I think wearing a belt should be mandatory. Knowing which brand of underwear the server wears (you know who I am talking about.......Mr. I Wear My Pants At My Knees) is more information than I care to know.

 Anytime I go to a restaurant or store and service, appearance, cleanliness, etc. is not up to expectations, I associate the conditions as a reflection on management. He's the honcho, the guy in charge, the one who is responsible. Bottom line, if someone is going to be a manager, he's got to manage.

 catpaw  You are soooo right on about this, I now know who to talk with...Daaaaaaaaaa... on my part, as I used to own a bar with a Friend some years back, and Yes it was pretty much up to us as to how the gals looked.. well their tips (or lack of) told them in a hurry!

 This is Bakersfield. The better you dress, the more ridicule you draw. Sad, yes. But I'm afraid it's fact. Ever wore a suit in public? Then there's this ridiculous mentality that dressing nice is just a way for the man to control you, and looking like a bum is how you escape the trap, or some such nonsense. It can't simply be that someone dresses well because it looks better.

I'll take this the other direction~I was a gardener for many years ,and the job gets you fairly dirty at times. Stop off to get a juice at a AM/PM? get ready for the looks from your "betters". Naturally I want a clean server,appropriately attired for their safety and mine.

Not every job calls for a suit and tie,nor does every job require boots and jeans. Within reason,if you do your job I do not care what you "look" like.

 It's ridiculous to say that if you wear a suit you'll look out of place.  I see them all the time.  Walk around downtown and you'll see a boatload of them.  No one in Bakersfield that I've ever heard thinks suits look funny here.

As far as dressing for success, how you look is how people will perceive you.  For my part, I don't care how trendy or "now" it is, I'm "old school" about face piercings on food servers.  Right, wrong, or indifferent, people equate their food with their surroundings...and the people around them.

Applying for a job?  Try to look the part whatever it is.  If you're going to apply for a roustabout job, don't wear a suit.  Clean intact jeans or Dockers will do.  If you're looking for a professional job, try again to look the part.  One of the things I like to do is scout out the place and see just how "dressy" the employees are and go just one step beyond for the interview.  You can always dress down later. 

Also, when you go just to drop off an application, dress as if you're going to an interview because you never know when the manager or supervisor might have time to talk with you on the spot.  You don't want to be in ragged jeans and a T Shirt with flip flops if that happens.

It all goes back to school and parents.  My teachers wore suits & ties/dresses. Hair combed, clean appropriate shoes etc.  My mother practically "dressed" to go out front (the neighbors might see her) for the paper!  Today's teachers wear pretty much everything from soup to nuts and they try to dress like the kids and be their friend - same for many parents.  For get about it! Kids dress accourding to what they see around them and/or what is allowed by the adults around them.  Got slobs around you? You will probably look like a slob also. The college level is even worse.  Again, my college professors dressed for the position they were in.

 Bravo Tres, I've seen that at the Valley Mall and I can't believe how some people wanna show off the undies like that. It's a disgrace to say the least...

 It's ridiculous to say that if you wear a suit you'll look out of place.

What city do you live in?!?!?

 Well back at you again... I don't advocate wearing a suit in HOT Bakersfield, when it is HOT! I now think that the person is a bit retarded or is Kissin A%# to someone to keep a job, comfort is first, [I would think] but you still can and should look like a pro at whatever you do for a living... Especially if you are in a position of being able to earn TIPS, YES??? After all most of those jobs, you are lucky if  they pay Minimum wage, so TIPS are VERY essential to ones livelihood...  Even entertainers have prov-en that point, by dressing down, the income went down as well, and quite a bit at that... But like you say, it all depends on the JOB!

 JohnBravo....I live in Bakersfield.  Maybe the difference is I don't just look for the downside.  And I don't consider kids with hats on sideways and chonies showing to be indicative of the dress in Bakersfield.  Again..take a trip downtown and look around.  If all you do is go to the mall, all you'll see are people who dress for the mall.

 Erik...my daughter was living in Long Beach and told me she went to a Walmart in an exclusive neighborhood where the "clientele" was dressed to the nines.  She said she felt like a ragamuffin..LOL.

 chicks in bakersfield are sloppy. i NEVER saw chicks wearing their freakin PJs out and about. i don't care where i am going i get dressed, put on at least blush and mascara and have my hair done!  it pisses me off! i've  always worked in retail and it used to infuriate me when the broads would come to work lookin like crap! a lot of places out there have it in their job discription that you must always be well groomed with makeup and hair done, men and women! who the hell would want to go to work lookin like crap? and what manager would allow their employees to stay at work  lookin like that. i intend on owning my own lingerie shop later on down the line and my employees will ALWAYS be well dressed and groomed, if they come to work lookin like crap they will get sent home and if it continues they will be fired. people are more likely to shop where there are atractive people.

 Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Cassandra! You have it right on target... Couldn't have asked for a better comment than that! That is where the power is, and with power comes MONEY! AND in many different ways and forms.. if you get my drift... I mean, Where and Who do you like to deal with?  Servers take notes.... make changes and earn more, of everything!  FAST!!!!!  The quickest way to give yourself an instant raise...bar none...