Dress code for copy-editors
Just what is the dress code for copy-editors and proofreaders?
We have read of embarrassing moments on Zoom calls when, for example, a participant stood up in baggy boxers. But what of freelance copy-editors and proofreaders? What should they wear on Zoom calls? What should a proofreader wear to spot the errors in a steamy romance when alone in her kitchen with a pot of decaf?
Should there be a module in Chapterhouse courses dealing with dress code? Perhaps not. But the subject of this little blog is pyjamas. Is it all right to learn to proofread or edit a book in a pair of tired, threadbare, paisley PJs?
Well, yes, wear what you like.
But for an online meeting with the co-ordinating editor of Macmillan I suggest casual daywear! Or at least smart new pyjamas with a nightcap. All in natural fibres, ethically sourced.
The cat’s pyjamas
A freelance copy-editor who worked for me wore a suit and tie whenever he was working on a manuscript. David lived in Richmond in a distinguished villa owned by his wife who was a stickler for form and etiquette.
David had a study from a film set. An art director’s dream. Mahogany Georgian desk, Jorrocks sporting prints, book-lined walls, an art nouveau desk lamp, burgundy leather blotter, Montblanc fountain pen for correspondence, leather swivel chair, threadbare Isfahan rug, and a worn club chair for rare visitors.
David was a throwback to the fifties or even the thirties. What would he think if he saw how copy-editors and proofreaders dressed now for homeworking or even for the office? Quelle horreur!
Dressing down
Business dress is in the news. An MP was stopped from addressing the House of Commons because he was wearing a sweater and no jacket in an online session.
Apparently, the ruling is that a jacket is essential, but a tie is not. Jeans are banned in the House and online (if they can be seen).
Freelance fashion
The dress code for copy-editors and proofreaders may be lax, but fashion-conscious freelancers would do well to look to history.
Pyjamas, originally from the Middle East and India, were (was) a pair of baggy cotton or silk trousers. Literally “leg trousers”. There was no top involved. Very chic, very smart. The well-dressed proofreader or copy-editor could team a pair of silk baggy pants with a colourful blouson or designer top, perhaps. Maybe there’s a creative module in this, after all.