Professional attire not required when it's hot?

valanhb

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I must have missed this day in class.

A lady comes to the office for an appointment to discuss possibly changing insurance plans. Obviously, this is a big decision for a company that pays 100% of the employees' premium.

She shows up in a white tank top and pink and white checked pajama bottoms and sandals. Well, they look like jammies to me anyway.

When she meets my co-worker, she said, "Sorry to dress so casual, but I'm just so tired of it being hot and I wanted to be comfortable."

Seriously? Guess what, honey - it's hot for everyone here. Talk about a bad first impression, though. How professional can she be if she comes to appointments wearing jammies and tank tops?
 

twstychik

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I tend to dress a little more casually when it's so hot out but I NEVER leave the house in PJ's or anything that I wear when lounging at home. Casual for me would be a collared tank top and (like today) a pair of cotton gaucho pants.
 

MoochNNoodles

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Hmmm....I'm trying to see how jammie bottoms are cooler? I have several nice knee length skirts and sleeveless dress shirts that I wore to the office in the summer.

Now I had clients come in in halter tops and what not...and I'm sorry to say this, but most of the ones that went that route had no business hangin anything out!
 
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valanhb

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I'm just still incredulous.

Don't get me wrong - there are some seriously cute tank tops that would rank as professional attire. She's wearing a wife-beater tank.
But yeah, the cotton jammie bottoms just have me baffled. There's certainly ways to dress cool that are still professional or business casual. She missed it completely!
 

crittergirl

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I have always joked to my boss that I want the programming software put on my home computer so I could work in my jammies! If I ever walked in the door like that no matter how hot it was I would be walking back out to change as soon as I was spotted. I would have a hard time taking my suppliers seriously if they approached me like that!
 

goldenkitty45

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Can't erase the 1st impressions! There are plenty of summer dresses out there that would have been more appropriate. She must have missed the class on how to influence friends!
 
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valanhb

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OK, so I got a better look at her in the conference room. Apparently they aren't really jammie bottoms, since she's wearing a belt (couldn't see the belt when she was standing). And she is matchy-matchy - the sandals and chunky necklace match the pink.

Still, while it's not AS bad as I thought, it still looks like something to wear to the beach, not a professional meeting.
 

twstychik

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And when is a wife-beater tank EVER appropriate?! On a man or woman? Hmm... NEVER!

I do wear tanks occasionally but they are always dressy and wide strapped.
 

gailc

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Yrs ago when I had my 1st real job after college I worked in an older building with no A/C and when the hot weather come around we had a "hose alert". No need to wear panty hose!! Of course todays standards are a bit relaxed about pantyhose in the summer anyhow!!
 

goldenkitty45

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I don't remember the last time I wore pantyhose - I don't wear a lot of dresses and usually don't put on pantyhose unless necessary
 

heavenangels

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What I don't understand is why this person would have to dress like that with today's styles Capri's and long tank tops with a cute belt would be more appealing then what she had on . I don't know the company she works for however I know I would of received a talking to from my boss and probably sent home to change but I know better then that anyway.
WONDER what mirror she is looking in apparently it isn't looking back at her
 

gingersmom

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The way I see it, the CLIENT can wear whatever they want to but the VENDOR needs to be sure to wear appropriate clothing to a client meeting.

I can't judge in this case (big shocker, huh?
) because I still can't find the box my work tops are in since moving two weeks ago, and today am wearing a Harley tank top to work and my shoulder tat is in everyone's face - granted, it is a memorial tat with hummingbirds in it, but it is unprofessional nonetheless. I know it and I DON'T CARE.

I apologized to my boss and the office manager this morning, but with a pulled back, another emergency root canal this past Tuesday, an infection in my jaw so painful that I'm going to work all percocetted out, they're just lucky I'm HERE.

I'm hoping to find my stupid clothes this weekend - probably in the last darn box I'll open underneath piles and piles of boxes I can't lift yet cause my back is too screwed up...

Ooo, sorry for the hijack...
 

lunasmom

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I personally think client or vendor, if you're meeting with people and you dress under-casual because of the heat, then you should be sent home to change.

Companies place a dress policy for several reasons. She is a representative of her company and personally I would be sending polite message to her boss about it. If it was a client, I would do so indirectly, like in a friendly voice "You should have seen what so-and-so was wearing when she came out! She looked like she was ready to take off and enjoy the day"
 

karl

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A co-worker of mine would sometimes dress in tank tops, minis and heels on hot days. Our management tended to frown upon such attire. A lot of it probably had to do with the fact that he was a guy.
 

twstychik

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Originally Posted by Karl

An co-worker of mine would sometimes dress in tank tops, minis and heels on hot days. Our management tended to frown upon such attire. A lot of it probably had to do with the fact that he was a guy.
Oh My!
 

yam102284

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Originally Posted by twstychik

And when is a wife-beater tank EVER appropriate?! On a man or woman? Hmm... NEVER!
I wear them all the time at home. They are so comfortable for just lounging around. And sometimes if its a nicer looking one, or if I have a zip up sweatshirt on, I wear them in public, shopping or something. I could really care less about what people think of what I wear.
 

kiwideus

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Heidi - I can relate here. In class, I require a sign language interpreter and their code of ethics requires them to wear professional type clothes, that are dark.

I have one that makes me cringe every time she walks in the room. Her clothes are always way out there and she loves the attention that they bring her. Her latest item? New boots that she ordered from a fetish site that she can barely walk in - they make her look like a prostitute and other interpreters are shocked - I have asked that I don't have her as much as possible and she is losing work - and she wonders why???


These are similar to what she has: http://www.velvetgarden.net/images/p...0070315-03.jpg
 
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