Vidette-Messenger of Porter County from Valparaiso, Indiana • 23

The Vidette-Messeftger. Survja, Aug 14, 1994 7C BUSINESS Dress code: Does it fit job? Gander Mountain plans Merrillville store WILMOT, Wis. Gander Mountain, will open a third new retail store this fall in Merrillville, its first location in the Hoo'sier state. The outdoor recreation merchandiser opened two stores last month in Michigan as part of an overall plan to open 10 new outlets by the end of 1995. The company currently operates eight retail stores in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The Merrillville store will be located at the intersection of Interstate 65 and U.S. 30 adjacent to Southlake Mall. The building will feature a outdoor style and sport a mountain-shaped motif entrance. Communicators select board of directors What looks good Here are some definitions for men's and women's dress, as defined in "Dressing in America: The Casual Workplace." Men Formal business attire: A suit with a dress shirt and tie Some companies allow sportcoats with dress pants Casual attire: Casual pants with a woven shirt and tie, or with a woven shirt and sport-coat. A few companies mention sweaters instead of sportcoats.

About half of the companies don't require a sportcoat, about 25 percent donl require a tie. Knit sport shirts are not appropriate. No jeans or athletic footwear. Women Formal business attire: Suits (with a skirt and sometimes pants), dresses or skirts with jacket. No slacks or sweaters.

Pantyhose, no tights or socks (except trouser socks with pant suits). Casual business attire: Mixed separates, blouses or sweaters with skirts or slacks; pant suits. Jacket not required. No tights or socks. No jeans or athletic footwear.

tary; Carolyn Moore of Laughing Cat Productions, treasurer; Natalie Rivich of the American Cancer Society, public relations; and Terry O'Rourke, historian. Named as directors were Adele Mackanos, Dick Hutter of Dunes Television Network, Ed Hubbard of Chester and John Reichanadter of NIPSCO (past president). The group meets every third Thursday from September to June. For membership information, call Diana Cook at 219-791-2321. MERRILLVILLE The Communicators of Northwest Indiana have elected the following to the 1994-95 board of directors: Al Binford of Dunes Television Network, president; Diana Cook of Geminus first vice president; Allen Pease of the LaPorte County Tourism and Convention Bureau, second vice president; and Diane Donavon of the Lake County prosecutor's office, third vice president.

Also, Julie Olthoff of Accent on Advertising, secre sons for the growth of casual corporate style. Corporate management is becoming more decentralized, with many ideas coming from the worker ranks. In addition, as baby boomers hit upper management, they bring to the executive suite a different style, as well as their expanding waistlines and a preference for casual clothes. There's also an economic advantage. When an employee can wear the same shirts, pants and skirts for work and leisure hours, the need for a separate career wardrobe is eliminated (as well as the expense of dry cleaning and shirt laundering).

Employees say their morale improves when they dress casually, they think it improves productivity and they perceive it as a job benefit, according to a recent survey commissioned by Levi Strauss. But the whole phenomenon can become confusing. Everyone seems to have their own view of what's casual. Khakis and polo shirts may be as relaxed as one guy gets, while another insists on jeans and a T-shirt. What works for one business or industry may be wrong for another.

Dispense, the image consultant, cautions that casual day shouldn't be viewed as an opportunity to express the side of your personality that you normally unleash only in the company of close friends or on the dance floor. The employee who dresses in somber suits four days of the wek and then lets her hair down literally as well as figuratively on the fifth is going to be sending a mixed message to her superiors. Some guidelines to consider include: Is the outfit appropriate for you and your profession? Is it neat, clean and well-preised? Is there balance from head to toe? "You have to remember that you caimot dress in a neutral way," Dispense says. "Your clothes are always saying something about you. Research shows that non-verbal communication has five times the impact of verbal communication, and that first impressions are made in 15 to 30 seconds in a one-on-one situation.

"We're not saying you ought to wear suits. We're saying you should stop and think about what nonverbal message you're giving." Also, think about what will happen down the road, she says. What kind of image will the company president have of you when it's time to hand out promotions? 1 IBM, where business casual has made inroads in a corporation that long has epitomized the dark suit-white shirt tradition, change has also come. "I've been with IBM almost 30 years and it was standard to wear a suit and tie when dealing with customers," says Bill Newman, state external programs manager. That's because the executives IBM salesmen were calling on were dressed the same way.

Now that the marketplace has relaxed, so has IBM. by Suzanne Brown Scripps Howard News Service When Sibyl White started working as assistant to the president at Denver's Mammoth Micro Productions in April, the office environment took some getting used to. Previous employers had required her to wear suits and dresses. In her new job, people were walking around the office in jeans and T-shirts. Some in their stocking feet.

"It has been hard for me," says White, who also has worked for Mary Kay Cosmetics and Disney. "I don't think I could wear shorts to work. Jeans, yes, and a nice shirt." When clients come to call, White and her bosses dress up, but it's not a button-down kind of place. Mammoth makes CD-ROMs and is typical of the computer industry, which years ago dumped dress codes in favor of a more worker-friendly environment. Slowly but surely, the rest of the business world is following suit.

A 1992 study commissioned by Levi-Strauss found that 67 percent of all American companies permit casual dress in the office on an everyday or seasonal basis, or on designated "casual days." This phenomenon is affecting any number of companies and every type of business," says Debbie Dispense, marketing and sales director for Visual Dimensions, an image consulting firm. Dispense cites several rea- Life Underwriters to meet in Merrillville which begins at 9:45 a.m., the cost is $50 for members and $60 for nonmembers. Reservations are required by Sept. 1 by calling Jim Pap-pas at 322-0546, ext. 304.

The following were installed at the July meeting: Pappas, president; Angelo Stath, president-elect; Keith Dent, vice president; and Paul Pivoris, MERRILLVILLE The Northwest Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Life Underwriters will meet at 8 a.m. Sept. 7 at the Patio Restaurant, 7706 Broadway. Featured speaker will be Burt Meisel. The breakfast is free to members, but there is a $10 cover charge for non-members.

For Meisel's program, SBA will extend funding at PUNC iiil II 072721 CS cm Qnrr tottvThui mjij at Raw tance to businesses and provides students with a training ground in today's challenging business environment, Jacoby said. Approximately 100 PUNC business students have been and their reports are filed with the Small Business Administration office in 25 area businesses with needs assessment, market research, strategic planning, competitive analyses, promotional planning and financial planning. Many clients are referred by the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center in LaPorte. The institute offers free assis WESTVILLE The Small Business Institute at Purdue University North Central has received funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration to continue its service through September 1996.

Since 1988, PUNC general business students, directed by Patricia Jacoby, have assisted SALES ft SERVICE WE SPECIALIZE IN VCR COMPUTER MONITOR REPAIR MOST MAKES AND MODELS 'Established In 1964' 8197. ELM (7. Block West of Beef Mart) VALPARAISO 464-7987 A FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK FREE QUALIFICATIONS 370 W. 80th Plc Mwrillvill 769-2275 Toll fn 1-80WW2175 "ASK ABOUT OUR 3 YEAR ARM" EgWIt iOMt (3331 jiiiMiiimifflinmiiir-Bim CREDIT HUE rr-y 1Tpn i-vVi i MuJ liniaj Lafll P-SMnVSBRSP (HDOEaEBlEB: 1TE. TEE LIME CREDIT, THE L011FEE1 Yi THE ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATES IN EFFECT AS Of JULY 25, 1994 ARE 9.25 FOR LINES OF J5.000 TO $1 9.999, 8.75 FOR UNES OF 30.000 TO $14,999 8.25 FOR LINES OF S35.000 TO W9999 AND 775 FOR UNES OF 150.000 AND GREATER.

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