Beware the T-Shirt

There's a reason that most companies have dress codes. Let's face it. Most of us need a little guidance on what NOT to wear, or there wouldn't be a reality TV show about it.

Anyway, some dress codes are really strict while others are pretty loose. I've worked in strict dress codes (business casual -- no denim, no t-shirts, no open-toed shoes) and pretty loose dress codes (no shirt, no shoes, no service).

One thing that I love about my current job is that there seems to be absolutely no dress code. If there is, nobody knows what it is. Sure, I'd probably get sent home if I showed up naked (okay, so I'd probably get sent to jail or a mental institution or even Jenny Craig), but nobody would notice if I wore a t-shirt with a slogan like, "Do the naked."

However, there is one shirt that gets people's attention. As a writer, one of my favorite t-shirts reads, "Careful or you'll end up in my novel." It's the most powerful piece of advertising I can wear at work. People part ways like they're in a horror film. They just clear a path. I love an empowering t-shirt and the right to define my own reality in Cube City.