Office dress code, or you cannot wear that in here! Options

[Daddy's Litt...]

Recently a friend was talking about charity work they did in the inner city and they were warned before hand what colors NOT to wear for fear of setting off gang reactions. Red (blood) dark blue (crips) Royal blue (latin kings.)

I wonder if in SR offices there is a similar dress coe of things to avoid. Like if black and red is assocviated with Renraku and Green with Mitsuhama etc, would those be color schemes to avoid in other offices? I mean if you work for Wuxing are you breaking an office more if you wear too much red (Renraku) or if in a mall own by Nova wearing MTC green does this make the corp sec boys a little more alert? I do not mean openly corp logos but just the colors that get associated with the big corps.

[Chrysalis]

I guess it depends on whether or not you play the game in the style of metrpolis where the workers all wear overalls and march in neat groups like automata and the administrators wear suits or in a dot com haze where your boss can be identified by the big beard, beer belly and sandals and invites everyone to his summer cottage for R&R.

-Chrysalis

[paws2sky]

As I've accumulated RL experience in the corporate world, my view of this has evolved. My current thinking...

Factory workers, repair personnel, cleaning personnel, and similar get coveralls and/or one-piece jump suits with obvious corporate logos. These people do a lot of moving around and security will want to be able to keep tabs on them.

Security personnel vary from company to company and even security level to security level - some will be heavily armed, some will have have minimal gear. As a general rule, you will know who the security personnel are because they look like security guards (it helps your own employees recognize the guards in case of emergency too)... unless they're the plain clothes type that keep an eye on places that are accessible to non-employees.

If you're a low level office stooge, your day to day officewear is probably semi-trendy and features the company logo (either obviously or subtly). Every season, you're required to update your wardrobe to match the company's current fashion trends. You no doubt your officewear was purchased through the company, who were nice enough to deduct it from your payroll. The color pallet is limited to those approved by the company and everyone wears the same basic three or four styles.

At the middle management level, you've moved up from basic officewear to something that might get you a bit more respect. You wear suits, ties, and the like. The selection of styles is better too, but the company still keeps a pretty tight control on what is considered acceptable. Oh, and the company probably still deducts the cost of the clothing from your payroll.

The upper management level isn't much different than middle management, but the clothes are higher quality and it shows. Gone are the obvious corporate logos; you get tie tacks, cuff links, and other subtle accessories. You have access to a company-provided fashion consultant who will help you pick color schemes, cuts, and styles that compliment your skin tone, hair, eyes, and figure. You (almost) certainly have a wardrobe clause in your contract that covers a significant portion of your wardrobe costs.

At the top level of the company, you have lots of control over what you wear. You have a company-provided personal tailor who will see to your every need and steer you away from items that might be considered unfashionable, questionable color schemes, and so on. At this level, the "mavericks" can get away with quite a lot, though the most image conscious will still allow their tailors to have a great deal of say in crafting their look. Since the company needs/wants you too looks good, so the sky is pretty much the limit - you can even get outfits for special occasions (meetings, speeches, etc.).

If you're a CEO, board member, or whatever, you can do pretty much whatever you want. (Who's surprised, eh?)

-paws

[Kev]

Recently a friend was talking about charity work they did in the inner city and they were warned before hand what colors NOT to wear for fear of setting off gang reactions. Red (blood) dark blue (crips) Royal blue (latin kings.)

I wonder if in SR offices there is a similar dress coe of things to avoid. Like if black and red is assocviated with Renraku and Green with Mitsuhama etc, would those be color schemes to avoid in other offices? I mean if you work for Wuxing are you breaking an office more if you wear too much red (Renraku) or if in a mall own by Nova wearing MTC green does this make the corp sec boys a little more alert? I do not mean openly corp logos but just the colors that get associated with the big corps.

... Would you get thrown out of Walmart for wearing a Target shirt? Colors and things like that are a HUGE part of gang war and living on the streets. The corporate world is a WHOLE different ball game, so the color of your shirt won't matter.

If you're walking into MCT's offices blaring AR slogans for Ares, well then we're talking about a whole other issue altogether... and yes, you'd be "kindly" escorted from the premises. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[The Jake]

You have access to a company-provided fashion consultant who will help you pick color schemes, cuts, and styles that compliment your skin tone, hair, eyes, and figure. You (almost) certainly have a wardrobe clause in your contract that covers a significant portion of your wardrobe costs.

At the top level of the company, you have lots of control over what you wear. You have a company-provided personal tailor who will see to your every need and steer you away from items that might be considered unfashionable, questionable color schemes, and so on. At this level, the "mavericks" can get away with quite a lot, though the most image conscious will still allow their tailors to have a great deal of say in crafting their look. Since the company needs/wants you too looks good, so the sky is pretty much the limit - you can even get outfits for special occasions (meetings, speeches, etc.).

I have a contact in my game called Jean-Pierre (JP), a gay human male who is an independent "fashion consultant" and stylist for the rich and wealthy. He is not on any approval lists - only the people who can afford him or do as they please get to see him (and he has a long waiting list typically). The people he serves are senior executives, CEOs, professional athletes, simstars, celebrities, etc. In addition to consulting on fashion styles, grooming, he also provides etiquette coaching. He hangs in high society and high level corporates. He is the sort of person Madonna would call when she needs assistance with what to wear to the Grammys. He is very well off (High lifestyle), is immaculately dressed and groomed. Why would you want him as a contact? Incase you haven't figured it out he is an absolute goldmine on information and rumors concerning high society and megacorporates.

- J.

[ornot]

I really like paws2sky's description. I actually go one step further and have tattooing styles associated with specific corps. They're not obligatory, but cultural pressure develops, and in a world where extreme body mods include things like tails, horns and colour-changing hair, tattoos would probably be considered pretty tame.

I have a PC in my game with knowledge fashion, who I allow to make rolls to ascertain any given NPC's background, based on their clothing and body mods. Mr J's true identity and status at the company can be useful information.

[hermit]

I guess it depends on whether or not you play the game in the style of metrpolis where the workers all wear overalls and march in neat groups like automata and the administrators wear suits or in a dot com haze where your boss can be identified by the big beard, beer belly and sandals and invites everyone to his summer cottage for R&R.

-Chrysalis

First would be Renraku, Second would be Horizon.

Ares would be Renraku with UCAS flag pins and a casual friday, MCT Renraku with japanezy suits and overalls, wuxing Renraku with a slightly more maoist touch ... Evo would propably be all space opera jumpsuits and atomic bras or something. and lots of very, very blonde secretaries.

[ravensmuse]

Evo would propably be all space opera jumpsuits and atomic bras or something. and lots of very, very blonde secretaries.

"Roy, I'm going to have to ask you to put your ray gun down until your lunch break. Sorry."

Imagine what their AR overlays would look like!

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Hmmm, have a Fixer in my current campaign who likes to parade in grotesquely blatant hawai'ian shirts and burmuda shorts or silk shirts with neo patterned dragons and the like - he's on the border of tastesless chic, yet has such a great personality and disarming charm that he can pull it off. Once responded to one of the sammy's who called him a psychadelic headache as taking their leather longcoat fashion tips from the gestapo.

[hobgoblin]

the question really is, are you there to blend in, or are you there to crash the party? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

heh, nothing like throwing off the security by going in wearing heavy armor with half a dozen different corp logos on it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[paws2sky]

I really like paws2sky's description. I actually go one step further and have tattooing styles associated with specific corps. They're not obligatory, but cultural pressure develops, and in a world where extreme body mods include things like tails, horns and colour-changing hair, tattoos would probably be considered pretty tame.

Hmm. Tattoos are an interesting subject. Even now, they're growing progressively more acceptable in otherwise strict business environments. You also have people today who will get tattoos of small businesses, in exchange for some small service; lifetime free coffee, % discounts on good and services, etc.

Circa 2050, I think we can expect to see corporations offering professional corporate logo tattoos in a dozen or so designs. Maybe its worth a little extra on the paycheck? Or maybe its pitched to the employee as a "security" measure? Or maybe the lifers just don't have a choice? But that was 2050, when your parents were working for the corp.

By the 2070's I imagine corporation pulling more toward RFID/AR tagging. Implant a subdermal tag, then your employees turn into walking AR billboards for anyone passing by. Want to advertise a new product? Upload a new ad as the employee clocks in for the day. There's probably been a boom in nano tattoos - the kind that can act as a marquee or that can be reporgrammed to show different patterns. You could a pattern or three to compliment your business wear, as well as a few patterns to program when you go out on the town.

I have a PC in my game with knowledge fashion, who I allow to make rolls to ascertain any given NPC's background, based on their clothing and body mods. Mr J's true identity and status at the company can be useful information.

Sounds like a Corporate version of the Gang Identification knowledge. Good idea.

-paws

[Snow_Fox]

There could be something to this. When I worked for xerox i was mainly in the Stamford office. One time I had to go into the NYC office and had to walk from Grand Central Station a few blocks down to the Xerox NY Corp office. Moving through the crowd of men in suits I started to laugh as i relaize 9 out of 10 were wearing the red 'power tie' whether it matched their suit or not. They were the go getters who wanted to be seen wearing the correct tie.

You may not get people in trouble for wearing a Renraku red tie at the PCC office, but maybe you suck up to your boss by wearing the right color. Think lots of up and commers at Renraku wearing dark red whether or not it works with their suit.

[Mäx]

I have a PC in my game with knowledge fashion, who I allow to make rolls to ascertain any given NPC's background, based on their clothing and body mods. Mr J's true identity and status at the company can be useful information.

I gave my Sasha that as she's a model, nice to hear about some actual uses for fashion knowledge in game.

[Snow_Fox]

Hmmm, have a Fixer in my current campaign who likes to parade in grotesquely blatant hawai'ian shirts and burmuda shorts ...- he's on the border of tastesless chic, yet has such a great personality and disarming charm that he can pull it off. .

Give him a british accent and he sounds like DLN's husband in the summer.

[Cardul]

Reminds me of my GM's favourite Fixer contact she made ages ago in 2nd, and has been in every edition since..

Frederick Olivier Hollywood
Ork Fixer.
Wears BRIGHT yellow zoot-suit, with leopard print tie, and big diamond tie-tack, Wide brimmed, yellow hat with a HUGE yellow feather(obviously fake), walks with a sturdy gane with a huge gold ball for the handle, and wears platform shoes...with live goldfish in them.(Yes, I think he qualifies for "Distinctive Style"...no-one who meets him EVER forgets him in the games I have played in...)

[TheOOB]

It really depends where you live too. In downtown Seattle it's actually kind of difficult to get someone to look at you twice unless you are wearing something truly outrageous, and that's today, I don't see things being any more sane in 2070. Similarly, many of the white color businesses around Seattle offer a little more freedom in their employees dress then other places. It's a town where khaki pants and a hooded sweat-shirt is actually pretty nice apparel, and people usually only wear nice professional clothes if they need to impress someone (customer, a boss, ect).

[AllTheNothing]

In my opinion much depend on the context.
You walk into an Horizon owned buisness and almost anything is fine.
You walk in a Renraku owned buisness located in a commercial district (or any place subject to affluence of people of multiple corps) wearing Neo NET outfits you, the wrost you can expect is to be serviced in a colder way than you might have been if you were wearing anything from any other corp (especialy from a Renraku owned one); do it in a Renraku owned buisness located into a Renraku community and you are going to be seviced in a way that can go from cold to pretty anal.
Enter in a Yakashima owned shop wearing MetaErgonomics and you are going to be welcomed in a way that goes from Anal to be trown out; do the same while meta and you are better to not be on extraterritorial ground or buying things will be the last of your problems.
Now if you have to work in a place you are better to dress in the proper way, for blue collar workers the corp provides work clothes and safety equipment appropriate to the work that is executed, and those clothes and equipment will have to be worn and used otherwise the worker will be subject to fine and in case of accident insurance won't cover medical expenses (naturaly the corp will grant a loan, for an interest and deducted directely by the paycheck), repited infractions could result in the termination of the contract. The white collar workers will probably be free to work dressed as they see it fit, naturaly being dressed in the wrong way will make promotions slower to come (you don't integrate well with workmates after all), how much it will affect the culcript's career depends on how well he/she does his/hers work, leverage, favors done and how anal about look is his/hers boss, at low level levels it may not mean much but asyou go higher and higher into the corporate ladder you'll have harder and harder time to find dissonant voices into the corporate choir; this will be true until you hit where true power lies, if someone knows enough dirty secrets and is usefull enough that is better keep him/her alive it's unprobable that he's going to be hassled for the way he looks (even if he/she probably plays by the rules to have reached that position) and people in power will be more concerned to the look of the part of bottomline they are responsible of rather than their own (also they are the one that make the rules, slot them and you are out). All of this doesn't take account of sense of appartenence and social settings, when you enter into a corp you become part of a greater entity and that is part of your identity, being dressed in the same way that people you work with will give you sense of appartenence, strenghtening the relationship with fellow workers and improving the working experience; if discrimination of people the doesn't conform (improbable in Horizon, highly probable in a Japanacorp) is added to the equations the psicological pressure becomes a very strong motivator (try to work with people that will talk to you only if it's required by their task). Security personel (unless completely lacks a brain) will use clothes and equipment provided by the corp (with highly visible corp emblem) for the same reasons of the blue collar workers pluss other very important two:
1) The clothes state your role in the corp, fellow security personel might recognize you without uniform and avoid to shoot you, other people probably not and seeing someone going around armed (being a security officer it's probable) will give the allarm, causing alot of troumble for nothing; do it a second time and you get fired (if they don't fire you the first time).
2) The gear provided is what keeps you alive when dreck hits the fan; even an idiot would understand that (and if he/she does not, the first shadowrun that hits their facility is going to explain them in a non equivocable way).

Well that's the way I see the thing going, if the corp wants to sell something to you what realy wants is your money not your look; if what is want is your work it dependes on how badly it wants you and how much your look displeases it (nova hot scientist that produces groundbreaking patents can go around naked if he/she wants, Joe Average is going to have to conform if he/she wants to work for the corp).

[Kanada Ten]

With RFID and AR apparel it's important to remember most corps have a sculpted landscapes, in which the employee is expected to fit in. MCT once mandated that peon personas be peasant rice farmers from fuedal times, bent over all day long sifting data (I wonder if their backs hurt, a phantom tingle of pain however ergonomic the real world chair?). Horizon employees in Arctown L.A. all have 1920's avatars and overlays, perhaps they dress the part, too; tweed jackets and felt hats with a power feather rather than tie?

Virtual dress also adds a layer of security - while the corplogo on the cufflinks may appear subtle, an integrated RFID tag emits an encrypted watermark when scrutinized in AR. Then we have to consider clothing with data storage and Wi-Fi access, something corporations would probably prohibit to prevent data from literally walking off the premises. Which in turn brings up what commlinks and electronics one can wear (or even own) - are AR goggles, gloves and etc. appropriate, or is there a push for cyberware still in chic culture?

Another thing to consider about AR tags is gangs, especially corporate Brat Packs who have to appear like proper corp citizens, but also "wear their colors" as hidden virtual symbols, much like flashing handsignals nowadays. These gangs might not stick to marking just their territory's walls, but may actually hack people's comm to paint their graffiti, which could make you a walking Evo Dog tag. Not a good thing if you're heading into an Ares complex for some sensitive negotiation; the Trojan Disciples having a running fued with the Dogs, and there's no telling what they'll do to walking insult in an Evo suit.

[Kanada Ten]

The topic on hiding weapons reminded me that, in the Corporate Enclaves entry on Neo-Tokyo, it wasn't uncommon for salarymen to carry traditional swords as part of their office dress. And while the idea of "power swords" doesn't strike me, per se, one's extra-office activities certainly play into corporate dress - as dress codes are really an extension of larger policy on behavior. You wear a certain dress to get invited to a golf outing, where you have to wear appropriate golf garments and play at a particular proficiency to rise in your position... Carrying the sword is not as important as having people know - without telling them - that you have a certain skill with it, etc.

[AllTheNothing]

With RFID and AR apparel it's important to remember most corps have a sculpted landscapes, in which the employee is expected to fit in. MCT once mandated that peon personas be peasant rice farmers from fuedal times, bent over all day long sifting data (I wonder if their backs hurt, a phantom tingle of pain however ergonomic the real world chair?). Horizon employees in Arctown L.A. all have 1920's avatars and overlays, perhaps they dress the part, too; tweed jackets and felt hats with a power feather rather than tie?

Virtual dress also adds a layer of security - while the corplogo on the cufflinks may appear subtle, an integrated RFID tag emits an encrypted watermark when scrutinized in AR. Then we have to consider clothing with data storage and Wi-Fi access, something corporations would probably prohibit to prevent data from literally walking off the premises. Which in turn brings up what commlinks and electronics one can wear (or even own) - are AR goggles, gloves and etc. appropriate, or is there a push for cyberware still in chic culture?

Another thing to consider about AR tags is gangs, especially corporate Brat Packs who have to appear like proper corp citizens, but also "wear their colors" as hidden virtual symbols, much like flashing handsignals nowadays. These gangs might not stick to marking just their territory's walls, but may actually hack people's comm to paint their graffiti, which could make you a walking Evo Dog tag. Not a good thing if you're heading into an Ares complex for some sensitive negotiation; the Trojan Disciples having a running fued with the Dogs, and there's no telling what they'll do to walking insult in an Evo suit.

Clothes data storages are a fact of life in the year 2070, if a corp doesn't want to have them it must provide clothes witout data storages and force the worker to wear them when he/she enter in the facility and return them he/she leaves, in the meanwhile the normal clothes and all the worker elettronics are kept under the corp's care.
As for script kids hacking the 'links, they probably have a skill rating of 1 maximum 2, a response 2 or 3 comlink, and rating 2 or 3 programs (rating 3 if they are rich, I see the parent buy the brat a simdeck rather than a better comlink, after all comlinks are changed as their casing becomes out of fashion) not much against a runner comlink (any starting runner should have a least a response 3 'link, 4 or 5 for anyone above the gutter level), and probably the runner has two comlinks, one official that is used for the SIN, and the other in silent mode, if the official gets hacked the silent catches the changes in the broadcasting and the runner restores the settings (are we speaking of runners or of wonnabes?).

[Kanada Ten]

(are we speaking of runners or of wonnabes?).

Think more of being a runner charged with disrupting an upcoming deal between Ares and Evo.

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Give him a british accent and he sounds like DLN's husband in the summer.

Well, I actually do naturally speak with a British accent y'know. And several really painful interpretations of other cultures too, at times. Not too bad for French or Japanese so I'm told, but my Punjabi-Welsh-Jeordy needs a lot of work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

@ Cardel Hmmm, why do I envisage the Pimp of the Year from the film, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!"

One remark about tattoos though, whilst they may seem popular with street level culture and possibly adopted/accepted by certain corporations there is a big taboo regarding them in Japan. I know that many hotels and spas won't allow a tattooed person to display their "art" in public, say by wearing swimming trunks at the hotel's poolside bar. This is due mainly to the negative connotations of association with organised crime syndicates like the yakuza whose irezumi are a mark of status and affiliation. Then again, maybe MCT encourages this to conceal the real traditionalists.

[ornot]

Do you suppose that tattoos would still be taboo in Japan? I guess they could be, but equally, considering the mixing of the Yakuza with the japanacorps, maybe their standards changed, especially with the relative ease biosculpting etc. could remove them.

Any canon references to the Japanese attitude toward 'ware? That would seem a fairly good place to start thinking. If they are relatively accepting of chrome - or at least don't reject it anymore than the other corps - tatttoos are likely to be fairly tame by comparison. That being said, I seem to recall reading that Neo-Tokyo youth indulge in all manner of extreme body modification, and then have it all removed when they reach an age to go work for the corp. I suspect this was a dev nod towards the exotic Harajuka (sp?) culture, with all its loligoths etc.

Moot really, since I'm not running a game in NeoTokyo at the moment

[JFixer]

Reminds me of my GM's favourite Fixer contact she made ages ago in 2nd, and has been in every edition since..

Frederick Olivier Hollywood
Ork Fixer.
Wears BRIGHT yellow zoot-suit, with leopard print tie, and big diamond tie-tack, Wide brimmed, yellow hat with a HUGE yellow feather(obviously fake), walks with a sturdy gane with a huge gold ball for the handle, and wears platform shoes...with live goldfish in them.(Yes, I think he qualifies for "Distinctive Style"...no-one who meets him EVER forgets him in the games I have played in...)

What, are you kidding me? In a lineup with nine other Ork Pimps who could pick him out?

Then again, if the Fish are real, that could be a giveaway, but with downloadable swimming fish to program onto your clothes...