I'd like to see the new dress code focus on more general professionalism than exact details. One article of clothing can look entirely different on two body types, so for this reason I would like to see notations, such as inches above the knee and the word "tight" left to the judgment of the wearer and their supervisor. I don't know that any manager would feel comfortable or even be within the law, going around with a yard stick and measuring, so these specifications seem quite arbitrary.

As with jeans, I also think certain forbidden articles of clothing, such as sweatshirts and hats, can be worn quite professionally. A seasonal Halloween sweatshirt presents the library as festive and there are certain hats, such as those that would go with a suit, that make the wearer look quite polished. On the topic of sweatshirts, they are also included in Friday and Saturday attire, so they are apparently appropriate sometimes.

Overall, I'd like to see more trust in the staff's ability to interpret professional attire, with the few exceptions being dealt with by their immediate supervisors, as necessary.

My body type could best be described as "Mini-Michelin-Man": about 5 feet tall and just one unsightly bulge after another. It is very difficult for me to even find Biz Caz for my personal dimensions at a price that works with my budget, and even when I can it seems to look sloppy and unprofessional. For me, a nice dark pair of jeans and a snappy logo'd shirt would be the best option. Members would see that outfit and think "uniform" rather than "yikes, learn to dress yourself".

Language adding the option of daily jeans for the biz-caz challenged need not be difficult to insert into http://my.metrolibrary.info/drupal/policy_procedures/sh/sh-6501-employee... . I'll take a stab at it:

Slacks, Pants, Jeans, and Suit Pants
a.Slacks that are similar to Dockers™, jeans in good repair, and nice looking dress pants are acceptable. Dressy pants that fall between the mid-calf and ankle are generally acceptable. Leggings, form-fitting pants or tights are acceptable, when worn with an appropriate skirt, dress or pants.
b.Inappropriate slacks or pants include capri’s (pants that fall above mid-calf) camouflage or cargo pants, sweatpants, exercise pants, shorts, Bermuda shorts, denim overalls or any type of exercise wear when worn without an appropriate skirt or dress.
c. Appropriate jeans include dark, solid, uniform colors with no rips or tears (whether incidental damage or "fashionable" rips that exist at purchase), no bleached or overly worn areas, and no stains. Any Bedazzling or other flashy backside decoration must be covered at all times with a top of appropriate length.

I was wondering if we were going to change the policy on how we dress because of the way we are reallocating library positions. With the goal being to phase out library aides and have circs/librarians take up the shelving, I'm somewhat worried about how my wardrobe will fair. Most of my business casual wardrobe is skirts/dresses. I have a hard time seeing me able to shelve a cart as quickly in a pencil skirt. It also hurts the longevity of outfits that weren't mean for that kind of work to be taking place whilst in them. I enjoy wearing skirts and dresses, but if I'm going to be doing a lot more shelving (RE is down to 2 dedicated library aides) its going to be khakis and loose fitting button down or otherwise appropriate top. Which to me doesn't really give off the same sort of aesthetic and requires the repurchasing of a wardrobe.

I understand that we need to look neat, clean and professional but have never seen the logic of allowing only the library aides to wear jeans. They often help at the circulation desk and are in the public eye just as much or more than other employees. The public does not differentiate and sees us all as "librarians" so why couldn't we have a universal dress code that includes nice jeans? If employees take advantage of the privilege and wear something inappropriate the manager could then handle it as they would any other issue.

As a side note I would like to say that we need the ability to purchase MLS related shirts, sweatshirts, etc. As a relatively new employee I can't wear shirts I don't have and would happily purchase them. If not then can we at least amend the part of the policy where it says we can only wear MLS branded sweatshirts? It seems odd to me that we are technically only allowed to wear something that no one seems to have access to.

I don't believe that allowing us to have a more relaxed dress code would in any way go against our new vision with the core values. More often than not our members do not care what we are wearing as long as they receive outstanding customer service and leave happy with their items in hand. Like others have said......if it's good enough on Fridays, Saturdays and June and July......then why not the rest of the year?

I would really like to see the language revised regarding "tank tops." What exactly does that mean? All sleeveless shirts? Or just the undershirt type, which typically have a spaghetti strap, and which I would refer to as a "cami" (camisole)? I think there are plenty of sleeveless blouses and dresses that look professional, but right now the language is so vague, I'm not sure they're allowed.

As others have already noted, we're all professionals here and, with few exceptions, know how to dress as such. I think fewer explicit rules and greater trust in the professionalism of our employees would go far toward fixing this and other concerns that have already been raised.

I agree with a lot of what has been said. I have seen people wear business casual outfits that do not look very professional and I have seen people wear casual outfits that look very professional. I think a lot of it just depends on the person and the fit of the clothes. That being said, I think professionalism is more about attitude and customer service than it is about wardrobe. With some of the communities that we serve, dressing in a less formal manner can help us to be more approachable and relatable.

On another subject, I find it strange that we can not wear capris or Bermuda shorts that are above the mid-calf but we can wear skirts that are 3 inches above the knee. I also think that leggings could be worn as pants if worn with an appropriately long top, and would look fine.

I think the only time the public has made much mention of how we look is when we are wearing nifty library T-shirts. They love them, and ask why they don't see them more. We explain we can only wear jeans and T-shirts on Friday and Saturday and they tell us they never noticed. I think we do a great job in the summer of representing the library and looking professional. I love my library T-shirts and wish we had new ones. ( I especially like the logo that was on the July Infomag, and would love to see it on a library shirt.) Library polo shirts are also great, but I don't want to spend $30-$50 buying them. I don't think requiring us to spend money out of pocket for some things is fair either. I'm not sure what all the suggestions are, but if it has been suggested that we should only wear jeans with MLS polo shirts, I think we should be given new ones.