Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Eleanor Bradford: Relaxed dress codes cause more trouble than good

Choosing what to wear for work or a formal event was never easy, but changing attitudes have actually made things even trickier.

Bright colours work well for broadcast journalists, but might turn heads in other work environments (Image: garetsworkshop/Shutterstock)
Bright colours work well for broadcast journalists, but might turn heads in other work environments (Image: garetsworkshop/Shutterstock)

Choosing what to wear for work or a formal event was never easy, but changing attitudes have actually made things even trickier, writes Eleanor Bradford.

Dress codes always give me the fear. Over the years, I’ve had many epic fails, and now it’s harder than ever to navigate the world of fashion for work or special events.

Recently, celebrity lawyer Ayesha Vardag has dropped her previously strict dress code to embrace gold leather trousers and pink hair, in order to allow her staff to express themselves.

I think I must be recovering from the trauma of regularly getting it wrong on camera for 20 years. When I joined the BBC, I was determined not to follow its boring, unofficial dress code which was, at that time, a Hobbs coat and pashmina scarf (and has changed little since). I wanted to appeal to younger female viewers by wearing the latest looks, but I quickly found out that these did not translate well to TV news.

A fake fur collar looked like a dead ferret around my neck. Tasteful colours looked drab. Bright colours worked much better. (As I write this, I am watching a newsreader looking lovely in a pink trouser suit which, outside a studio, would look like an item from Barbie’s wardrobe.)

I was expressing my individuality, and the viewers hated it. “Your hair looks like it has been dragged through a hedge backwards and your jacket buttons up on the wrong side!” wrote Mrs Middle-class from Morningside.

I also watched young recruits get it wrong. Thinking they were entering a relaxed, creative environment, they would turn up in what was fashionable and comfortable, including vests and miniskirts. “The thing is,” said an exasperated female editor to a pretty young trainee, “I don’t mind the low-cut of your top and you have every right to wear it but (unnamed male correspondent) has now visited our desk five times already and he’s driving me mad.”

Such outfits were also not very practical when the trainees were dispatched to report on a storm, sent into a mosque or asked to climb up ladders on a building site, all of which were a regular occurrence. The trouble is that enthusiastic new office entrants, fresh out of a liberal college environment, have nothing to guide them, except fashion magazines and influencers who promote hot pants and high heels because they don’t think through the practicalities.

Navigating fashion out in the field and at home

Figuring out dress codes takes years of experience. Now that I work with quite a few different companies as a consultant, I carefully tailor my outfit to each one. Some like a creative look, some expect at least a jacket, and some require sensible shoes. A royal visit definitely deserves a brand new frock.

I have learned through bitter experience that fact-finding trips to laboratories require forward planning with matching underwear, especially if visiting with foreign nationals. If you have to strip and change into sterilised suits, you can guarantee your foreign companions have beautiful, silk lingerie, whilst you are there in a mismatched Bridget Jones belly-warmer and bra.

The rise of remote working and video calls adds a new dimension to personal presentation (Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock)

Lockdown also taught me new tricks. The most memorable company tendering for a contract was not the guy with all the answers, but the one who did the Zoom call in a room packed full of electric guitars and amplifiers. Whilst we all assumed that an intelligent-looking bookshelf was best, in reality, it turned out that a wacky room leaves a bigger impression.

And I still feel there’s something dishonest about a blurred-out background on a video call. What is so embarrassing in your house that it has to be concealed by special effects?

I’m not interested in how you’ve accessorised your outfit, I want to see how you’ve accessorised your home office. This is the new way to express yourself.

First impressions still count

Then, just when you think you’re getting the hang of the office environment, the formalwear environment goes feral, too. How lucky you are, men, to be able to fall back on suits and kilts, because, now, even the Jockey Club has relaxed its dress code in order to make its racetracks more “accessible and inclusive”. British racing’s largest commercial organisation is, instead, encouraging racegoers to “dress as they feel most comfortable”. Argghhh!

Heels, a figure-hugging dress and spandex is never comfortable, but it’s better than the pitying glances of other, glamorous guests still observing the old dress code whilst you brazen it out in the wrong “accessible” outfit.

If you are starting out on your career, Hobbs will see you through any situation, ladies, and save you a whole load of hassle

So, from the young woman determined not to be boxed into boring clothes, I have now done a full 360 and rely on a rail full of go-anywhere shirt dresses. First impressions count, and we’re a judgmental lot.

If you are starting out on your career, Hobbs will see you through any situation, ladies, and save you a whole load of hassle. Do yourself a favour and keep the gold leather for the weekend.


Eleanor Bradford is a former BBC Scotland health correspondent and now works in communications

Conversation