Tattoos. Piercings. Bare midriffs. Messages on clothing that are political or tasteless, or that endorse competitors. Hair that is too long or too messy.
With the acceptance of more casual dress in the workplace, some standards have become too casual. Past economic downturns have led to more conservative workplace dress (sober dress for sober times), but there is little evidence of this trend in the recent downturn. The era of the man in the gray pinstripe suit or the woman in the power suit may not have passed totally, but workplace dress has become far more diverse, and more challenging for employers to police.
