My manager has banned all vests, skirts and shorts

If it's am office or public facing, it's quite reasonable to ban vests and shorts. They look unprofessional. I think she's unreasonable banning skirts, unless she's meaning pelmets.

When I worked at Tesco in the 90s, they told us we had to wear tights with a dress or skirt because of 'skin shedding'. Surely if we'd worn the trousers all of the shed shin would have fallen out of the bottoms though?

My young daughter (she was 11 at the time) was once told her top was indecent. Yes it was sleeveless but really just what you describe as "the sleeves cut of". Full shoulder width, regular neckline, regular lenght. Nothing sexualizing at all. They made her wear her PE sweater - in a heatwave - untill she fainted. Only then did they call me to pick her up. And even then they belittled me about the bad choice of clothing - because of the reputation of their school?!?! I just took my child and left. And then I denounced the school to the right authorities for moral cruelty and bigotry.

Invoke the Second Amendment!

Hell, try working in retail during some of the hottest summers and having to wear tights, sleeves (short sleeve acceptable) and full make up!! Or a company where you have a uniform of long black trousers, closed in shoes and 3/4 sleeved white shirt!! It's a few days of hot weather and if your office is a threat to your health you can refuse to work. Not sure how you'd prove that though 🤔

You refer to person as your manager, do you have anyone above this person you can complain to. Also need to ascertain where this appropriate clothing requirements policy came from. Have they created it themselves or has it come from higher up the chain? This person has a responsibility for your mental + physical well/being. Yes, I agree strappy tops and most shorts may not be appropriate but many tailored sleeveless tops or knee length shorts and most definitely skirts/dresses are ‘decent/modest’. I would challenge this policy.

Your workplace sounds awful and half the people here sound like snobs who don't care that you're trapped in a oven at work "I wouldn't wanna see that either " wah wah, no one cares if armpits scare you karen , let's see you overheat at work and see how long it takes YOU to want to wear something more breathable. Sorry for your shitty workplace , and half of these moronic takes. You should be allowed to wear whatever as long as it's moderately appropriate-and you don't even see the public !

Get a nice flowy maxi skirt and get the men to wear them too. Stick an ‘out of order’ sign on her a/c unit.

If you’re in the UK check the acas website. There are rules for weather apparel.

I thought this is standard practice. I work in a school but not a teacher and we’re not allowed to wear vest tops or short skirts or shorts. We all just wear dresses, long floaty trousers/skirts etc. quitting your job is a bit extreme imo. Get a handheld fan or a desk fan if you’re that hot

WHY has SHE banned skirts?

I seem to recall a manager trying this where I worked but it was only shorts on men he tried to ban! Are you in a Union?

So no shorts for men because you are judgemental, but skirts for women are fine, because that suits you? Christ.

Except that this is precisely what armpits are designed to do, releasing body heat!

Doesn't change my response. That top is not professional.

Completely depends on industry and if you have to see clients ... And who those clients are

I work with alot of professionals and one child protection meeting I chaired a probation officer walked in in a tiny skirt and a tight vest with her boobs spilling out

She wasn't a small girl either and was announcing how she was too warm and too big for this weather

The father inquest in the cp meeting was a registered sex offender

So there are some professions where I do agree with covering up

If you are just in an office answering complaints about broadband though I don't see an issue with wearing what ever makes you happy and comfortable

She’s already said several times she wasn’t wearing the shorts

Sorry OP, that outfit looks like you are wearing pyjamas to bed, not and outfit to work in.

I was thinking there's something more to it. A sleeveless top is fine (I used to own a very posh dark red velvet one and a grey silk one.) My church is weird about shoulders, although knee length skirts are fine.

I was also allowed to wear shorts at work. I wore them even in the winter one year as I was pregnant and always boiling.

Yep, I am aware of that. That was my point, that some people wear clothes like that to keep themselves cool.

When I'm at work I don't particularly want to see peoples thighs and underarms

I work from home, but when I’m on calls I always cover my shoulders with a light shirt/ a cardi when I’m wearing a vest top as it feels inappropriate otherwise

In the meanwhile has the OP taken any action such as raising it with the Union HR etc

To all these posters telling the OP what actually is cooler dressing, it's a personal thing. People are different. I live in a hot climate. Thankfully, air conditioning is as normal and expected as electricity, so I have seldom had to pay much attention to what I wear indoors to say cool, but if I have to spend a day in 95 F weather, I prefer shorts and a tank top (as we call vest tops in the US), not a flowy midi or maxi and certainly not wide flowing trousers.

It's a matter of personal preference, not some universal notion of what people should wear to stay cooler.

The one time the AC failed in my workplace and it took several days to fix, we wore what we wanted to stay cool. I wore shorts and a tank top. But then again, my colleagues were used to seeing my arms (regularly worn sleeveless dresses and tops) so they were not unduly shocked.

Restrictive dress codes in a heat wave where there is no AC is mistreatment of employees, in my opinion. Client facing or not, but especially in non-public facing jobs. My guess would be that even in public-facing jobs said public would also be dressed for the heat.

What you think about shoulders and 'normal' people is sort of neither here nor there as OP has posted her employers dress code - which explicitly states no "tops or blouses that expose the midriff or shoulders"