Forget the rows of perfectly folded merch and shiny things glistening under lights: Most modern retailers are in the business of selling an image. And whether you're a heavily tattooed hipster or the epitome of urban swag, chances are that there's a brand'and a retailer'out there who thinks you're the perfect fit for what they're trying to sell.

For the style-conscious, the benefits of these image-heavy retail jobs are that you get to dress for work in a way that makes you feel totally awesome, on top of getting serious discounts on a huge range of stuff you'd probably covet anyway.

To find out what it's like being a brand ambassador in the shiny world of retail, we headed into downtown Toronto to speak to six retail assistants about their workplace dress codes, and how it fits (or occasionally cramps) their personal styles.

Name: Justine Nelson
Store: Drama Queen by Flhair
Stuff: Women's jewellery and accessories 

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

My boss is pretty lenient. I can wear what I want. Some of the other girls that work here are a bit more girly and wear feminine things. I wear more combat boots and graphic shirts and mix it up with the jewellery here. I'm able to wear whatever I feel comfortable in. I love it. I know some places are really strict, but I don't feel really tied down. If I want, I can put some jewellery on and glam it up.

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

I definitely wear more jewellery since I've been here. I've always wanted to wear more jewellery; I just didn't have it. Now I'm here, and I'm getting more aware aboutwhat jewellery looks nice with what things. I like that I can experiment with that a bit more. Sometimes I find myself wearing more things like, I should wear this because I know it'll look nice with the jewellery.

What do you like about your work's dress code?

I like it a lot, because when I come to work I feel like I'm portraying myself. Like at other jobs, I've worked in a uniform and felt really gross, restricted, and if anybody walks in and I'm talking to them I feel like they don't really know me. When I come to work here I can really express myself in the workplace.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

It's a lot more time consuming. In the morning you have to plan it out, rather than throw a uniform shirt on. But it's worth it, because I feel more comfortable. But it's like, I have to think about what I'm going to wear, or I have to do laundry.

Name: Sohel Imani
Store: Groovy
Stuff: Sneakers

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

Relaxed.

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

Yep. This is me.

What do you like about your work's dress code?

I feel comfortable. I don't have to worry about buying new stuff or buying stuff from the store to fit into an image that may not be me.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

A down side to dressing comfortably? Not at all. I encourage everybody to do this.

Name: Samantha Lauzon
Store: Shoppers Beauty Boutique
Stuff: Cosmetics, skin care, perfume

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

It's really easy. We're allowed to wear all black, anything we like. We can wear whatever we like; heels or flats. The only rule our manager has is if you are showing a little more cleavage, then your legs have to be covered. If you're showing your legs, then your cleavage has to be covered. Tattoos and piercings [are accepted and] I can do my hair any way that I want. Any accessories I want to wear, I can wear them, they don't have to be black. I could wear a turquoise belt if I wanted to, no issue. 

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

I'm a very colourful person, so to have to go to wearing all black was a bit hard.

What do you like about the way you get to dress for work?

I get to wear my own clothes. I can show my individuality and working in a place like this with makeup, cosmetics and skincare, it's really important to be able to show who you are as a person, because people will maybe gravitate towards you. Someone that wears a lot of makeup and wears really funky clothes'a customer will gravitate towards that if that's what they're into. Or they might gravitate to someone who's maybe a little more natural, maybe a little more girl-next-door. You get to showcase your individuality.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

Wearing all black. [Laughs] The problem with wearing all black is, as we all know, black fades. Black goes from being black to charcoal grey pretty quickly. So you have to wash your clothes pretty carefully, and you tend to go through them pretty fast. I'm always shopping in the sales department for black, and all my friends laugh at me, ÔÇÿcause they're like, Do you ever buy anything else?

Name: Denike Kadej
Store: Quiksilver
Stuff: Surf- and skate-inspired clothing, equipment, and accessories

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

We just have to wear something from here, or DC, because Quiksilver owns DC. So it just has to be Roxy, Quiksilver, or DC.

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

A little bit, yeah. I mean obviously more since I got the awesome discount. But yeah, more or less. I had a kind of skater style already. Definitely like this kind of culture.

What do you like about the way you get to dress for work?

I guess when you're going to work it doesn't look like you're going to work; it just looks like you're dressed. You can dress like you would during the day. You can go out after with the same clothes, you don't have to go home and change. And yeah, the clothes itself are really awesome.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

I don't know. I have other clothing that has a big logo on it, like Crooks & Castles, and I can't really wear it. But it's not a big deal at all.

Name: Alex Ruth
Store: The Silver Snail
Stuff: Pop culture collectibles, such as comic books, toys, t-shirts, books, posters...

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

There is none. It's really casual. We can wear whatever we want. You obviously can't come in with a shirt that has a big Fuck you on it, right? But the girl downstairs has one of [Toronto Mayor] Rob Ford giving the middle finger; she wears that in here.

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

Yes.

What do you like about your work's dress code?

No pressure to do laundry. I don't always have to have my black pants ready. I can roll out of bed and come to work.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

Nope. There really isn't.

Name: Taurean Scotland
Store: adidas Originals
Stuff: Streetwear

How would you describe the dress code of your store?

The dress code here is pretty much fashion-forward. So the goal is you have to represent the brand here, so top and shoes have to be adidas. So it's very casual, very laid back. As long as we are dressing ourselves using the brand, we can pretty much wear whatever.

Did you dress this way before you worked here?

Yeah. It's pretty much my regular style. I didn't have to change the way I dressed or anything like that.

What do you like about your work's dress code?

Being able to come to work and wear a pair of trackpants if I feel like it. You can pretty much wear whatever fits your mood because adidas makes everything. So it's like if I want to wear a golf shirt or a button-up or whatever, it's free to go. If you need to go out on a Friday night you're good to go. You don't have to worry about changing whatever you have. It's really relaxed. You don't have to stress in the morning. If you want to just put on the black adidas logo tee, it's easy to get ready for work in the morning, put it that way.

Is there anything you don't like about the dress code?

No. I guess the down side is not having access to all of the products. Some of it doesn't make it to Canada unfortunately, so there's some really cool pieces on the Facebook page or they tweet these really cool outfits, or you'll see Jay-Z wearing a pair of cool shoes and it's like, I want those!, but you can't get them. That's the down side.