 |
| Above: Not a happy short-skirt-wearing bunny. |
A large chunk of my modest-sized wardrobe is taken up with short skirts, short shorts and see-through tops. I'm not talking fully see-through. But that kind of see-through which you LITERALLY cannot avoid if you enter ANY high-street shop in search of tops right now.
Yeah, that's right. I'm not a slut.
I'm perfectly comfortable wearing these garments on all occasions. I don't feel like I'm exposing too much. I'm not saying I condone those ridiculous 'knicker short' concoctions. My bum's fully covered, I'll have you know!
So yeah, if you look closely through my top you'll see my bra. But who cares? My bra covers my nipples. Would you rather see THEM?!
Either way, if I were to go shopping for appropriate clothing right now, I wouldn't find anything.
There's either proper suits suits - which are expensive and overdressed for my office. Or there's pretty, short skirts and cute see-through tops. So what am I do to?
You know what?! Let's stop there.
Why am I even in this situation in the first place?! Why am I so scared to wear something too short or slightly see-through to work?!
Oh, of course! It's inappropriate. Improper. Unfit. Offensive!?
The more I think about this the more it gets me... How is it in any way inappropriate to wear a bum-covering short skirt? Or slightly see-through top?
Lots of offices are full of jean-clad employees, so it's can't be because clothing which 'pretends' to reveal more is too casual.
Ohhhh..... Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh......
It all comes down to sex!!!!
We may not have to wear burkas in this country, but the fact that I can't wear short skirts for fear of them being inappropriate for work is pretty much the same thing. Less extreme, but the same concept!
I can't STAND the fact that middle eastern women have to completely cover themselves up because men can't control themselves. It's pure insanity!
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with them believing in religion. But oppressing femininity like that is JUST not right.
Our country's nothing like that though, right? Hmm.
People think that kind of stuff is way beyond our territory. Well it's clearly not the case!
And even if everyone in my office couldn't care less about the length of my skirt or opacity of my top, I couldn't help but feel like they were under the impression I'm trying to attract a mate!!
Lend me some sugar and please let me
know your thoughts? :)
I agree with the sex aspect and guys drooling over a short skirt etc., but take this example into account. Two women work in an office. One wears a longer skirt, one shorter. The woman who is more conservative would be seen to be more professional, so (hypothetically) would get offered more promotions/given more responsibilities because she is taken more seriously. And that example would apply to a more female-dominated office too. Especially if you are customer facing. Walking into a meeting, you would not want everyone’s first and lasting impression to be "that chick in a short skirt", no matter if it was a room full of men or women, and no matter how good the meeting went, they will most likely refer back to that fact, which I'm guessing is how nobody would want to be remembered....
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment :) But does that mean that the more attractive a women is, the less likely she is to succeed? Or that a woman who wore no make-up would be taken more seriously than one who did? And if so - that's not right, is it? Surely success should be down to whether or not you're better than the other woman at your job? x
ReplyDeleteI don't think that appropriateness only applies to women. I've seen guys come to work with unbuttoned dress shirts or really tight pants. They are looked upon just as badly as a woman in a short skirt.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, the wrong clothes are a distraction - both to the wearer and the observer - no matter the setting (e.g. clubwear at school.) And the last place I want to be distracted is at work.
Honestly, I don't find it oppressive to have a separate work wardrobe. In fact, I find it really fun. A lot of my office outfits are way more funky than my weekend wear. Just a few inspirations: http://pinterest.com/jaskular/office-wear/
Lastly, I don't think a longer hemline equates a loss of femininity. I really do feel just as girly in a knee-length pencil skirt or wide-leg trousers as I do in a mini.
Thanks for your comment Lindy - I appreciate your opinion :)
ReplyDeleteDefinately not the attractiveness of someone, and not the fact that they wear makeup or not. I'm not saying someone with a short skirt doesn't necessarily know what they are talking about, but it is just the appropriateness of said short skirt. Look at Bridget Jones, you can't seriously tell me that skirt would be appropriate in an actual office environment?!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindy too, a guy in an unbuttoned shirt and jeans would never be taken as seriously as a suavely dressed guy in a meeting.
Plus Jassy, work wear is fun. I mainly buy a really nice dress, and then dress it up that way because my office isnt strictly suit-esque. I guess it's just finding a balance between casual and smart and your personality. And I know starting a new job has strains, but I bet nearly everyone feels the need unfortunately to have to splash out for a new job - it's an excuse to go shopping at least xx