Understanding the Hidden Rules of Workplace Attire
Choosing what to wear to work often feels like a personal decision, but research shows that workplace dress norms are rarely as individual as they seem. These unwritten rules about professional attire are shaped by subtle cues, organizational culture, and broader power structures that influence who feels they belong and who must constantly adjust to fit in.
A new study led by Dr. Yanhong Li from the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business is examining how workplace dress norms and office design affect self-expression and feelings of belonging, particularly for queer and gender-diverse employees. Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, this research explores how something as routine as choosing an outfit can reveal deeper issues of conformity, control, and legitimacy in professional spaces.
The Illusion of Choice in Professional Dress
While many organizations lack formal dress codes, expectations about appropriate workplace attire are communicated through informal channels. Employees learn what constitutes “professional” by observing who receives praise, promotions, or criticism, and whose appearance goes unquestioned.
“People learn what counts as ‘professional’ by paying attention to who gets praised, promoted or left alone, and whose appearance draws comments or scrutiny,” explains Dr. Li. “Even when rules aren’t written down, they’re very clearly enforced.”
This pressure intensifies for 2SLGBTQIA+ workers who may feel compelled to modify their appearance based on the setting, audience, and perceived safety of the environment. The constant need to monitor one’s appearance and second-guess how others will perceive them can take a significant toll on well-being and confidence.
Beyond Clothing: The Role of Workplace Design
The study also examines how physical workspace design influences feelings of visibility and the need to manage one’s appearance. Elements like open-concept layouts, glass walls, mirrors, décor, and binary washrooms all send messages about who belongs and who must conform.
“Workspaces are not neutral backdrops,” says Dr. Li. “They send powerful messages about who belongs, who is taken seriously, and who was imagined as fitting in there in the first place.”
The research will involve in-depth interviews with participants from various professional backgrounds, who will also share photographs of spaces and moments that influence their work attire choices. These visual elements will serve as prompts for reflection and storytelling.
From Research to Real-World Impact
To extend the research beyond academic circles, Dr. Li is partnering with DesignTO, a Toronto-based organization focused on design’s role in social inclusion. Together, they plan to translate research findings into public exhibitions, storytelling features, and practical tools for organizations.
“DesignTO is deeply engaged in showing how design affects everyday life,” explains Dr. Li. “This partnership allows us to turn research insights into conversations people can actually see and engage with.”
Planned activities include community exhibitions, digital storytelling, and easy-to-use resources for employers and designers, offering practical guidance on how appearance norms and design choices can either exclude people or support authenticity and belonging.
Redefining Professionalism and Belonging
The ultimate goal of this research is not to dictate what people should wear, but to expand ideas of legitimacy in professional spaces. “The goal isn’t uniformity,” Dr. Li emphasizes. “It’s creating workplaces where people feel safe, respected, and able to show up as themselves, so they can direct their energy toward engaging with their work rather than constantly self-monitoring.”
This research challenges organizations to reconsider long-standing assumptions about professionalism and who fits in. When organizations discuss inclusion, dress norms and spatial design are often overlooked, yet these everyday details can either support people in being themselves or quietly signal that only certain kinds of bodies and expressions truly belong.
For professionals navigating workplace dress expectations, this research validates the experiences of those who feel pressure to conform and offers hope for more inclusive environments. For organizations, it provides a framework for examining how seemingly neutral policies and spaces may inadvertently exclude certain groups.
As workplaces continue to evolve, understanding the unwritten rules about what to wear at work becomes increasingly important for creating environments where all employees can thrive authentically. The University of Windsor’s research represents an important step toward making professional spaces more inclusive and supportive of diverse expressions of identity.
