Same job, different attire. Can work and professionalism be defined differently due to gender? Can your interpretation influence potential inequality? Or can we all leave our pants at home? *opinions are my own*
I recall seeing this precisely at 08:20 one morning on sky news, for reference. How do I remember the hour so distinctly you may ask? Unfortunately, I cannot take the credit, my iPhone camera can. It’s a live Time Machine! But I do know it was an early Saturday morning, purely from recollection.
I was ready for a morning pick me up to slowly get my brain active for the day ahead, little did I know the sharp awakening that was in-store.
I referred to my tea to double check I hadn’t poured something stronger!
What I was witnessing, I would deem it unbelievable, disappointing, disrespectful, calculated and most of all, shameful for what this represents. This goes beyond perception as how you dress is an internationally recognised language. Children, parents, ordinary adults tuning into the morning news, wouldn’t expect to observe this. Reason being, there are certain channels for thrill-seekers or wishes that are presented in a very similar format – minimal clothing. If I had a daughter who was exposed this imagery, thinking this is how you dress in a professional formal manner for work, I’d be quite infuriated.
Now don’t get me wrong, if men were somewhat allowed to wear similar outfits and expose more than 50% of their flesh in a professional capacity for example office attire, that would be equality, in my opinion. But life and society has not advanced to that stage, so why do we have different standards and expectations? Why is there one rule for one, another rule for another?
Prejudice? Bias? Fear of being labelled sexist or sexually harassment. For example if a boss takes you off to one side regarding what is and isn’t appropriate, one may understand that as – why was my boss looking? What I wear doesn’t affect anybody and it’s my body how I dress it has nothing to do with you.
And this is how you enter dangerous territory. Nowadays you have to be very careful what battles you pick. As almost anything has the possibility of getting you struck off. I have heard of women consciously aware that their workplace is sexist so they’ll play the game to get the position they want/deserve.
I’ve also heard some women say that we have the right to present ourselves in whichever way we want, that does not give people a right to look for stare to make me feel uncomfortable.
Which I can understand to a certain extent. The problem I have is that there should be a nationally recognised viewpoint that represents respect and equality. If women are allowed to wear clothing just short of her hip, men should be able to also. If women are entitled to show their chest in an office environment for example, men should be able to unbutton at least 3-5 shirt buttons. But for men it’d be described by others as too casual and somewhat inappropriate.
I’ve heard the other side of the argument, where some men believe women have it far easier and are not judged solely on the work they do. Women are fast tracked, whereas men have to work hard and earn everything that comes their way. I’ve also witnessed guys say, “women know what they’re doing, don’t act all innocent and naive. They bend over purposefully so their assets (unrelated to finances) are on full display in front of my eyes, how am I not meant to look?”.
So what qualifies as equality?
I believe equality unfortunately means double standards. Until both genders are on the same page and treated fairly especially in the workplace, there will always be this grey area of dispute and disparity that lies beneath the surface of “office banter”. I have seen first handedly how certain professions or settings can be male dominated where they can feed off grotesque behaviours due to a culture that has trickled down to the present day. Misogyny is no joke and is still very much prevalent in many walks of life.
Equally, two wrong’s don’t make a right. And people shouldn’t feed into a toxic ideology as a form of retaliation. After all, who will make the real change for generations to come? Life’s not fair, but this could be a huge step in the right direction.
What do you think? What’s your take on gender equality, especially in the workplace? What have you experienced? Does gender based equality exist in the workplace or has it improved significantly? Comment below!
Beauty File 
I was reading this and thinking Appropriate – Inappropriate, I remember when television first came to England (then the rest of the UK). The announcers/news readers came on dressed in evening clothes; they would never appear in casual dress and never without a tie – different world.
I remember a girl at college with me, she like most (female) students, wore jeans and casual clothing. Years later I found her working in a museum, we went for a coffee and she said she liked the job but hated having to wear “woman’s” dress. She looked neat in her white blouse, dark blue skirt (not too high) high heels and the black nylons emphasised her long slender legs and sure were a turn on. “I can wait to get out of my uniform” she called her girly clothes. Had her student days set a presidency, or did casual – jeans (just put them on) and a sloppy jumper change your attitude, even send out a message of who you really were, as well as changing your look.
In the movie Erin Brockovish (Julia Roberts) her boss said to her “now that you are working here, you might like to rethink your dress to something more appropriate – I feel it makes some of the girls feel a little uncomfortable.” – Her reply was not what he would have expected. “Really” she said “Well it just so happens that I look good, and so long as I have one arse and not two – ill wear what I like, if that alright with you?”
This led me to think of the Halo Effect, if something looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, you automatically think – that’s a duck, but are you correct to assume that?
I live in a university city, I see the students today dressed much more individually, much less uniformly (I often try to work out what course they may be taking by their attire). All are far better dressed than we were in our college and uni days. Is that because of a change in attitude, less peer pressure or simply more affluent than in my day? I really don’t know, then again I have not really given it much thought until now.
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Nice post 🌺🌺
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Thankyou, Satyam!😊🤍
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Welcome dear friend 🌺🌺
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dress for the job….and when it comes to broadcasting, dress professionally…
I once worked in an office where we all went ballistic when we were told no jeans, no t-shirts….business casual…I’m pretty sure none of my fellow employees had ever ironed a shirt before in their lives….shirts that do not need ironing look awful….but the expectation dress like you were at work, not hanging out at home or digging the garden, or pumping iron…the women had it a little easier, but still professional was the name of the game….and as for what is expected, that seems to be a bombshell in our schools from both ends….teachers and princples freaking out over bra straps, but fine with guys with jeans pulled up to almost their butts….and yes some of both sexes push the extremes…you’re in a class room or at work, you’re not looking to be discovered for a new Cher music vid, or an episode of fast and furious…look acceptable….and I do get make up, but do you need it everytime you leave the house?..and for exposing as much skin as possible….lookin’ good doesn’t mean that…
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Either they don’t know how to or they don’t care, I’m leaning more on the latter. There’s a bias in society that we’re free to do as we want and anyone due to rights. That mentality trickles all the way down to a variety of demographics like children, many of which are uncontrollable and have little to no respect for elders. As again, they’re aware they have far more rights; I’m not even sure if you can tell a child off anymore without being accused of xyz in this society. I guess that’s one of the many downsides to living in a nanny state.
You’re right. Unfortunately there’s one rule when it comes to women, another when it comes to men. The issue is, how much skin are you allowed to show before it’s regarded unprofessional. Should it be a mathematically based or? As currently I’d say there’s no line drawn, potentially faintly sketched and it’s a matter of independent evaluation, which is when prejudice could come into play. Work attire should be far more black and white, as currently the grey area is dominant.
Thankyouu so much for reading and sharing your lived experiences, Warren!😊🤍
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I kind of push back at the comments about young people (I hate the word children) I spend time among young people, students, junior and senior high school, and the majority are awesome. most seem way more mature then I ever was. I just spent a day among about 1600 of them at a charity event (we never had charity events when I was in school) and they wre great….offering to help, interacting with each other as equals, no matter skin colour, what they had on their heads, or their sexual orientation….I asked a few of them how they felt about us adults and what they hear from some of us….there’s that song by CSN, or the Who’s Kid’s are Alright….they are. as for what they wear….some of my fellow adults don’t think things like turbans are offensive….those students don’t think that….my fellow adults are offended by anything LGBTQ2S, the kids arn’t…..
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Pant or dress. You must demand respect. I feel. You should dress to impress yourself. Also the job, we do. If I could wear short pant to work. I would. I believe. What we say and do. Is what people see.
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The difference in dress isn’t just in the workplace; it permeates the schools, social functions, the beach, you name it. Let’s look at one situation. School sports. My grandchildren are avid players of all school sports. Boys teams wear long shorts and loose singlets. The girls wear much shorter, tighter shorts which they roll up even more and tighter tops. At yesterday’s game, it was even possible to tell who had thongs under their short shorts as they constantly hiked up the legs of their shorts even higher–but no one is supposed to look. My granddaughters who play on the team do not adjust their shorts or wear the tight shirts, nor do they wear false eyelashes and makeup to play. It’s all a matter of how you are raised and what your focus is. The inequality will continue as long as women themselves allow it.
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I believe there’s a time and place for everything and that includes your dress code. Yes, I understand it’s a new day and we have the freedom to do as we please to a certain extent, but dressing in too short skirts, dresses or tops and overly tight clothing and torn/ripped jeans clothes is not for the work place. If you put on a piece of clothing where you have to be constantly pulling and tugging at it for length that’s simply not there, then it’s inappropriate for the work place. Most of us know that when we look in the mirror when we get dressed. If you mind tells you anything other than yes, it a go, then take it off and find something else. Gender bias does exist to an extent. But in today’s society, where any and everything can get you a law suit, even men are dressing inappropriately…really tight pants, tight shirts, button downs etc. Yes, I get it, it makes you feel good. But at the end of the day, it’s called self respect.
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