The clothing of the participants is dignified. Everyone wears natural fibers of wool, cotton, linen and silk. The men wear dark suits purchased from the big department stores. Once in a while, the Assistant Director, who is considered an elegant dresser, may break stride to wear a Harris tweed sport coat. The women wear suits or dark dresses.
Clothing is a frequent topic at lunch and in casual conversation among the men as well as the women.
Analyzing the dramaturgy of the director's meeting in terms of Goffman, as amplified by Burke and Derber, demonstrates its application to a municipal agency and gives many insights about power, personnel and management. Yet this seems to be only the first level, pointing to further issues of the reasons for and the advantages and disadvantages of this style of behavior.