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The global financial meltdown has taken the brightest minds in economics by surprise. How could the world's top financial institutions crumble so spectacularly? What exactly were these financial wizards thinking during the asset bubble? This week we finally figured out what bankers were doing instead of minding our money: They were looking at our ankles. Let’s take a look at what passes for a dress code at the Bank of England:
Look professional, not fashionable; be careful with perfume; always wear a heel of some sort — maximum 2 inches; always wear some sort of makeup — even if it’s just lipstick.” Shoes and skirt must be the same color. No-no’s include ankle chains — “professional, but not the one you want to be associated with;” white high heels; overstuffed handbags; an overload of rings, and double-pierced ears.
I am both offended and amused by these guidelines. From the pathetic fashion advice ("shoes must match your skirt" - HA HA HA HA HA!) to head-scratching stupidity (always wear a 2-inch heel? Wear lipstick? OMFG!) to the maddingly condescending and sexist jokes (“ankle chains — professional, but not the one you want to be associated with”), there is a lot that is wrong with this memo. But let's take a deep breath and focus on one issue: These edicts cross the line the from a professional dress code to a laundry list of personal preferences that are not helpful in the least -unless you're a brilliant female banker in search of a job, because once you read this it's clear you should RUN AWAY (in your non-matching shoes).
Here’s a tip for HR departments: Comparing your female employees to streetwalkers is neither wise nor funny.
I'm not against dress codes. Guidelines come in handy, whether you’re working in a bank or attending a wedding. But they should only be that - guidelines. Once the ground rules are set, one has to let go. Presumably, a bank has more important things to think about than whether or not their employees are wearing lipstick. Micromanaging the height of women's heels only makes sense if you’re an elfin male movie star who serially marries very tall women. (I’m looking at you, Tom Cruise.)
As outrageous as the Bank of England brouhaha is, I have a feeling that many of us have experienced offensive or just plain strange fashion "suggestions" at work. I'll tell you one of mine: A female boss once asked me to stop wearing jeans on casual Fridays because a) she didn't like wearing jeans and b) when I wore them, I "made her feel fat." Well...what does one say to that? (I assure you that the jeans were perfectly acceptable for work.) Her "advice" was nothing more than a power play and her personal preference. To top it off, I'll never forget that she was wearing faded stretched out leggings with an untucked button-down shirt when she told me this. I briefly considered offering to take her shopping for more appropriate (and flattering) work wear, but I was only 25 years old, so I said nothing. (But I continued to wear my jeans because I could.)
What about you? Have you ever had to deal with crazy or offensive work dress codes? What, if anything, did you do about it?
