If you are a woman of color in the workplace, you will be very familiar with unsolicited comments about your appearance.

From how you choose your hairstyle to the boldness of your clothes, someone will always comment on something.

The beginning of the Covid pandemic and more shifts in working from home have freed many of us from our roles and these frequent micro-attacks designed to safely navigate the office space.

It allows us to work comfortably, and for many people, it strongly affirms the benefits of a looser dress code policy.

For women of color, this is more than just enjoying the fun of wearing casual clothes, or making the most comfortable jogging pants a major part of the workday wardrobe.

Historically, office dress codes have played a key role in the work environment, especially for women. Since the beginning of the 20th century, when women joined the workforce in the masses, their way of dressing was largely determined by patriarchal standards, such as insisting on wearing high heels.

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, during the socio-political turmoil, women began to question and challenge social norms and systems, but this did not translate into working space, and unspoken rules became actual office policies.

The dress code is not only for women, but also for members of the LGBTQ+ community, those with larger sizes, especially women of color.

Although some people believe that formal dress codes provide some psychological benefits by being a "shortcut" for women and make their lives easier by eliminating determinants, women of color find themselves under the supervision of European Central Standards and Regulations through the office The dress code is under the guise of professionalism and the spread of "brand value".

These new ways of working in the pandemic lasted for weeks and months, causing many people to question their old routines and have new perspectives on the actual needs of the work environment.

Why do I spend so much time trying to "tame" my hair every morning? Is it necessary to put on so much makeup every day? Who am I wearing those high heels and dull colors for?

With the reopening of workplaces, the question now is whether to try to maintain a loose dress code and whether doing so will benefit women in minority communities.

Young professional women, Amrit and Rawja, both engaged in policy work, believe that the potential benefits may be huge.

"Before Covid, people would try to blend in-I didn't want to wear bold colors, personalized items and jewelry," Amrit told Metro.co.uk.

"As a South Asian woman, I like bold colors and block patterns. Not being able to wear these means that I am not a true and visible representative of who I am.

She said the pandemic has changed the way she treats work clothes and what it means to her.

'Before, in order to be taken seriously, I would lower my emotions. And now, what I only wear outside of work, I only wear to the office.

'When I returned to the office for the first time, I had to sit down and think, "By the way, what am I wearing?" I have forgotten what it's like to dress in a corporate manner.

The pandemic in her home and the Zoom meeting opened up new intimacy, an unprecedented integration of personal and professional. So, Amrit wanted to know, why shouldn't it extend to the clothes she wears?

"People have seen it in my personal space. You have seen me in my room and my elements. Why is it shocking that I am dressed boldly?" she asked. "The clothes I wear will not affect my level of work."

Rawja believes that by being ourselves while working from home, we have redefined what profession means to us.

"I think many people realize that it doesn't mean anything," she said.

"As a black Muslim woman wearing a hijab, I always wear pants and a shirt. I think the flowing mid-length dress is too casual.

"I am worried about wearing robes (the loose robes worn by some Muslim women)-I am worried about looking too unprofessional because I want to dress more modestly, which happens to look more casual."

Rawja believes that we are on the brink of change and hopes that employers will let the flow go, not overthrow it.

"I don't think employees will return to their original state, because the balance of power is tilting," she said. 'We are not here to negotiate what we want to look and feel in the workplace.

"There have been several high-profile cases of female boycotting objectification, and I think this boycott will only intensify. I am not sure how many employers will oppose this-they now understand that it should be.

Of course, not everyone is willing to accept a less formal office dressing culture, which may be partly because the cultural meanings mentioned by Amrit and Rawja do not apply to everyone.

"I came back to the office to see so many people wearing "appropriate" work clothes instead of casual casual clothes, which surprised me," Rawja added.

When talking about the cultural expectations of workwear and the ways it has and will continue to restrict women of color, international fashion educator Federica Brooksworth said that it is important to remember that these groups have a rich and expressive history in dressing. , From hair to clothes.

"Work clothes are not always limited to our clothes, but our general appearance as women of color," Federica said.

"As women of color, we don't have a style. We wear clothes according to the activity. We like to dress appropriately because it is a cultural norm for us," she added.

'It is not surprising that we stand out because we are restricted to the scope of "professionalism", but this is just a structure.

"Why do they think we wear unprofessional clothes? For white women, it is usually more acceptable and even normalized to wear clothes that they like, so why is it a rule for them and another for us? What about the rules? It’s never professionalism—it’s control.

In response, women of color usually make strategic code conversions—adjust everything about themselves, including their speech, behavior, clothing, and appearance, and compromise themselves in order to be treated equally so that they will not be given professional opportunities. Be ignored.

For example, research shows that black employees who downplay their racial identity are considered more professional and more likely to be hired than black employees who do not change their self-expression.

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Amrit said her shopping habits have changed and she now has completely different priorities.

"I only buy things I really want to wear," she said. 'Now, I buy clothes based on whether I like them, not whether I will adapt to the office.

"My mindset about what is'decent' has changed."

This new way of thinking will undoubtedly affect the way employees handle work clothes in the future.

As more and more employees promote mixed work models, it is important for organizations to understand how and why women of color use this flexibility to redefine professionalism.

As we return to the workplace, we have the opportunity to transform the traditional office wardrobe into a more casual, more personalized, more comfortable and inclusive wardrobe.

For many women of color, this means having the opportunity to work with a complete, true self.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch with us via email MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

This series delves into British racism.

Our goal is to study how, where, and why personal and structural racism affects people of color in all walks of life.

Crucially, we must improve the language of talking about racism and continue the difficult conversations about inequality—even if they make you uncomfortable.

We hope to hear from you-if you have a personal story or racist experience you want to share, please contact: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk

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