marie Lee, who states “if they can’t trust you to dress appropriately, how can they trust you with large budgets?” (Potentials) . Lee meant this figuratively in terms of trusting them with handling weighty business responsibilities.
Milton Waddams could have also followed the advice set forth above for Initech’s non-management employees. However, since many other factors dictate one’s upward mobility within a company which are beyond mere clothing such as one’s skills, connections, and personality, Milton may or may not have received better treatment by the employees at Initech regardless of his personal dress. Throughout the movie, Milton made several disconcerting statements that ranged from the squirrels outside his window being married, to his intentions of setting fire to the building. This sort of behavior seems to have the need to be addressed at a much deeper level that only a qualified psychologist could help Milton deal with properly before moving onto other issues that may have been affecting his personal performance.
Clothing expresses a loud communiqué about each employee, which subconsciously cues the viewer in as to where each character fit into the dynamics of Initech. The movie did not seem to emphasize corporate women in that they had very little time on the screen. Some things that were very striking to the viewer about the women who worked at Initech were that they were all in non-management positions within that company. Meena, the redheaded woman in customer service, could have toned down her overdone make-up, since “a woman with overdone makeup is unattractive at any age”. (Ebony 3).
Some of the other women in the movie that did not even receive names in the plot also tended to wear a lot of jewelry. This stood out since jewelry is also another accessory that should be subtle and not too overdone:
“Multiple rings, bracelets, and necklaces can get in the way of work and project an image of being flamboyant or extreme. In the Corporate field jewelry should be kept to a minimum. Too many rings become painful in a handshake and too many bracelets hinder computer and telephone work. Too many necklaces can be noisy and catch on a desk.” (Co-Ed 2)
For personal grooming and accessories for non-management to succeed in their Bob interviews, there were some noticeable areas that would have helped Samir, Michael, and Tom. As with so many elements of grooming and appearance in the office, less is more.
Mike Stikowsky, Michael Bolton, and Samir all seemed to have the same issues when it came to accessories, so it is best to address them generally as non-management employees. The one exception seemed to be Michael Bolton’s nails, which were very dirty and promoted poor hygiene and needed better care. “In general, men’s nails should be short, clean, and filed smooth with no ragged cuticles” (Bremer 1).
The technologically savvy non-management employees in the office were most often seen sporting calculator watches - which is understandable for a techie to have reverence for such an item. However, in an interview this item would be seen as more eccentric rather than being appreciated for its small circle of devoted followers. Samir instead wore an overly shiny gold watch which was distracting to the viewer and may have given negative messages towards his being a minority. Michael, Tom, and Samir all should have invested in a simple watch such as a Timex, which is very affordable, understated, and convenient to purchase at local stores such as
Target or
Rite Aid.
Michael’s top frame black glasses did not seem to compliment the fine features of his face. He would have done better to have purchased something in a trimmer finish as the other Managers were seen to be wearing. Tom seemed to find a much better pair of glasses to compliment his face, but he did need to find another place to store his pens besides the breast pocket of his shirt, which should have been placed inside his jacket. Michael chose to wear beat up, clunky shoes that were badly in need of a polish. A slim pair of dress shoes, such as simple penny loafers would have been preferable. Michael also could have done better in his interview if he were to take the time to simply polish his shoes and carefully look after them, which would have improved their look and life, and allowed Michael to stay within his budget.
Peter Gibbons was the perfect example of how simple changes in accessories could have the biggest effect. In the beginning of the movie, Peter accessories included a nylon briefcase, sports watch, unpolished shoes, and a belt. After Peter’s interview with the Bobs, his accessories also changed. His watch became simply styled, the nylon briefcase was no longer carried, his shoes were polished, and his belts, which matched his shoes, were now worn with his suits. As a result of Peter’s promotion, his accessories changed accordingly to set the right impression to the other workers in the office.
As with the newly promoted Peter Gibbons, the correct protocols of accessories were mostly displayed by the Bobs. Peter also seemed to emulate his superiors, such as Lumbergh and other Initech managers. The Bobs and Lumbergh soon became Peter’s peers instead of his superiors, and this communicated simply and succinctly though the changes in Peter’s clothing and accessories.
In conclusion, the importance of professional dress in the corporate environment is essential in determining the future potential for non-management professionals. The recommendations stated above will likely enhance and solidify ones positive relationship with upper management at the office. Once dress has been recognized as an essential element in obtaining one’s upward mobility within the organization, then the other skills and talents that an employee utilizes will no doubt be more seriously considered by their superiors.
Good examples of corporate dress for one’s individual place of employment should be modeled and based upon the upper-level management styles and accessory choices. Management usually provides a good template for which one can use as a personal ‘dress-for-success’ compass. When planning to attend an interview, it is recommended that utilizing discount stores such as Felines Basement, Target, and Burlington Coat Factory, to purchase the right clothing and accessories, is vital and obtainable in creating the right first impression of the interviewee. In this a person has a better chance at not only obtaining that great job, but also of keeping it by maintaining a professional appearance. One’s continuance to care for their personal appearance by mimicking their superiors in a generic, yet similar style will help them to level the playing field so that when the next round of Bobs interviews makes its appearance at their company that they may be noticed for their job performance instead of their lack of professional dress.
Bibliography
“The Psychology of Clothes” by Ernst Harms. Copyright 2000. Volume 44, page 239. The American Journal of Sociology. The University of Chicago.
The Style Incentive. Anne Marie Lee. Potentials. Minneapolis. Sep 2005 V.38, Issue 9; pg 32
Pescatore, Mark J. It’s all about appearances. Government Video. New York: Sep 1,
2005., Iss. 1610; pg 4.
Molly, John T. New Women’s Dress for Success.1996 Warner Books, New York NY pg 41.
Karlen, Josh and Sulavik, Christopher. The Indispensible guide to Classic Men’s
Clothing. 1999 Tatra Press Brooklyn NY
Alison Laurie. The Language of Clothes. Henry Holt and Company NY 1981.
Hempsall, Vincent. Profit. Toront: Jun.1999. Vol.18, Iss.4; pg.8
Molloy, John T. New Dress for Success. Warner Books Edition. New York, NY 1988
“FROM COED CASUAL TO CORPORATE CHIC: Achieving a Professional
Look - wardrobe for college graduates entering the job market” Ebony Sept,1999. pp. 1-3 http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_11_54/ai_55553241
Retrieved April 18, 2006
Dressing to impress: beliefs and attitudes regarding workplace attire. Joy V. Peluchette
Katherine Karl and Kathleen Rust.
Journal of Business and Psychology Published online: 1 April 2006
Opals and Tourmalines are the birthstones for October. Although I think that Ovals are very beautiful - I was always told as a child that Opals are bad luck to wear if they are not your birthstone. Since my birthday is not in October - I do not own this stone. 
Tourmaline does not have as fascinating of a mystical history of the Opal as it was discovered much later.
Wanda was designed for a flower girl for a wedding that will take place on June 23, 2007. The wedding colors are Red, Black, and White.
The earrings shown are on 
