Well, here we are. Another Friday has heaved it’s bloated, tired carcass into view. On this particular Friday morning, I peeled my eyelids open from a blissful dream. In a light that was curiously bright for early morning, my alarm clock slowly came into focus. 9:14.
Panic.
Fridays at the office are rife with the ancient traditions of cube culture. I’ve already mentioned the Long Lunch, of course, and Beer Friday, which I avoid like the plague. But of all of them, my favourite is Casual Friday.
The rules for Casual Friday are vague and rooted in the depths of history, but in essence, after a long week of wearing normal office attire, workers are permitted to dress down for one day at the end of the week.
How casual is Casual Friday? It’s a relative thing, it seems. The execs, for example, are normally seen in suits, but their Casual Friday sees them in khaki pants and golf shirts. Sales and marketing types often wear the khakis and crisp shirts during the week, and on Friday they dress down to blue jeans and a t-shirt.
In my department — software development — t-shirt and jeans are ubiquitous from Monday to Thursday. So faced with my alarm clock showing 9:21 (I must have glazed over while thinking about what to wear), I decided to take full advantage of Casual Friday to get me to the cube on time. I left for work unshaven, wearing my old jeans, hiking boots, and an old t-shirt with a software decal on it.
I made it to work on time and I’m the king of geek chic.