Shifting Trends Spotlight Need for Alignment of Dress Code and Culture

A fashion trend emerging from TikTok, known as the “office siren,” is prompting fresh conversations about workplace attire. Drawing loosely from the Greek myth of the siren — a singing figure that was part bird, part woman and associated with allure and confidence — the trend reimagines 1990s office wear with bold, modern twists. This provocative take has miniskirts replacing demure suit skirts and revealing tops replacing blouses that offer more coverage. 

While giving followers an outlet for creative expression, the “office siren” trend has also brought warnings from HR professionals and reports of women being fired for emulating the style. It has also brought dress codes into the spotlight, revealing the impact of changing societal norms around clothing and pushing organizations to consider their policies more seriously.  

It’s no longer enough to hand out an employee handbook with a few pages about the dress code during orientation. Instead, CHROs need to consider dress codes as a key policy in an organization’s strategy and seek to align them with organizational culture. In doing so, they can support employee engagement and organizational performance.

Connecting Culture to a Dress Code 

When crafted intentionally, dress codes reinforce cultural values and drive organizational goals. “Every organization has a culture, whether it has been intentionally worked on or not. So, the question is how to deliberately work on the cultural levers so that the workforce is aligned in their mindsets, behaviors, and ways of working to enable the organization’s success,” said Paulo Pisano, CHRO at Booking Holdings, a global online travel company. 

What people wear to work is one component of culture that can impact their mindsets, behaviors, and how they work, making dress code policies worthy of careful thought and alignment with organizational culture. “The more detailed, defined, and strict a policy indicates what the culture may be like,” explained Deron Lehman, SHRM-SCP, CHRO of Barber National Institute, on a recent episode of SHRM’s Honest HR podcast. 

Enclothed Cognition

The idea that clothing can influence how we think and act — and not just how others perceive us — is known as “enclothed cognition.” It refers to how the clothes we wear can affect our mental processes, but it’s not just about putting on any old outfit. For clothes to have this effect, two things need to happen: The clothing must carry a specific meaning (such as professionalism or authority), and the person must physically wear it.

In a well-known 2012 study, researchers tested this idea using lab coats. Participants who wore a lab coat — and were told it belonged to a doctor — performed better on tasks requiring focus and attention than those who didn’t wear a lab coat or were told the coat belonged to a painter. In other words, simply seeing the coat or associating with it wasn’t enough. The boost in performance only occurred when participants wore the coat and believed it represented attentiveness and precision.

This suggests that workplace dress codes can do more than guide appearance — they can help employees feel and perform differently, depending on how the clothing aligns with their role and environment at work.  

A more recent paper found that clothing impacted employees’ self-esteem, productivity, and relationships at work. Researchers said the aesthetics, conformity, and uniqueness of clothes have symbolic meaning, with the power to improve or lower the wearer’s self-esteem and progress toward goals.

Other research and anecdotal evidence agree. If formal office attire can enhance performance, why not require it across the board?

The answer lies in the importance of autonomy. Studies show that even the perception of choice — such as selecting clothes within a flexible dress code — can boost both individual and team productivity. A dress code that aligns with the organization’s culture, while still allowing employees to choose what works best for them, can be empowering. Whether it’s adopting a personal work uniform to reduce decision fatigue or choosing clothing based on comfort and confidence, people can show up as their best selves when given autonomy.

While clothing clearly influences mindset and performance, and autonomy supports productivity, the question becomes: How do organizations strike a balance between structure and flexibility? The answer lies in culture. A thoughtfully designed dress code — one that reflects and reinforces organizational culture — can bridge the gap, offering both the symbolic power of clothing and the freedom employees need to thrive.

Focus on the Culture

In today’s diverse and evolving workplace, a one-size-fits-all dress code no longer works. Instead of rigid rules, companies can benefit from policies that reflect cultural values while allowing for personal expression. “Ultimately, being neutral in the dress code is the most appropriate because it does allow employees to bring their individual approach to it regardless of their age, generation, or style,” Lehman said. A neutral approach to dress codes respects the wide range of personal, cultural, and generational values employees bring to the workplace — promoting both inclusion and professionalism.

When employees feel that their personal values align with their organization’s culture, they’re more likely to be committed, satisfied, and motivated. These factors are essential drivers of engagement, which has a direct impact on productivity and productivity. Some studies even estimate that disengaged employees can reduce profitability as much as 23%. 

Toolkit: Managing Employee Dress and Appearance

Bringing Culture into the Dress Code

CHROs looking to balance employees’ desire to express themselves with the need to maintain a productive workplace should consider three key areas when aligning dress code policy with organizational culture.

Employees Are Stakeholders: Get employee input into the dress code. “It’s important to form employee groups and be inclusive to hear and understand what employees would like to see in the workplace based on the culture and their position requirements and then allow employees to be part of that change,” Lehman said. This can help support a positive workplace culture and ensure policies accommodate cultural and religious aspects of dress, tailoring the code to the needs of the workforce. 

Inclusion Through Neutrality: “An inclusive dress code strengthens trust, empowers individuals, and reinforces a collaborative and respectful workplace culture,” said Theresa Adams, SHRM-SCP, senior HR Knowledge Advisor at SHRM. To support inclusion, leaders can center dress codes on neutrality. This can mean using gender-neutral language when describing appropriate or inappropriate attire or ensuring that cultural and religious attire is accommodated in the policy.  

Managers Can Make or Break Success: In a positive work culture, managers are on the frontlines of supporting employees while ensuring compliance. Managers who don’t understand the dress code or who selectively enforce it can disrupt the alignment between the workforce and the culture. When updating or creating a dress code, it’s imperative to ensure managers are coached to uniformly apply the standards and avoid gaps in enforcement. 

Dress Code: A Strategic Tool

Dress codes are more than guidelines for what to wear — they’re strategic tools that help shape how employees engage with their work. When aligned with culture, dress codes can support everything from inclusion to performance. Research shows that what employees wear can influence how they think and perform at work, making dress codes a subtle but powerful way to reinforce organizational values and expectations.

As societal norms shift and fashion continues to evolve, it’s critical that CHROs treat dress codes not just as static rules, but as living policies that reflect the needs, values, and identities of today’s workforce. By doing so, organizations can foster greater connection, confidence, and commitment among employees — and ultimately drive better results.

Level Up Your Team with the SHRM Inclusive Workplace Culture Specialty Credential