As a publishing company, the majority of us aren’t meeting and greeting the general public on a daily basis, so we have a pretty casual dress code at my office.

While most anything goes—flip flops and shorts included for us Arizona guys and gals—there are some articles of clothing you just really don’t want to see your coworkers wearing. You would think short shorts, very-there bra straps and grungy T-shirts would be off limits to some, but you occasionally still see it.

As a self-storage manager, you are front and center with the public every day. And while I’m a pretty progressive gal and wouldn’t expect to walk into a storage facility and be greeted by a man in a suit and tie, I’d rather not be staring down chest hair, multiple gold chains and a badly overgrown beard. Nor would I like to be shown a unit by a woman in six-inch platforms in a mini-skirt. There are some fashions that are meant for Saturday night, not Tuesdays at work.

While I know my thoughts on dress code will spark the ire of some self-storage folk who think flip-flops and Bermuda shorts are just fine for work, others will agree a more professional look is warranted on the job. A recent article on MSN.com discusses proper workplace attire, noting “casual” attire doesn’t mean “careless.” Case in point: If it’s the kind of outfit you’d wear to go clubbing Saturday night or to the beach on Sunday, it’s probably not the right outfit for work.

If you don’t have an official dress code, create one and put it in your employee handbook. That way there’s no mistaking what is and isn’t accepted.

For all of you managers who wear a uniform, I commend you. I worked in a hotel during college and wore a very formal uniform: skirt, pantyhose and a girly tie. It was excruciatingly difficult for me as a 20-year-old to suit up every night for my shift. But it was an upscale hotel and my guests were, more often than not, wearing suits and ties, too. So I did it.

And while I’m lucky to be wearing jeans today, I still shy away from wearing shorts at work, even when it’s 100-plus degrees outside. I’m just not comfortable with going that casual.

Think about your own wardrobe choices for work. What message are you sending your current and prospective tenants? Do they see you as classy or trashy? Do you look like you’re in charge, or the owner’s son on college leave? Sadly, first impressions do make a difference. Make yours count.

Share your dress code ethics with us by posting a comment below. Or head over to Self-Storage Talk and join the discussion on dress codes.