re 'creative' colleague

[Lydiaatthebarre]

Someone I work with has just had a telling off from her manager about the kind of clothes she wears to work - long hippy type skirts, flip flops, tie dyed t-shirts, huge jumpers with patterns and slogans.

She is now complaining that she is a creative person and her clothes reflect her personality and creativity and she doesn't feel comfortable in the 'type of clothes the rest of you wear' because she's artistic and needs to express this.

AIBU to think she's talking a load of rubbish. There are actually a few genuinely creative people in here who write, act or sell craftwork in their free time. They wear perfectly normal clothes to work, to reflect the job they do.

I don't even understand why you are even giving it headspace.

Presumably this has been a recent development and the colleague hasn't spent the last 12 months flouncing around declaring how creative she is.

Why can't you just cut her a bit of slack and let her vent for a bit. You have a job that allows you to express your creativity, she doesn't so she does it through her clothing. That outlet has just been taken away from her.

I'm sorry but there is a bit of a mean girl vibe emanating from your direction.

What were her actual words when declaring that she can't be expected to dress like everyone else because she's so creative? Is that actually explicitly what she said? Or did she just say that she was a creative person and people are inferring from that that it's a dig at everyone else?

No she said that she used her clothes to express her creative personality and she didn't feel comfortable in the clothes "the rest of you wear" because she's not really a bureaucrat, she's artistic. I found it both daft and a bit insulting.

My imaginarycathasfleas

No worries and thanks for clarifying

Eggstoast

You seem to have a massive chip in your shoulder about this.

I have no problem with someone telling me IABU re the content of my OP. But I do have a problem with someone not bothering to read it properly and inventing a scenario that doesn't exist.

The way she defended what she wore by insulting her colleagues was pretty unreasonable, lacked logic and displayed a distinct lack of empathy or experience of the world.

I'm all for people being able to wear different styles of clothing to work though unless it's actually likely to impact job performance.

I have a colleague who dresses like Grayson Perry dressed as Claire.

No one ever says anything about it. I really, really want to, but I know it's none of my damn business.

Reading your update I’m guessing she felt embarrassed and/or affronted about being pulled up on her style and didn’t really think about what she was saying when she told you all.

I’m a reasonably conventional dresser myself but I love to see people expressing themselves creatively in their clothing. I don’t see the harm.

Yes she will have felt hurt and defensive.

I have a colleague who dresses like Grayson Perry dressed as Claire.

With appliquéd phalluses and all?

I am a techy, and we're pretty casual - that usually means jeans & plain t-shirts rather than business suits or anything too "arty". I tend to wear some brighter colours, because I do find the endless sea of navy, grey and black a bit dull.

Kate Middleton?

Lazy management, isn't it. If "professional" isn't explained, it's subjective. They need to say, smart trousers and shirt or smart skirts etc.