WAL-MART Introduces New Dress Code, Employees Must Buy Own Clothes

[tabbycat31]

178. IMO there's a difference between a dress code and uniform

A dress code is saying 'white shirt black pants' and they really don't care what style or brand the clothing is as long as it is those required colors. Someone could be wearing stylish black skinny jeans and a white lace shirt and the next person could be wearing the K-mart special which is presentable but would not make fashion magazines and they still both meet dress code. A fashion forward 20 year old and a 60 something would probably be dressed differently in this scenario.

Uniform means that everyone has to wear the same style of black shirt and white pants (maybe there's a difference for male and female).

To use schools as an example. Some schools just mandate the type and/or color of shirt (ie red polo) and the color of pants/skirt the kids will wear (khaki) where others want the kids to wear full uniforms (think plaid jumpers at Catholic schools), sweaters and shirts with the school logo, etc. The stricter uniforms mandate what type of shoes to wear down to the brands.

I've worked several retail jobs. When I worked at a movie theater, we had a full-fledged uniform that was provided for us. Polo shirts with the chain's logo on it and a certain style of pants (other jobs had different uniforms, but everyone was in uniform.) We were written up if we were caught wearing socks and shoes that were not solid black (people went as far as using a sharpie on their shoes).

Where when I worked in a mall store, we had a dress code (black or white shirt, khaki or black bottoms). They didn't care as to the styles of the shirt (we had a company supplied apron we needed to wear over it anyways), pants, skirt, shoes (as long as they were close toed for our safety), socks, etc. If I showed up with the right color top and bottom and wore neon green shoes, they would not care.