J.P. Morgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank based on assets, stunned the usually conservative financial sector when it parted with longstanding tradition and started allowing business-casual attire on most occasions, except in client meetings. The move away from pinstripes to pullovers signals a larger trend, perhaps driven by wealthy clients who are increasingly shedding their ties. Even the Chairman and CEO, Jamie Dimon, started dressing down after meetings with more casual Silicon Valley executives. Young talent, for whom banking is competing with the IT sector, may also favor more comfortable garb. A Robert Half International survey found that approximately 50 percent of senior managers stated that employees are wearing less-formal attire than they did just five years earlier. Among office workers, 31 percent said they favor a workplace with a business-casual dress code. The most common dresscode violations are overly casual clothes, followed by revealing clothing, according to the survey. This suggests that workers need help understanding business-casual policies.

The J.P. Morgan memo that announced the new policy outlined the dos and don’ts. Not allowed is athletic clothing (i.e., sweatpants, leggings, and yoga pants; halter tops; flip-flops; hats or hoods). “Distracting, tight, revealing or exceptionally loose or low-cut clothing” is also verboten. On the flip side, casual slacks, capris, polo shirts, and dress sandals are acceptable. Jeans and sneakers aren’t considered business casual in most circumstances and job sites. The key guideline is to match clients in formality of dress. “Business casual is not weekend casual,” the memo states. Unacceptable attire or appearance can lead to reprimand and disciplinary action including dismissal. Critics contend that some “decoding” of ambiguous items listed in the policy, especially for women, is needed. If gray capris are acceptable, how about bright floral ones? Are women wearing denim viewed differently than men? What exactly is “tasteful” jewelry? And will judging “appropriate” hairstyles be left to managers’ perception of race?33 Your Task. Your boss in HR, Erin Schmidt, asks you to draft a memo modeled on J.P. Morgan’s casual-dress policy for your traditional community bank, Willowbrook Financial. Mr. Hamdi, the CEO, realizes that your financial institution must go with the times. At the same time, he believes that Willowbrook employees need clear guidelines to understand the new policy and reduce ambiguity. Ms. Schmidt has instructed you to flesh out more detail in Willowbrook’s policy. Consider including a table with dress code dos and don’ts.