Thread: American Apparel Dress Code

I thought I'd share this on here as I am just outraged by it!!!!!!!
I get that certain companies have to keep up certain 'looks' and brands, but have a read through this... don't forget to note the personal hygiene section at the end!
It is absolutely unbelievable!!
I'm sure it's not just me being overdramatic!
(You can immediately see why this was top secret!)

The American Apparel Dress Code Manual - Featured on BuzzFeed

saz x

WARNING

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welcome to the clone world!

no individuals allowed.

That's insane! I love how it says under footwear no ballerina flats yet what shoes is the girl in the picture above wearing... lol. Also I can't believe it says hair must match skin tone and that you can't straighten it! I personally would look a right state if I didn't straighten my hair cus although my hair isn't curly or wavy it does flick out ridiculously on one side, lol, so i'd look stupid if I worked for them and couldn't straighten it!

Imagine the effort to get ready for work every day in a job that is probably pretty unsatisfying.

Scarlet Blush x

I'm sorry, is this American Apparel or the army??? Jesus, it wasn't that strict at school. I'm surprised they can find any employees to fit their ridiculous criteria!

Coco x

thats horrible. i've heard bad things about that particular company before, only hiring people who are very (conventionally) attractive.

the last clothes shop i worked at, had a strong focus on dress code and stuff, and they asked you to dress in a fashionable manner. however, as long as you were wearing the brand you were selling, and looked at least tidy (and not too slutty!), you could pretty much adapt your outfit to whatever style you liked (i liked to make mine a little more alternative/casual). the dress code also stated you had to wear makeup though, i thought that was a bit cheeky (luckily our boss didnt strictly enforce this. although once, a colleague of mine came in even though she was ill and feeling like death, and an ex-manager told a supervisor, to tell this colleague, to "go and put some foundation on, shes looking very pale"!!!)

yep, i think a lot of people would be surprised at the dress code expected when you work in fashion retail, even high street. i'd love to know what the various levels (high street, mid-range, designer) dress codes are like.

Also, don't we, as stage performers, have a kind of dresscode on stage?

We create and sell characters, images, ideas and performer-brand.

Clothing stores create and sell brand, image, style and trends.

I guess, personally, I don't see a huge issue in being exceptionally choosy about staff appearance when there is a clear purpose in mind (i.e. using staff as in-store, live models). I'd find it another story if this were, say, a stationary store, where staff appearance is less relevant to generating ballpoint pen sales.

Gotta say I kinda agree with Beatrix on this.
Most clothing stores require you to wear the clothes (and often give you a clothing allowance for this express purpose).

Selling 'the look' is pretty standard. That's why at make up counters you never see the Chanel team sporting the GaGa look.
Airlines have long had strict guidelines (down to the shade & brand of Lipstick) and most corporate companies have guidelines .

It does seem very detailed (and the option of e-mailing a picture of your shoes to find out if they are deemed acceptable made me smile), but there's nothing inherently offensive about it. After all, if you hated the brand & the look then you probably wouldn't particularly want to work there.

But L'oreal who in 2007 were found guilty of dictating the skin colour and ethnicity of it's staff that makes me angry.
You're worth it - if white. L'Oréal guilty of racism | World news | The Guardian

I do see your point on it, but even so, I don't think that even justifies the sheer amount of criteria here.
It's a high street clothes shop - how much do the staff get paid?! It's an awful lot of effort and criteria to have to meet in order to get paid a wage which probably isn't far off minimum wage.
I really feel there is something inherently sinister about it somehow!

Whatever your day job we all have some form of dress / appearance code to meet and not everywhere is as upfront in informing their employees in advance as American Apparel.

I work in education and there is NO written dress code. However staff are sometimes told that what they are wearing is inappropriate so it would be nice to have it spelt out in black and white so we all knew what was allowed and not allowed. Most of it is common sense and some depends on which faculty you work in (ie no open toed shoes in tech) and who you line manager is, but it is very subjective and open to individual interpretation.

I wish more places issued dress codes actually, sorry as I know that makes me sound controversial!!! At least we would all be aware exactly of what was allowed and not allowed in advance. For example some staff cover their tattoos with clothing or plasters whilst some don't so we aren't sure what is allowed!!!

kisses
PixieParasol

Meh, I used to work in a casino and the rules there were strict. Heck, where I was the management were pretty lax about things, but the rules which are standard across most casinos were rigid. For example: the usual customer facing stuff (no facial piercings, visible tattoos, unnatural hair colours); men must be clean shaven or have groomed facial hair - no stubble; women to wear full make up and to have nails painted a light colour - nothing heavy, dark or nail art (although this was practical - your hands are always in view and they get very dirty very quickly,so nail polish helps disguise dirt under the fingernails until you can wash up on your next break); women to wear high heeled shoes (again this was practical - many women find it difficult to reach across the tables in flat shoes as they're a bit too short). At one point there were discussions about banning women from wearing necklaces and insisting blouses were buttoned right up to the collar. I got told to put on more make up a few times, and I saw men being sent home to shave or to change their shoes for the right colour. And I got paid a salary which worked out to about minimum wage, because we were classed as unskilled workers, despite the fact that a lot of skill is needed to do the job. It's all about presenting an image, and if you don't present the right image for the company, you won't be in the job ...

The American Apperal code is probably only that detailed because t's been worked out over time and new bits have been added as they found new problems or queries. I don't even want to think about what could have happened to make the personal hygiene bit necessary >_<

At the end of the day though, the people who are going to want to work in the shop probably like the aesthetic they're selling and therefore would be happy to go along with it. I wouldn't, purely because the look they're describing sounds hideous to me. But put me in an environment where their prescribed aesthetic suits me and my own style, and I'd happily stick to their elaborate code. But I'd be wary of any company whose materials misspell 'complementary' and 'straitening', but that's just me ...