Interesting article on women's dress in workplace

[WriteDown]

Visible bra straps, teeny tops - this woman boss has had enough! Dress for the office girls, not a hen night!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1200752/Visible-bra-straps-teeny-tops--woman-boss-Dress-office-girls-hen-night.html#ixzz0LpTR0bNZ

[BlooInBloo]

1. I've certainly noticed all sorts of bewbie shirts at the office...

I don't stare, but I'd be lying if I said I minded.

[WriteDown]

3. In my office....

We constantly get reminder emails about dress code from HR. That's part of it.

[Iggo]

23. I look.

I think it's rude not to look at and appreciate something someone took all that trouble to display.

[PDJane]

2. I tend to agree.......

I showed a site called Roaman's to a friend in New Zealand. Her response was, "Good Lord. Are there people in the US who make a profession of going to parties and weddings, then?"

I had to laugh......

[Speck Tater]

4. Burkas for everyone then. That'll teach them to push it too far! nt

[JuniperLea]

5. I'm the office manager...

This falls on me... I really hate it. I don't mind so much telling an intern that she cannot wear flip flops, but when I have to tell a 50+ year old woman who has been in a professional office environment for most of her adult life that her extreme cleavage is after-five attire, I get a little angry.

[WriteDown]

8. Yes....

I can't believe the outfits that some older women are wearing to the office some days. It's like their borrowing their teenage daughter's outfits .

[JuniperLea]

11. The worst part...

Stretch marks... I kid you not. I wouldn't have batted an eye had I seen her out in a bar or restaurant, but the office is different.

[question everything]

6. Sadly, no one ever tells them that they are in the office

not cruising the bars. And they go to interviews after interviews and don't understand why they are not hired, especially these days.

I agree with "Doctor House" - if a woman comes to work showing cleavage and wearing tight skirt, one has to wonder what kind of a message she is sending.

Remember when Samantha Bee, on the Daily Show, had an imitation of the "news anchors" on the networks?

[tblue37]

7. YEs--I often wonder who thinks it appropriate to dress Dr. Cuddy that way! nt

[burning rain]

9. It's wonderful.

No need to change clothes after work and before going to happy hour. Jesus heartily approves.

[wildflower]

10. "hen night"?

I'm not sure what that is.

[leftstreet]

12. Yeah, what is that?

:shrug:

[omega minimo]

13. I think that's a gathering

without cocks. :shrug:

[leftstreet]

15. oh

[omega minimo]

18. beautiful bird!!!

[IcyPeas]

16. bachelorette party e/m

[EndersDame]

28. Sounds like a word my Grandma would use

[CTyankee]

60. Like the outdated term "hen party," a party attended only by women.

I only use it now as a comical term.

[Warpy]

14. I was shocked at how hospital ward secretaries dressed

here in NM. Women were spandex city, men looked like derelicts or bikers. However, they're some of the most crackerjack secretaries I've ever met.

I learned to look the other way. After all, in teaching hospitals, the docs usually look like rumpled bums in scrubs or jeans.

I paid attention to my own appearance. Nobody else was my job.

[Mojorabbit]

20. I never was happier than when my husband went to scrubs

I remember in the early 80's when he was just starting his practice. I would be up late ironing those damn pleated dockers and a dress shirt for him for the next day. It was a long time before I could afford to have the cleaners do the ironing.
Hated it.
His patients tell the staff they like the scrubs better as it does not feel as intimidating to them.
Who knew?

[dugaresa]

17. women who dress for "fun" at work just make themselves look like idiots

and unfortunately it stokes the myths that women aren't capable.

As a woman who has worked hard for years at building a career, there is no better way to trash your career by looking like a tramp or acting like one.
No matter how smart you are, both men and women in the office will think that any promotions you receive are the result of sex instead of competence.

My second biggest pet peeve in an office environment are the "mother-hens"; the women who feel it is their job to organize refrigerator cleaning duty or to host the birthday parties or the party lunches and all the other "fun things". I recall well one woman whose, mother hen schtick, caused everyone to wonder what her real job was and that was sad because she was supposedly a programmer. Sadly her penchant for making "work fun" resulted in her being laid off first.

[question everything]

25. Refrigerators are important

Too many people would just leave their stuff there, to start rotting, or molding but no one would touch someone's stuff. So, once a month getting the fridge cleaned, everyone removes his stuff and the rest get tossed is really a health issue (not that I've ever organized such an event..)

As for the other "duties" - I remember an HR person was "loaned" to United Way for six months. I could not helped wondering: if she is not needed for six months, why is there even a position?

And, yes, women jeopardize their careers and don't even realize this because no one would tell them.

Several months ago there was a story in the WSJ about women from the technical computer field who were used to dress casual and did not realize how such a dress - not necessarily revealing - prevented them from clenching an interview.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

39. I watched my daughters wrestle with this

The one in the medical field was easy..scrubs. Many times they are provided by the employer, which is a cost savings.

The other one eventually she settled on slacks, a professional polo short (work related logo), and season appropriate shoes/sandals. No flip flops, Crocs, jeans, or cleavage. She also wears her hair up with chopsticks and stud earrings. Management and others have commented on her "uniformity" and its always been in a positive manner. Others in her area are now doing the same. It really takes the sex thing out of the workplace and is markedly low cost compared to the alternatives.

[dugaresa]

50. I dress conservatively at work and more formally than my coworkers

the office I work in has a casual code for dress, however some folks go overboard. Both men and women will dress very inappropriately for work and it just makes them look bad. I have a hard time going to work in a t-shirt and shorts.

My dress at home is more bohemian.

[Cid_B]

53. Best Buy?

nt

[LeftHander]

19. No sexiness at werk.....

drab, lifless, inhuman....GET BACK TO WERK!!!

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. I really don't care how you dress, just one thing

YOUR BREASTS AND OR BRA ARE NOT A BLACKBERRY HOLSTER!

Breasts have many wonderful uses, but that isn't one of them.

[Xithras]

22. Been on those hiring committees.

I was once on a committee interviewing a middle aged female applicant for a mid-level management position. She walked into a professional interview wearing a halter top. No matter how good her CV was (and it was pretty good), nobody on the committee could get past their perceptions of poor judgment and unprofessionalism.

But women shouldn't get all of the bad rap here. I've either solo or committee hired more than two dozen people in my professional life, interviewing hundreds of people in the process. 90% of the fashion horror stories are created by MEN, not women. Like the guy who came in to interview for a different management position in shorts and a t-shirt. It was pointed out in his interview that part of his position would involve enforcing professionalism in the office, and he went into a rant about "artificial professionalism" and office morale. He's entitled to his opinion, but he wasn't entitled to espouse it in our offices.

^^--Xithras, who is wearing a shirt and tie as he's typing this message--^^

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

24. I never know what to make of that,

I often see the above and wonder if it is really terrible judgement or "lack of virtue" or simply a desperate awkward attempt to appear youthful.

[Yavin4]

26. Dressing Provocatively Is A Form of Sexual Harassment

Inappropriate speech, physical contact, and attire are forms of sexual harassment.

[ohheckyeah]

27. What the hell is a hen night? n/t

[proteus_lives]

33. I think it's Brit-speak for girls-night out.

[Fire1]

34. Girls night out! n/t

[Quantess]

29. When men wear too-tight clothing, it is assumed that they just put on a little weight.

When women wear tight clothing, it generally is assumed that they are trying to draw attention to their bodies.

[Maru Kitteh]

37. Not true. We had a nurse who wore his scrubs too tight. Nobody doubted why.

Yes, he was buff but is there anything less professional than a nurse whose man nipples burst forth from his scrub top and whose package is so finely detailed as to leave little doubt that he owns and uses a "personal groomer?"

"Hey there! Is that a 100cc syringe in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

[EndersDame]

30. I think this article is Sexist

What about men who dress inappropriately for work? I am sure they are out there

[rd_kent]

54. Oh yeah, for sure

There are a lot of guys showing up for work in stripper outfits. Many do show up looking like thugs or homeless people, but I dont think inappropriate "sexy" clothes on guys in the workplace is an issue.

[mamaleah]

67. LOL stripper outfits!

I really do not want to see anyone at the bank....male or female.....dressed in a stripper business casual.

[me b zola]

31. Erin Brockovich

I don't know if the film portrayed EB's style of dress accurately in the movie, but if it did think of the talent and good works that would have been passed over if she would have been rejected for her attire.

[Blue_Tires]

32. it was a HUGE problem in my uncle's office

he used to live in Miami and worked in insurance, and many of the young latina women would show a *very* distracting amount of T&A...

[Gold Metal Flake]

35. I thought this thread would have more pictures.

I am deeply disappointed.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

41. +1

[tammywammy]

36. The last job I had was casual dress

I admit that I tended to wear flip flops or sandals most days. The rest of what I wore was nice slacks and tops, and Fridays jeans and a tshirt (related to where I worked), but always with the flip flops.

I'm starting a new job next week and I have readied my supply of loafers and low heeled pumps, because they have a much more stringent dress code. I knew that when I went into interview, I wore a professional top, that can show a little too much cleavage, so I wore a nice sweater too, and a suiting skirt. My dad works there too (though we're not working together or even in the same building) and he met me before I went in for my interview and was really impressed that yes, I can pull off professional business dress. lol

I have to say our day receptionist at the last job did wear stuff that I wouldn't consider appropriate, halter tops, tube tops, bra straps showing, but then it wasn't my job to tell her not to wear it either.

[JerseygirlCT]

71. My office is very casual

which is nice, as I don't have much of a wardrobe these days beyond that these days. But even there, where jeans is perfectly fine, clothes that show too much skin would just be... weird.

And for board meetings, my dress goes from jeans and a sweater to a suit and heels.

Depends on who you'll be interacting with - which is quite sensible to me.

[Gwendolyn]

38. When corps stopped paying people a living wage...

one of the bones they threw emps was relaxing the requirement for an expensive work wardrobe. Soon enough, casual Fridays became casual work weeks. And now, everybody just wears their club clothes to the office.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

40. I'm missing something. I don't see what the problem is?

In fact, I wish there was more of this in my office.

:evilgrin:

[Brooklyns_Finest]

42. Work Attire

I don't mind seeing hot women in scantily clad clothes, but when I am at work, I actually would prefer not to be distracted. I have worked in places where the women have dressed too provocatively, and from my experience, these are people who either had no life outside of work, or were just to young to understand protocol. If I can get up and put on a suit and tie every day, then I think ladies can wear proper business attire.

What is really tough is that if you are a male manager, you are hard pressed to have a discussion with a female employee about their attire.

As far as men go, a baggy collard shirt with cargo pants and black sneakers is hardly professional work attire. Even some of our executives who wear nice suits, ruin the whole look by wearing cheap unpolished shoes.

As Americans, we have a long way to go in the dress department.

[Quantess]

43. Speak for yourself, bud.

"As Americans, we have a long way to go in the dress department."
It may come as a surprise you that some DUers (like moi) take clothing very seriously, and apply their abundant wardrobe to the fullest extensions of versatility. When I was a speech pathologist and had to work intimately with clients/students who needed my help fixing their speech (look into my eyes, not my cleavage!) the last thing I wanted was to look sexy or revealing. It would have been unprofessional, not to mention uncomfortable for me to think that a patient/student was distracted by my personal presentation of appearance.
I saved the cute clothes & sexy shoes for my social life.

Other than that, I agreed with your post. People who can't figure out how to dress for a people-oriented job may be well advised to get a job where appearance doesn't matter.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

49. No offense meant

I am in total agreement with you.

Now can you tell my girlfriend that open toe shoes are not appropriate for a corporate job. She sure doesn't listen to me, lol!

[Fading Captain]

51. What a waste of brain cells

Thinking about what to wear?
I could care less.

Americans think toooooo much about what they where.

[Digit]

44. I hear this all the time from managers

They say that the younger crowd dress like "they are going to a club". I also hear that many younger people do not bother to show up for work nor do they call in to say they will be absent.

So why the bleep can't I find a freaking job? I KNOW how to dress, I DON'T show my cleavage and I am never absent from work.

I actually ENJOY working and doing a good job.

The problem? I am over 55.

[Quantess]

45. Here's the solution: dress like you're still 20

(just kidding). :)

If it is any consolation, young people have a hard time finding a job too. Everyone these days does. Teenagers are less employable than most other demographics, second only to ex-cons.

[mamaleah]

46. How does anyone expect to be treated like a professional when they do not dress like one?

That goes for both men and women.

Men are lucky though in that business dress clothing is automatically modest, well tailored, and has almost NOT changed at all in 60 years. The width of ties, the issue of double breasted or single, little things like that change, but the basic package has not. Dress shirt, tie, jacket, suit pants, shoes. Easy.

Too many women are confusing stuff you find at Forever 21 with what you should wear at work. Here's a hint: If you can picture yourself holding a fruity drink, giggling while someone asks for your number, it's not work appropriate. Unless you work at a club.

[PDJane]

47. I have to admit to being slightly envious.......

A well-tailored suit can make a guy who eats cheesecake and coffee for breakfast look like an olympic hopeful.

However, I have to admit to being old enough that I remember when going without stockings at work was considered unprofessional, and I have watched women's clothing go from full-skirted and frothy (full-skirted shirt dresses and chanel suits) to tailored and businesslike (the chanel suit managed to stay fashionable, along with the blazer and pleated skirt), then youthful and colourful and short-skirted, then to pansuits and tailored and businesslike, then more and more casual and preppy, and now we're back to frothy and flirtatious along with revealing.....I think we should just settle for neat, tailored, and covered. I also remember a dress code in my days of working for a financial institution that specified, "proper shoes, not sandals, with a modestly high-cut toe, stockings, and proper business attire, which shall not expose an undue amount of the wearer, either back or front."

[mamaleah]

48. Me too.

Men definitely get the better deal on clothing that forgives.

My style of dress is dictated by my religious beliefs, which means modest. But it wasn't that long ago that everyone, religious or not, dressed modestly.

I don't know how anyone would expect to be respected for their minds when they have their breasts half hanging out.

[abumbyanyothername]

52. People with breasts don't have minds?

In general, Americans and Brits make too much of the sex thing. Then young people, who everywhere are prone to rebel, want to assert their identity and do it by provocatively asserting their sexuality.

But just because someone is overtly sexual does not mean that they are stupid.

Of course, I have spent the last 10 years of my work life in a completely solo operation. Otherwise stated, the only person I had to worry about offending on most (over 90%) work days was me.

[rd_kent]

57. What kind of asinine question is that?

"People with breasts don't have minds?"

The previous poster was talking about those who "have their breasts hanging out". Way to set up a straw-man, er straw-woman there.

[mamaleah]

58. No that's not what I said at all.

I said I do not know how one expects to be taken seriously when they are dressed provocatively. It's not professional. Asserting one's sense of identity means dressing inappropriately at work?

Unless you work at a club, why dress like you are going out to one?

[abumbyanyothername]

64. I'm just asking

why do we judge people based on their clothing at all? (I acknowledge that we do.) I am also questioning a premise that I feel is behind your statement . . . that is, that people freely expressing themselves sexually is somehow bad.

I guess what I was trying to say is that it is no less likely that someone with her breasts (or his penis) on prominent display lacks intelligence than someone dressed in a nun's habit or burka.

[mamaleah]

66. There is avast middle ground between a burqa and a club outfit

It's called business dress. Something is bad if one is expected to wear a skirt that comes to the knee or a pantsuit to work? It's bad to not ask people to not wear revealing clothing?

We DO judge people on how they dress. And I wouldn't say someone dressed unprofessionally is unintelligent. I'd say they lack professionalism and common sense.

Dress codes are not teh giant evil.

[rd_kent]

55. I wonder why the "muffin top" look took off in the first place?

A tank or t-shirt 5 sizes too small and hip-hugger pants so tight it makes the hips and belly squirt out like a muffin top. I dont get it.

[seabeyond]

59. i dont get it either. so, not tasteful. n/t

[tammywammy]

65. I don't think it took off

I think people just don't realize that it's not attractive. Honestly it just says that you're too stupid to realize you need a size larger pants. lol

[mamaleah]

68. I don't think it's necessarily an "in" look.

It's more of an "I refuse to admit these pants no longer fit" type thing.

[JerseygirlCT]

70. I think we're talking about attire there that was meant

for thin teen-aged girls with small waists. And it does look just fine on the kids (those who are quite slim, of course).

[lib2DaBone]

56. I had an Office Manager who used to wear these shoes that looked like Ballet Slippers...

..they were black cloth with a round toe and a strap on top. I called them bedroom slippers but she said they were ballet shoes.

She would wear white blouses with a black bra underneath.. she looked like "Elvira" on the Coors Beer commercial.

I would look out of my cubicle and see these ballet slippers coming down the hall... and I would get a gag reflex... a real bad rush....

[Mike Daniels]

61. People take "business casual" to mean "casual" way too much

I'm surprised at the number of people who consider flip-flops to be proper "business" attire anywhere outside a life-guard's chair or beach equipment rental shacks.

[LeftHander]

62. I'm too sexy for my shirt...

too sexy for my job..

too sexy!

[melm00se]

63. dress for the job

you want, not the one you have.

[tammywammy]

72. Excellent advice. n/t

[Brigid]

69. Raggedy jeans, flip flops, shorts . . .

tattoos, body piercings, mohawks . . . my workplace is absolutely awful where dress is concerned. x(