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Identification of workplace dress by low‐income job seekers

Journal of Employment Counseling

Published online on

Abstract

The author examined how low‐income job seekers participating in a workplace dress program identified traditional business and business casual dress. Seventy low‐income job seekers identified clothing items as traditional business (e.g., suits, ties), similar to identifications made by professionals and image consultants in previous literature. Garments selected as business casual varied than did selections for traditional business. Garments identified as casual business varied from preprogram to postprogram, whereas selections for traditional business remained relatively stable. The results suggest a need to clarify the parameters of business casual in workplace dress programming and future research.