The standards have changed many timesover the years. Looking back in history at least for menswear and attire, the various styles and designs have moved around on the formality scale based on trends and what is socially accepted and popular. For instance, in the 1930's it was common to see suits and ties as the normal wear from the less wealthy, to the rich, the differences varied in quality, patterns, colors, and so on this popular trend and gold standard of dress and attire would continue for more than a few decades, even in the 1960's where more causal garments were the trend, it was still a sharp and smart casual way of dress, khakis, polos, chinos, slacks, and so on, were common as jeans are today, yet it still was a stylish and sharp look that was rather simple to pull off and maintain.
Fast forward some years and over time clothing trends made popular by famous individuals and designers created new trends, trends where the clothing styles were even less formal, but only now, damaged, wrinkled, ripped, and torn clothing was seen as "cool" and as this trend and style became more popular over the years, the once obligatory devotion and care to how one presents his or herself by means of grooming and their way of dressing, began to slowly fade away, as new trends made such circumstances socially acceptable.
But even casual garments can always look a cut above their weight just by taking care of the way one dressesand grooms.
What does it mean for the individual? That's an question that only the said individual can answer, as style is unique to the individual and how they interpret it.
What does it mean for a business? The attire/uniform of a business is a trademark, it's how the company advertises, it is how the company leaves an impression on its customers, and it is how the company represents its employees, and how employees represent the company, but it also inspires unit cohesion and a sense of "uniform unity" which in turn leads to better teamwork and a higher morale in the workforce seeing their fellow coworkers all being able to relate to each other if in only one way, that is by uniform.
But even outside of a set uniform, professionalism can only be complemented by a sharp and well dressed attire and attention to how one presents themselves via their dress and how they groom themselves.
Because as an employee, you represent your company by, ethics, morality, level of professionalism, work quality, and least but not least, how you dress and groom yourself.
Not many people are wise enough to understand that there are bad apples from every tree, and so when they see the actions/manners/presentation of one employee, they see the entire company in the same manner. Which is why while grooming and dressing well may not seem like a big deal, it certainly can have influence on the confidence a customer has in the individual and the company together.
The standards have changed, the times are different, the trends are always changing, but professionalism is timeless. And because the standards are being lowered, it simply just makes it easier to stay a cut above the rest, and remain distinguished. Employers are following trends and lowering standards order to attract more workers, but for a company such as UPS, the indistinguishable brown uniform and the standards should remain a cut above the others because that is what separates UPS from the rest, quality over quantity. While everyone else lowers their standards to keep up, the brown shield should be a symbol of those who seek to continue to uphold the very standards and principles that have made it a world famous symbol of unrivaled quality service in the parcel industry.
Even if higher ups think otherwise, or even if such principles no longer exist within the top brass and management, it can still exist within the individual, as you the represent the shield as much as anyone else. You define it. You own up to it. You take charge. And it all begins with the small things.