Should our Representatives Dress the Part?

In the United States Democratic Senator John Fetterman caused a brief stir on social media when he showed up at Donald’s Trump inauguration wearing shorts, sneakers and a hoodie with some finding the Senator’s choice of apparel amusing, whereas others found his apparent irreverence for the event upsetting. Not that the US is the only place where politicians not dressing appropriately is in the news. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots has been reminding members that a certain decorum is expected within the debating chambers…

“I see everything up here,” he told MLAs. “People mightn’t realise it but I have witnessed over the last number of weeks people bringing in coffee cups and cans and so forth. The only thing that you’re allowed in this building is the glass of water that is provided for you; it is not a committee meeting, it is a plenary session of a parliamentary Assembly and all other receptacles are not to be in part of the building.”

He went on: “Members who are going out through the doors there, most of you acknowledge the Speaker on the way out, some don’t. That’s not following the code. And I’d also remind Members that the dress code is smart. Some of you have a very loose interpretation of smart, and I would encourage Members to dress smartly when they come to the chamber. We’re not demanding that gentlemen wear shirts and ties but we’re asking to dress smartly and to look up to doing the job.”

Slugger takes no official position on the ongoing debate between dressing smart and dressing casually at the workplace. Is it more important for people to feel comfortable as they go about their day, or should they strive to look the part and contribute to a businesslike atmosphere?

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