City develops dress code that bans cleavage in the workplace

[The Straight Story]

City develops dress code that bans cleavage in the workplace

OXFORD, N.C. - Some people now need to worry about what they wear or don't wear to work. The city of Oxford, North Carolina developed a new dress code that bans cleavage, as well as showing excess skin or undergarments.

City hall employees must leave flip-flops, shorts, spandex pants, t-shirts, and strapless dresses in their closet. Most residents feel that the dress code is needed.

"If you're dealing with sensitive matters that people in the city might have to deal with, I think it is appropriate to dress professionally," said Lori Sharp.

...

"I think working for the city should be a privilege, and because you're working for the government and you represent the government," said Mark Donham. "So I think a professional look will give them more credentials toward the people."

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/national/city-develops-dress-code-that-bans-cleavage-in-the-workplace

[Overseas]

1. Are they banning tight pants too?

Maybe they could develop some unisex burqas for staff to wear.

[Zanzoobar]

4. I hope so.

Most people I've seen wear tight pants out of necessity. The damned things only stretch so far.

[rhett o rick]

36. Down with hot pants.

[BillyJack]

2. Men shouldn't show their butt cracks either.....or their beer bellys or their man-boobs

People who are PRIViLEDGED to work in government should be perfect both physically and morally in every way!

(well, that ain't gonna EVER happen, is it?!)

[eowyn_of_rohan]

45. lol - I was just going to post about Refigerator repair man cleavage -nt

[OHdem10]

3. In a way, they have point. Some women do have a problem

knowing how much cleavage to show. Whether we like
it or not, and I do not like it, but people are
judged by how they dress. Dress Codes for Governmental
Employees is not way out there. There are other
things that concern me much more.

Cutting Budgets to the bone, for example.

[Kat45]

5. These days I'm amazed at how often I see cleavage in workplaces.

I remember noticing it recently on a bank teller, and I forget on what other employees of businesses I visited. It surprised me because when I was growing up, and for quite a while after I'd grown up, women did not show cleavage in workplaces. The only times cleavage was show were evenings out or at the beach.

Last summer I went with my boyfriend to his niece's wedding and I had a great new dress I wanted to wear, but I didn't wear it because I thought it showed too much cleavage and his family would think I was a slut, or at least pretty low-class. When I got there, his sister-in-law was showing much more cleavage than I would have been in that dress.

I guess times have changed, but I still don't think showing cleavage (at work) is very professional.

[seabeyond]

19. pretty low-class. nt

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[bananas]

28. This thread is useless without pictures.

Somebody had to say it...

[Historic NY]

6. I think I really agree....I worked 31 yrs in local government....

this should be a non-issue under proper management.

[SheilaT]

7. Dress codes are appropriate.

It's really too bad that they actually need to be codified, that people don't understand, by the time they're employed as adults, just what constitutes appropriate dress in the workplace.

A while back (nearly 20 years now), I recall the school my son was attending going through turmoil over whether or not to have a school uniform. I wanted to point out to the students that once they hit the real world of work, they'd usually be facing a far more restrictive dress code than the one the school was considering.

Any job where you deal with the public, you are obligated to dress in an appropriate way.

[astral]

12. My thoughts exactly -- why do people have to have it spelled out for them?

People have no clue what is appropriate work-wear. I believe I've seen it all (but I know I haven't.) Spaghetti straps ( I haven't seen STRAPLESS yet!), party dresses, t-shirts and spandex pants with the T- shirt work like a mini-skirt, WOMEN showing their tattoos.

I guess the times they are a-changin', too.

But holy sh-- ... COW.

[SheilaT]

20. Alas, proper dress code has to be spelled out

for adults because too many who are under about 40 or so went to high school with essentially no dress code in place. And of course those who went to college likewise had no dress code to adhere to. No one ever got around to pointing out that what was okay in high school and college is emphatically NOT okay in the workplace.

[wtmusic]

8. Muffintops, cameltoes...

what's next? :crazy:

[flvegan]

9. Oh the sensationalism of another bullshit OP/article title.

City hall employees must leave flip-flops, shorts, spandex pants, t-shirts, and strapless dresses in their closet.

Cleavage? Right. Was there a specific mention of buttons done/undone on a polo shirt or dress shirt?

Christ, you guys *will* pick up on this some day, right?

[SoCalDem]

10. There are a whole lot of people whose Moms never taught them how to dress in public

Instead of dress codes that will surely be flaunted by some (in order to sue and get a settlement), why not just go with a work uniform..

Nothing ugly, just something easy to comply with..:

men...

dark/khaki slacks (no denim)
"leather" shoes..no sports shoes, sandals
white, blue, yellow, gray collared shirts (tucked in)
a leather belt
tie or no tie (depending on the venue)
jacket (solid color) again depending on the venue

that should cover the whole gamut


for the women:

same scheme as men (with obvious acceptance of skirts/dresses to the knee)
shoes..no sandals

If you want to wear spandex & plunging necklines to work, maybe the "city of" is not for you:)

[druidity33]

16. I agree mostly, however...

I personally refuse to wear a tie. It is a RIDICULOUS, nonsensical device held over from some stupid Victorian nightmare. Ties either remind me of a hangmans noose or a swinging dick... why would either be appropriate for work? I hope to see the day where ties are not considered "serious" attire. They should be abolished.

Just my 2 pennies on the table...

[Blue_Tires]

32. from your keyboard to god's eyes...

Since childhood I have NEVER understood the why behind the 'tie' thing...I do it now only because I must...

[Iggo]

11. Decriminalize the female breast RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!

[Raine]

13. Good, I hope they get rid of those "pants on the ground"

too. If you want to be professional and taken seriously you should look like you do. Dress like crap on your own time when you're not collecting pay.

[onethatcares]

14. now this is a subject I can get my mind around

just the other day I went to the DMV to renew my truck tags and the girl behind the counter had this top on that allowed me to see some freckles on the top of her boobies. I was so enthralled, I registered the next 4 guys vehicles too.

As stated, "If you're dealing with sensitive matters that people in the city might have to deal with, I think it is a appropriate to dress professionally"

See there is a reason we gotta get rid of the public service employee unions. The best way to judge everyones attire is to have the women in skirts kneel on the floor, if the hem line doesn't touch the floor, they go home to change or get a day off without pay, if the guy checking that gets a boehner while looking down her top, same deal. What we need is more mid level managers deciding what the employees can wear, do, say, and think. That'll work.

[bluetex]

15. LOL at some of the responses....

No one said burqas, skirts to the ground, turtlenecks, etc.....

Perhaps part of the problem with personal dress in the workplace is...those who don't have the capacity to discern where the limits are...on either end of the spectrum.

The sad thing? Grown adults in a professional setting even have to be told how to dress appropriate to their position and duties. :(

[spooky3]

17. Could you ask them not to snap gum at their customers too?

So annoying and unprofessional.

[mmonk]

29. Turtle necks still do not hide general curves of the female body.

Burkas are the best solutions. Maybe drapes or trench coats.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Will the city be providing them with a clothing allowance for Burqas?

Or, maybe one of these chic styles.

[pintobean]

23. That's it. I quit.

[PCIntern]

24. There's a dental office in my building wherein the receptionist

dresses like a stripper...we refer a lot of patients to this office for specialty work...funny thing is, no one complains to the Dr. or to me even about her, and he's given up trying to get her to ease up a bit. He's a bit of a 'whatever' and gets off on it a little himself so he's partially to blame, but I find myself visiting his office frequently to borrow...no, I'm just kidding, actually.

I don't. Really. Honest....

[bluestate10]

30. When I was in high school, a college near grad showed up to do teacher' aid duties.

She dressed conservatively, but had a body to die for. Fortunate for the males in the class, her looks neutralized the figure, else, young males would have been walking around with wet slack fronts all day. She chose to go into banking instead of education.

[seabeyond]

39. when the woman patient lays back in the chair in a vulnerable position

...no, I'm just kidding, actually.

I don't. Really. Honest....

i gotta tell you, you made me see my male dentist in a way i never wanted to see him. i wouldnt be "joking" around with patients in this manner. may lead some women to think... well, you know.

[mmonk]

25. How about Burkas?

No cleavage, legs, tightness, etc.

[Hangingon]

26. About time somebody did this

[immoderate]

27. My problem with women who expose all or part of their breasts in the workplace...

They expect me to act like they don't. B-)

--imm

[WatsonT]

31. Goddam you to Hell Oxford!

Cleavage is awesome. Leave it alone.

Move to Iran if it bothers you so much.

[Iggo]

46. 'Cleavage is awesome!'

Truer words were never spoken.

[Blue_Tires]

33. Good luck trying to enact that in Miami...

My uncle worked there for 15 years for a pretty conservative company, and it was a constant battle trying to get many women to conform to the dress codes -- *very* low-cut blouses, short skirts, midriffs, you name it...

[JoePhilly]

34. How do they measure it?

I mean, do they measure the INCHES of cleavage? The PERCENTAGE of breast exposed?

I mean, I've seen some old ladies with inches of cleavage, at church, not because they are dressing provocatively, but because their breasts are losing the war with gravity.

Does Oxford NC have a significant problem with hot women displaying their breast at work?

There is a need to have some dress code, but I'm not sure that calling out "cleavage" specifically makes sense.

[NYC Liberal]

35. Anyone else immediately think of Curb Your Enthusiam?

[TheKentuckian]

37. I'd religiously vote against each council member who voted in favor of this nonsense

for simply having either a lack of focus on the deep problems that need to be dealt with or for participating in a willful distraction from addressing such matters.

Nanny state bullshit. Who the fuck cares what clothes folks have on or if you can see some cleavage?

Fucking Puritans, sane countries were wise to run the whole fucked up lot out but it is a shame we have adopted their nonsense which is passed down generation to generation which means most people's largest inheritance is stupidity, prudishness, and a general apprehension that someone is happy or having fun somewhere.

[KittyWampus]

38. In my experience, people with a problem having BASIC wardrobe requirements for professionals

are usually immature in real life. Hence the silly and inappropriate comments about burquas.

Reminds me of an episode of "What Not To Wear" I happened upon. A young woman resident doctor was going to work, and everywhere else, in a tank top that was way too small and old jeans that were way too low on her midriff. She was complaining about not being taken professionally. It took a while for it to get through to her how sophomoric it is to dress down that much when you are past 16 years old.

[southernyankeebelle]

40. Gee, how about the way customers come in? Ban them too?

[Raine]

42. They aren't representing anybody but themself and they

aren't being paid, they're also on their own time.

[laureloak]

41. I have to admit that I'm sick of seeing cleavage, even my own.

But it's almost impossible to find tops that aren't plunging.

[Forkboy]

43. I picture a bunch of turtleneck clad women in non air conditioned work places.

I wish we cared about poverty as a country as much as we seem to care about people's naughty bits.

[catzies]

44. As a Cleavaged-American who starts a new City job two weeks from tomorrow

this is relevant to my interests because FTR I agree that working for the city is a privilege and in doing so I represent the city government in my community, and being a Finance Department employee I have extra responsibility due to my extra privilege. :patriot:

[Magron]

47. Seeing as men have to walk that thin sexism line..maybe u could help out too?

Or do you like perhaps a little too much having the right to complain about SOME of them who let their eyes linger just long enough?

[RegieRocker]

48. Regressives (cave men) can't control themselves that is why.

[readmoreoften]

49. Probably enacted by flat-chested women wearing silk camisoles with their nipples showing.

It irritates me to no end that there are dress codes that make a large-chested woman have to basically wear a crew-neck shirt, while slender women with very small breasts wear camis without bras with their nipples showing. I don't care about cleavage or nipples, I just hate the double standard. It's comfortable for prudes to ban cleavage for some reason. (Large breasted women being immoral for having them in the first place, I'm sure.) But no one knows how to deal with the nipples burning a whole through the cami--even through the bra. It's all just too unspeakable for them to mention I suppose. :shrug:

Anyhow. That's how the double standard went in my workplace.