to ask you to explain to dh, that 1, women are still often told to wear make up and heels to work 2, whys its a problem for women

[carriedababi]

just had a big arguement with him, we where talking about the tv programme, about pamper palours for children, and although i by no means with children having make up etc, i said to dh, i think a bigger problem is that fact that alot of women are told to wear make up at work and even heels.

i went on to explain that noone should be forced to wear heels that are actually bad for your health and that people shouldn't work for places like that then

i know the bank of england a couple of years ago advised the women working there on how to dress for sucess.

so aibu in thinking this is a comon problem
and hwo else can i get it through to dh, why this is a problem

I've worked for a company that told women that had to wear heels and make up. Can't recall totally but I think the lowest heel allowed as 2 inches.

It was a company in Japan, not in Britain

Years ago when I was looking for a job from university (early '90s) women were not allowed to wear trousers in the City. We were also expected to be "bubbly" - virtually every job advert directed at women asked for a "bubbly" type personality.

I do hope the world has moved on.

OK, by saying you can't have it both ways I point to the dichotomy between these statements:

"I love that my profession is full of sensible intelligent women, and as such it's a natural consequence that anyone in heels or make-up is the exception to the rule and stands out a mile, and I must shamefully admit, may come in for ridicule behind her back."

plus

"on seeing random women in the street I will judge their intelligence to be indirectly proportional to amount to makeup they wear, the height of their heels and the amount of cleavage on display."

and this one:

"it is still ridiculous to equate a women's ability to do a job well on whether or not she makes maximum effort to look good."

How else should I interpret them then? When the two opinions are quite obviously at odds with each other. Do enlighten me, a mere heel wearer

mothiman yours was probably a British bank as I was in the City from '96 (but both were US banks) and there was nothing of the kind.

Annie - why don't you watch this film Erin Brockovich :o

I am not being arsey btw - I am trying to understand what you are saying and how the two sides of what you've said sit together

I've never been told to wear heels or make up, but when I started at a well-known company in an office based role (not client facing), I asked my female boss what the dress code was and she told me to wear a skirt. I was as I was expecting her to say 'smart - wear a suit' or 'business casual', not 'wear a skirt'!

Bemy - no the good old insurance business. I had a look at the website of one of the firms I worked for recently -and there are still no women on the board.

mothiman - I remember that! All those free mags handed out on the stations with ads for a bubbly "Girl Friday"

I don't even remember thinking it was off. The world has moved on...I think

Oh, wow! Dinosaurs!

Yes Create - you never saw an ad asking for bubbly man. Can you tell I'm not very bubbly?

snort at the bubbly personality ads. why did they ask for it? Doesn't sound like someone who'll buckle down and concentrate on the job. Sort of office entertainer or something

Me neither, although I can do a good act! In fact now you've reminded me, my boss once called me in to the office to ask what was wrong as I wasn't my usual bubbly self. I remember being incredibly pleased that he thought I was bubbly ever I was very young...

I used to work for an airline - a british one. We had to wear full make up and heels of a specific height.
We were allowed to change into lower heels once service started.

I don't like wearing make-up, never have - feel like a tramp when i do.

It used to be a real nightmare for me at work - I used to try to get away with a bit of tinted moisturiser and hint of lipgloss and maybe mascara. I was always being called up about my lack of make-up, and it would be on my daily reports that i didnt have enough red lipstick on.

It was such a relief when I left that job

I don't live in London any more. Are there still ads for "girl Fridays" in the free mags? I remember being hired as a temp and somebody asking my boss if I'd been hired because of the size of my breasts. He said no, but that's why she got the 2nd week's work! I can't really believe it in hindsight.

wow
people get daily reports which include whether they have worn enough lipstick

I'm a bit surprised by that one

Tennis Fan - Somehow the airlines seem to market themselves on high heels and makeup. I'd like to see airline workers with comfortable shoes on myself. Like nurses. Noone begrudges nurses wearing comfortable shoes. Why should airline workers damage their feet? They are on all night shifts aren't they?

I have worked in an organisation where the female Chief Exec told a senior manager who worked in her office that she needed to wear heels to work. She was known to favour an inner circle of females who all wore very high heels, the higher the better. We used to joke that to get anywhere there, you had to wear Manolo Blahniks or whatever they are called.

What was shameful is that it was the NHS. .

No dinosaur costume I'm afraid :o

I work in a sterile unit making up drugs for very sick people.

this sort of thing.

I am expected to wear heels and make up for work. I don't know what exactly would happen if I didnt but the promotions and pay rises would dry up for starters. I am pretty sure you would be hauled in and what was going on. It would not go down well at all if you turned up without make up / heels.

Dylthan, I think the world would be a better place if more people wore dinosaur costumes to work :o

Curry, at last we are in agreement!

Dylthan I work in an Aseptic Suite too!!!! What do you make, we make Chemo, Mab's and PN.
I don't know about a bear costume, I look like a fat smurf, with only my eyes on show.

One young girl who rotated into our section cried her eyes out when told she couldn't wear makeup, hairspray, false nails and false eyelashes. So she went for a sunbead every week for the three months she work with us.

We make the same naughtaless with the occasional civas product thrown in for good measure.

:o @ fat smurf.

I sometimes do wish we could wear make up especially if there is some where I need to be after work. There is also nothing that can be done to salvage the hat hair you get after a day spent in an isolator.

It was in my contract at one job I had to wear make up to work. I ignored it. It was mentioned when the owner came in one time and I told her I don't wear make up (didn't bloody need it then) and she said it was only like asking a male employee to be clean shaven.
The only male employee there was totally bald and covered in tatoos (which was against company policy also)
I argued that she was asking me to go out and purchase cosmetics and put them on my skin, which I refused to do. I was a fitness instructor FFS, did she want me to look like a panda?