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?

Perhaps she hasn't seen what she really looks like in the daytime.
YANBU. I really don't see the appeal of people painting themselves orange. Are all their friends and family painted the same shade...with no one around them to tell the truth?!
Personally I think it could all just be a simple case of bad lighting and then ta!-daa! daylight!

I did wonder that. When I was a fresh-faced graduate, approximately 1000 years and two children ago, I had an unfortunate habit of turning up to work with toothpaste on my chin. People had to tell me. Repeatedly, actually, before I started checking myself in a mirror.

But she must be looking in a mirror before going out to apply all that make-up. She must have exceptionally bad lighting ....

Yes, exceptionally bad lighting and no mirror.
You should say something. You are not her best friend but she needs to hear it from someone, and it might as well be you.

Thanks whackamole but I have met many more badly dressed men in senior positions than I have orange women.

And yes of course first impressions count - to an extent - but if the first impression is 'wow - she's orange or he looks like a tramp' and then they absolutley bowl you over with their business knowledge/acumen and critical understanding of the issue you are there to help them to resolve then it's the second impression that actually counts. Maybe to get away with being badly dressed or orange in a business environment you have to be super brilliant but I just don't like how judgemental it all is. And I'm not orange I hasten to add

Could you perhaps ask personnel to put in a coloured test card for comparison?

"Employees must be less orange than this "

Biscuit for illustration purposes only, MN has no orange smileys - but it should

It's not a gender issue, honest. I'd be just as wary of taking out a male graduate who was orange.

I getcha about not judging by appearances, But people (clients) do and that makes us all a bit more conservative than we would normally be.

For a couple of years, I entertained this fantasy idea of being able to have just one wardrobe. So I would be permanently smart-casual. Clearly this meant I would never be able to wear jeans again, but I would also shed the suited look for work.

Oddly enough, the idea just didn't work. I was overdressed for shopping and underdressed for work. It's kind of like having a school uniform, being at work. There are certain expectations. Everyone looks a bit bland and similar.

I've had to have the Talk on Presenting A Professional Image with several of my young female graduates. One wore v short skirts, one v low cut tops, another way too much mascara. None liked hearing it but each in time realised why it was important.

I had to 'have a talk' with a young colleague about her not wearing a bra in the office.
I dont know who was more embarrassed, me or her!

I was using a moisturiser with a 'subtle' tanning effect. The orange crept up on me - I simply did not realise until my best friend told me how it was. Level with her

i read that as moisturiser with a 'stubble' tanning effect

Snort!

Lol - I once used a gradual tanning moisuriser than smelled bloody awful. I smelt like a stagnant duck pond. Thankfully my colleagues were very understanding as I think - hope - I worked it out before they did. I think they though there was a problem with the drains

Oh no, I hadn't considered that as well as being temporarily tangerine I might also have smelt rank. I wonder if we used the same product Busters?

I can't even remember what it was, I binned it long since and haven't bothered with the stuff since. I remain pale and interesting lol. Although I do stick a bit of Xen Tan on me legs when I'm brave enough to bare them, which isn't often. And that's probably a couple of years out of date now so might send them green or something.... on the positive side it doesn't smell tho!

I have used a moisturiser tan before and it smelled of biscuits. Very weird but they're all the smelly same!

Some people need to join the real world. There are rules about how you should look depending on your job, there are standards and norm and expectations, and wailing about how its unfair and discriminatory just makes you look like a unprofesssional nobber.

Fake tan is nasty stuff at the best of times, when you've dyed yourself to a radioactive colour its tacky and unsuitable to anywhere a workplace.

I'm in the real world thank you, and don't have too much of a problem with dress codes. But I found the OP and her company's attitude to these "pretty young things" and the comments patronising.
I have not mentioned discrimination, and thought the "orange discrimination" comments were tongue in cheek - haven't read all the detail thogh so may be wrong

I am honestly baffled about being patronising. In what way was I patronising? I am an old gimmer, literally old enough to be the girl in question's mum. Why is it patronising to refer to pretty young things? That's what they are, and a delight when they are not orange as well.

OMG I cannot believe this thread!!!!!!!!!!

You know it's 2012 right??

I am totally with stealth and garlic

OP - maybe she sits at home with her mates wondering whether to have a word about the dull skinned plain woman who dresses like she's an OAP and really doesn't make the most of her looks. Maybe she thinks clients judge you as if you don't make an effort with your appearance maybe you won't make an effort with their work as maybe you have no sense of personal pride.....

FWIW I don't like the orange/tons of make up look either but you said yourself she's very good at her job so who cares??

Haven't you seen legally blonde?

You could discretely slip her a pot of blue face paint, and say, "it would really lighten the spirits if you came as smurfelina to the next meeting, blue suits you more than orange" With a straight face.

Well maybe you have a point. If we worked in JL you would definitely have a point.

But as it is, no-one dresses like that in our office or wears so much make-up. It just isn't done. I have never had an Orange client. If/when we ever do have Orange clients, then perhaps that would be the time to embrace Orangeness. Until then though, she'd be better off toning it down.

iloveberries - clearly the clients care. And they presumably pay the piper and call the tune.

That's how business tends to work.

The clients care, the bosses care, the people paying her wages care. Its the way the world works, you look presentable and businesslike. You're naive if you don't get this.

She could be unemployed and bright orange, would you prefer that?

By that reckoning I could go to work in jogging bottoms and a vest top with my hair under a hat as long as I'm good at my job... Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. A dress code is a dress code, and that extends to your hair and make-up as well. If it's an issue the OP would be doing her a favour by letting her know.

I think you should have a word, OP (although I do like the suggestion about getting HR to pretend it's part of their role).

Someone at her work once had a quiet word with step-MIL about deodorant and its many benefits. She was MORTIFIED but glad they'd told her (although her plaintive cries of 'but I've never used deodorant in my life' were a bit coming from a person in her sixties)!

Orange Girl probably won't like the advice but if she's intelligent she will realise that you wouldn't have said anything unless it were necessary (and be grateful in the very long run).