Senate Formalizes Dress Code, Tosses Casual Clothing on Floor



​The attempt to relax an unwritten dress code and allow U.S. senators to wear shorts, hoodies and other informal attire while on the Senate chamber floor has been discarded like an old pair of gym socks.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle unanimously passed a resolution Sept. 27 requiring senators to wear business attire. They were spurred to action after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., recently informed the sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing the dress code.

Schumer's action was seen to reflect, at least in part, of Sen. John Fetterman's, D-Pa., penchant for wearing gym shorts and a hoodie, according to various news outlets. Fetterman typically votes from the doorway of the party cloakroom or the side entrance in observance of the rules of decorum.

But while the Senate's unwritten code of business attire was "strictly adhered to over the past 20 years," according to The Hill, there have been some changes to it over time, such as in 2019 when female senators were allowed to wear sleeveless dresses.

"Though we've never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward," Schumer said of the resolution introduced by Senators Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Schumer thanked Fetterman for working with him "to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable," as well as Manchin and Romney for their leadership.

Before the measure passed, Fetterman told CNN that he would wear business attire when presiding over the Senate floor. He also issued a wordless statement with a photo of "King of Queens" actor Kevin James shrugging.

SHRM Online collected the following news stories and resources about workplace dress codes.

Managing Employee Dress and Appearance

Ideas behind dress and appearance have developed into more than just unwritten policies and practices made and used by managers and supervisors. Dress and appearance policies now require organizations to develop strategies that align with employer goals and culture while protecting the employer from discrimination claims and protecting employees' rights.

(SHRM toolkit)

In a Sartorial About-Face, Senate Reverts to Tradition on Its Dress Code

A week after the top Senate Democrat announced a more casual standard for dress in the chamber, a bipartisan pair won passage of a measure requiring that business attire be worn.

The move codified a longstanding—but previously unofficial—requirement that members show up to the chamber in business attire. The new dress code requires a two-thirds vote to make any changes to it.

(The New York Times)

Senators Nix Casual Clothing as Bipartisan Resolution Sets New Dress Code for Senate Floor

No gym shorts or hoodies on the Senate floor.

A Senate resolution reverses informal guidance issued by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week that senators could wear what they want when voting or speaking in the chamber. Many lawmakers in both parties of the more formal U.S. Senate had pushed back, arguing that the Senate floor should have some standards for dress.

(The Associated Press)

Attire and Grooming Policy

This template offers wording on guidelines applicable to business attire as well as definitions of appropriate casual attire for departments that adopt casual or dress-down days.

(SHRM Resources and Tools)