Author Topic: Professional women and modesty (Read 1328 times)

Matthew · « **on:** April 10, 2008, 11:01:33 AM »

Why is it socially acceptable -- nay, required -- for women to show off more flesh than men?

And we're not talking about casual settings here, but the BUSINESS WORLD -- where women profess to be interchangeable with men.

If they are so capable, and interchangeable, then how come they act as if they are only sex objects? There seems to be a double-standard as to what constitutes professional attire.

If women REALLY believed they were equal to men, they would dress with just as much modesty as men. They wouldn't necessarily have to keep to the same styles, but they would have to have an equally "professional" bearing in their dress. Some militant feminists DO dress like that -- and I must say, they are at least being consistent with their beliefs.

I can't go into a professional environment with half of my chest showing, or my shoulders, or most of my legs. But women do it all the time.

In a professional environment, the body shouldn't be on display. Period. Just the parts that show when you're wearing PROFESSIONAL attire -- your face, hands, neck (above the shoulders) -- you know, the stuff that MEN show off in the professional world. Yes, I know that's not very much.

Here are two examples of what I'm talking about:

Anne De Guigne · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2008, 01:15:45 PM »

What do you think of ladies wearing three-quarter or elbow sleeves in a professional environment, ChantCD?

clare · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2008, 05:18:06 AM »

The Daily Mail

Quote

Legal firm bans fishnet stockings because they distract male colleagues
By EMILY ANDREWS

In the case of fishnet tights versus office decorum, the jury was most certainly out yesterday.

A law firm's decision to ban women wearing fishnets to work has left lawyers as neatly divided as a divorcing millionaire's fortune.

The unidentified firm has decreed that female lawyers in fishnets distract male colleagues and look unprofessional.

An employee of the firm - thought to be based in London - blew the whistle on the ban by writing on the law website legalweek.com.

But the argument for a ban was quickly demolished by a flood of furious learned friends.

One solicitor, calling herself City Woman, fumed: "What a total load of tosh. My male partners openly coo when I'm wearing Jimmy Choos, short skirts and nicely cut tops as it all reinforces the image they wish to project about themselves, the people they work with and the quality of bird they've attracted to the partnership.

"Fishnets, though, make them feel uncomfortable - one step too close to their perceptions of tartiness!

"If I find a nicely polished pair of Churchs [a brand of men's shoes] a 'distraction', does that mean I can get them banned too?"

One associate partner at a city firm asked: "Why is everyone getting their knickers in such a twist over this? Thigh-high boots are not going to be appropriate but why should female lawyers be consigned to wearing a uniform of boring suits?

"A bit of personal flair in the office is desperately needed."

And a lawyer at a top London solicitors' office said: "I see no problem with the occasional, or indeed, frequent wearing of fishnet stockings or anything else.

"At my firm, our investment banking clients were always happy to see us girls at negotiation meetings in very short skirts.

"Our male colleagues were very happy about it too. Do I detect a hint of jealousy among the frumps that can't get away with it?"

Feelings were really running high by the time an investment banker put in his two pennyworth.

"Fishnet stockings? Are you out of your mind? Which law firm do you work for? Soho Working Girls LLP?" he wrote.

Others insisted the ban was a sensible approach in the quest for sensible dressing.

"Fishnets are totally inappropriate for a professional office,' one ban supporter wrote.

"I'm amazed at what some of our young women wear to work these days. I particularly cannot understand the low-cut tops (often also sleeveless).

"Some of our trainees and newly qualifieds look like lap-dancers. Maybe they're just trying to snare a husband and don't see a longterm future for themselves in the law but I know I wouldn't take them to a client meeting looking like that."

The Mail's fashion editor Natalie Theo said she thought fishnets were "totally appropriate" for the office.

"They are a great alternative to thick opaques in the summer and for those who don't want to bare their legs, which is arguably worse," she said.

"I think it's the connotations of the fishnet that is the problem - they have come a long way from the Moulin Rouge can-can dancers - and are now a wardrobe staple. Those men should learn to focus more on their work."

But fishnets, apparently, can make much more than a fashion statement at work.

One woman lawyer confided: "I've always found a brief flash of fishnets under a skirt suit a very effective method of tribunal advocacy."

Adesto · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2008, 03:23:57 PM »

The bottom pic isn't so bad. It's not like they're wearing corsets, there's not eyepopping cleavage! But I still don't think really low tops look appropriate for work. One of my old bosses used to wear really revealing tops- she was a very plump lady too- and it just looked dreadful, very unprofessional. "Less is more"!

As for fishnets...well I still think they have hooker connotations if worn with a dead short skirt! But patterned and even fishnet tights have become more mainstream and quite a few tutors at uni wear them with mid-length skirts and look very nice in them too- in a stylish, not OTT way.

Adesto · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2008, 03:26:32 PM »

I found this image of a woman wearing fishnets with a modest outfit that looks nice, although presumably the lawyers weren't so modestly dressed!

clare · « **Reply #5 on:** April 12, 2008, 05:10:50 AM »

She looks Scottish!

Kephapaulos · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2008, 12:54:52 PM »

I know, Matthew. It is problematic. I've found it especially problematic when being around the television my parents often have on at home because you never know when immodestly dressed women come up, like the ones with low necklines. They come up on the news sometimes, and it can be bothersome. Plus, there's not only dealing with it if television is in view, but also in real life being around others like on my school campus. There's not only that issue on my campus though that I have, but the fact that some girls wear shorts that show too much as well.