Not to want to take an Orange Person with me to a business meeting?

[Hopefullyrecovering]

The business is professional services. We went out to a client and the graduate in our team came with me. She was bright orange. Literally bright orange. I could see the client visibly wondering whether or not the orange would rub off onto him during the handshake. It looked grotesque and thoroughly unprofessional. There was an accompanying issue of shedloads of make-up. Which was similarly unprofessional This girl does not need it. She is perfectly nice-looking (I believe although there was so much orange, and fake lashes etc that it is difficult to tell)

So, AIBU? And if IANBU, how on earth am I going to raise this issue?

You can't discriminate over skin colour!!!!

Is she good at her job?

I hate orange and loads of make up but it is her choice and her look. Assuming she looks smart.

It's not skin colour though Olympia, it's trowel loads of badly matched foundation.

Had she been Tangoed?

A simple 'love, were you aware that YOU ARE BRIGHT F*CKING ORANGE?' should do the trick.

YANBU. I'm turning into one of those old ladies who want to threaten to wipe people's faces with a wetwipe if they're wearing 3 inches of make up though, so maybe don't listen to me.

She is indeed good at her job. Very good.

No, she doesn't look smart. She'd look a damn sight smarter if she weren't orange though.

She may be better than you at your job; how would you know just looking at the colour of her skin?

FFS, I think the whole point is that the colour of her skin is not visible because she bright orange.

I'm massively pale. Can you imagine the reaction if you'd written you couldn't go to meetings with casper the friendly ghost and that I should bronze myself to look alive? Yabu.

I thought you meant Orange as is a member of the Orange Lodge (they of the sash and bowler hat)!

Is she quite young? My niece is generally orange. She looks like she has the worst case of jaundice ever. Its what the 'young girls' go for these days (even though she is almost 30).

If the job is client-facing, then you could have a quiet word if you think clients don't take her seriously (or are taking the mickey) because of the colour enhancement. Don't know how you'd approach that one though! I would hate it if someone thought that I was some ditzy because of my dress or grooming. I was always told to keep skirts knee length and hair tied back to look professional. I am quite old though but I do remember how 'girlies' were viewed at work.

Ha ha .. I know, I'm just being difficult!

If it's the sort of job where you would say something about her dying her hair bright pink (as an example) I think it's fair enough to say something about excessive make up

Perhaps that is how she feels confident and if you make her tone it down she wouldnt be herself, therefore not as good at her job?
I agree its not a good look, but if she is doing well and noone has complained about the amount of makeup/fake tan this girl is wearing (a pretty petty thing to complain about tbh) then i say let her get on with it.
I actually dont think it can be viewed as unprofessional unless there were other factors, bad time keeping or swearing inappropriately for example.

YABU- I am pale to the extreme and it can get tiring to hear the same old comments regarding my skin tone. I sometimes wear foundation or bronzer so I don't stand out from the crowd. You would be surprised how often the topic of conversation has been my pale skin, and the conversation never has an admiring tone.

Talk to your colleagues that you trust and see if they share your view.

If the consensus is her image isnt right for the role, I would sit her down and have a talk with her about her image and the likely effect it will have on her career. Talk to her about her potential role models and what they look / dress like.

She is young and talented and presumably wants to progress. If she is good at her job it would be a real shame if her image held her back - as it well might. I have in the past coached a woman who dressed like Bet Lynch. All heels, very short skirts and low tops. She was also very capable but I explained that her look was having just the same effect on her career, as the fat scruffy bloke with dinner down his tie. This woman changed her image to one more like the senior female directors in her organisation and it did wonders for her career progression.

You might not like it but in todays employment market, image does matter. Here speaks someone who used to have boring blue suits in the wardrobe specially chosen for dealing with the Japanese.

Doesn't your firm give advice to graduate trainees on appropriate dress? I'd speak to HR and get them to pretend it's a service they offer all graduates.

It is indeed the sort of job where pink hair would not be tolerated.

I don't know why she hasn't cottoned on, to be honest. There are lots of other pretty young things around in our workplace. None of them are orange.

I also work in professional services and someone who looked like that would be asked to tone it down.

IS she an ooompa loompa i guess its her fashion sense as long as she looked smart you cant really say anything , a lot of women go over the top with tan and make up i think it looks awful personally but it should affect how they do a job which shes studied for , was she Very orange ?

Pekka - same here. I just say 'I'm pale and interesting'.

Can you avoid taking her to business meetings? If she is not looking presentable, she should perhaps not represent the company.

Frontpaw I thought the same thing and was thinking surely religious discrimination is illegal (i feel old)

What is your office policy like it may be able to be construed to include not being orange.

"There are lots of other pretty young things around in our workplace. None of them are orange."