For me, getting dressed in a shirt and tie for work isn’t just about clothes.
It’s about switching my brain into work mode, much like a guide dog under harness automatically switching themselves on. But it’s also about respect for the people I work with, for the business we’re building and for the values I grew up with.
It’s the same for my team in uniform. You can see it in how they carry themselves. It’s not about rules for the sake of it.
Much like the military, it’s about belonging to a team and a uniform that says, "you’re part of something here”, and with a shared purpose and identity. Visitors notice it too. It’s part of what we call The Avon Way : care, pride, courtesy.
I’ll be honest, I take the details seriously. I’m always clean-shaven. My suit is pressed, my shirt crisp, cufflinks in place, shoes polished until they shine.
Even my car gets washed regularly, not because I’m fussy, but because I believe you should set the standard you expect from others.
I know a lot of workplaces have gone casual. Dress-down Fridays, working from home… it’s become the norm. But in manufacturing, my team doesn’t have a choice. They need to be at the machines, in the factory, every day.
And that’s what makes me wonder, if we’re serious about “levelling up,” why do we hold different standards for different types of work? Blue collar or White collar?
For me, dressing smart isn’t about looking good for the sake of it. It’s about showing up ready. It’s saying, " I’m here, I care, and I’m giving this my best".
