Father's Day simply wouldn't be Father's Day without this archetypical gift for dads. Throughout the ages, neckties have been used to proclaim status, occupation and identity, as well as membership and allegiance, as in the military. They have also served utilitarian purposes — to protect the neck or hide shirt buttons.

In recent years, however, these traditional accessories have been fast falling out fashion. Cause of death: casual Fridays and, perhaps, the general decline in men's dress standards. For the most part, three-piece suits and pantsuits have been replaced by khakis and skirts. (The startup culture during the dot-com boom brought business casual to an art form.)

One need only look at the trade group that has represented America's necktie manufacturers for six decades to see just how much today's workplace is no longer that of generations past. When the Men's Dress Furnishings Association closed its doors for good earlier this month, thanks in large part to changing fashions that emphasize comfort over formality, the number of members making cravats in the U.S. had fallen from 120 to 25.

Even the Trades Union Congress has said employers should follow the Japanese prime minister, who urged his country not to wear jackets and ties during summer. (Source: CareerBuilder.com/uk)

"A new generation of menswear manufacturers and fashion designers has grown up seeing ties as optional," The Wall Street Journal reports. "While they design and produce ties, many are agnostic about wearing them."

A Gallup poll last year determined that only 6 percent of men wear neckties to work each day, down from 10 percent in 2002, and a 9 percent of men reported wearing a necktie to work most days of the week. An additional 4 percent say they wear a tie about half the time, and 20 percent only occasionally wear a tie.

More than two-thirds of the men surveyed said they never wear a tie to work, up from 59 percent five years earlier.

Of course, while many industries, companies and even departments may practice "casual Friday" most weekdays, this doesn't mean ripped jeans and tank-tops are acceptable.

Although experts disagree on what is considered an appropriate dress code, even in a casual environment, they generally agree jeans, shorts, cutoffs, sweatpants, sleeveless or tank-top shirts, halter tops, spandex and flip-flops are not acceptable in a professional setting.

Workplace attire may be casual or more formal, depending on the organization or department, but all proper dress requires employees appear neat.

When it comes to your professional image, the following three guidelines are particularly topical today:

Too much skin is rarely a good idea. The summertime heat brings proper workplace attire into sharp focus, as people have a tendency to be more casual during the season. But there are very few office jobs where showing too much leg, cleavage or skin in general is ever a good professional move — for women or men. "Men should stick with long pants, and women should wear shorts and skirts that hit within an inch-and-a-half of the knee," says CareerBuilder.

Consider wearing a camisole shirt underneath your V-neck shirt, and remember: tank-tops are especially inappropriate for men.

Button down. As we rapidly approach the 2008 U.S. presidential election, political passions are flaring up. Discussing politics in the workplace has always been a complex topic, but regardless of how passionate you are about a particular candidate or issue, avoid creating politically charged workplace disharmony by the way you dress.

That is, do not wear buttons or other such accessories that promote your political beliefs. Admittedly, this "piece-of-flair" issue may sound like it's straight out of Office Space, but as one of the most pointless political debates in American history has recently shown us, you wear flag lapel pins at your own risk.

Dress for the position you want. OK, so this may not be exactly topical, but it is always a key philosophy to adhere to. In a Robert Half International survey (via CareerBuilder), 93 percent of managers said a person's style of dress influences his or her chances of earning a promotion, and one-third of respondents said on-the-job attire "significantly" affects an employee's advancement prospects. Impeccable style may not necessarily land you a promotion, but dressing inappropriately could cost you one.

If you have to ask yourself if an article of clothing is work-appropriate, it probably isn't. When in doubt, play it safe.

Resources

"Business Casual" Most Common Work Attire
Gallup, Oct. 4, 2007

Looks That Kill: What Not to Wear at Work
Robert Half International (via CareerBuilder.ca)

10 Crimes of Work Fashion
by Laura Morsch
CareerBuilder.ca

10 Fashion Faux Pas at Work
by Kate Lorenz
CareerBuilder.co.uk

Career Advice: The Right Image
Office Team

Neckties Through the Ages
by David Johnson
infoplease.com