To think bare legs at work isn’t unprofessional

[Basketofkittens]

I work in a non customer / public facing role in an office. Today as it was hot I wore an nice knee length A-line skirt and a T-shirt. All very respectable. Think White Stuff style. With ballet flats.

One of the more senior managers pulled me up and said that bare legs and a casual skirt weren’t appropriate. She was wearing linen culottes and flip flops.

In my last job I would wear a maxi dress and sandals in the heat but there was no formal dress code. I looked at the dress code for this workplace and it’s smart-casual. Knee length skirts and smart tops are in the acceptable column. Flip flops are not.

Normally I would wear a smartish work dress with tights but it’s just too sticky and the office has poor ventilation.

ElloBrian - why should I have to wear trousers?

Fatasfoook - it’s not a see through skirt and the skirt falls to the knee so no.

Just saying because once I wore a knee length skirt without tights and thought it was very respectable. Someone took a photo while we were all sitting and only then did I realise that in a sitting position my skirt was not that modest. Can happen. Just saying.

I haven't owned a pair of tights since the RN made trousers standard for women. I'm now in a professional job. I wear long skirts with bare legs and slide sandals in the summer, and skirts with leggings, socks and Docs in the winter. Many senior women in my organisation wear nail varnish of all different colours and bare legs are standard in the summer. I haven't heard of people wearing tights in the summer since towards the end of the last century, or even nude ones in the winter.

Oh, re chub rub, I've just ordered two pairs of Snag Tights' long shorts which apparently are made of a special cooling fabric... 😀

Sorry, but where is this heat? I don’t get it. Everyone’s talking about it but it is not hot here in the UK. Not been hot for weeks.

I think this business about flip flops being unprofessional is largely nonsense but it depends on how old fashioned your firm is.

I don't think you could claim that consultants providing services to blue chip companies are unprofessional (more the example of professional) but last year I was contracting and they spent three months wearing shorts, sandals and t-shirts.

Yanbu op. Maybe if it was a short skirt but knee length sounds fine.
She had a cheek if she was bloody wearing flip flops herself!
When it's hot it's impossible to wear tights. Ugh.

Infection control more than likely, your not allowed bare legs in hospital, tights or socks to be worn.

I'm a nurse and health visitor. When I was in the hospital wearing my own clothes I never wore tights, also when I wore my bloody awful thick navy dress in the summer I was tight-less. It was never mentioned to wear tights, a lot of my colleagues did the same.

Now in the community and don't wear tights unless it's the winter!

I saw various women in ‘skin’ toned tights this morning on the way to work. My overriding thought was ‘poor you, having to wear tights in this heat’. My follow on thought was ‘I fucking love my industry’.

I’ve seen men in frilled, slashed to the navel, shirts and also (man again) in a Fair Isle Onsie (that’s one did make us snigger tbf).

I manage budgets of over 15 million in bare legs

If only I were more professional!

I don’t feel comfortable with bare legs and skirts at work even though we have a casual offer wear code and jeans are fine. When it’s hot I wear 3/4 length light weight trousers and a t shirt or s/ sleeve blouse and flats

I wore shorts to work today. Normal denim shorts. I have an active role but office works wear similar length skirts. I’d just rather something a bit more secure. If I could I’d wear a skirt. So long as I’m wearing shoes that cover my toes that’s more important in my job

www.marksandspencer.com/light-control-mid-length-short/p/p60165135 these are soooo handy with bear legs in summer.

It’s been 25c here today. By the time I do my make up it’s sweating off. By the time I get into work my top is damp. I cannot put tights on and don’t own any trousers! I don’t suit them.

Tights and leggings or bare legged when it’s hot.

Im in a professional work environment and wear bare legs to work - below knee skirts, dresses, and leather block heeled sandals, LK Bennett type items. Smart and totally professional. Everything navy, brown, cream tones. Boring but nice if that maked sense.

WomanLikeMeLM - I don’t work in a clinical role, I’m not in a hospital and don’t deal with patients. According the uniform regs, HCP can forgo tights in “unusually hot weather.” So not sure it’s infection control rules.

I wore a skirt with bare legs to work once. I caught ringworm. Never again!!

I do think it's a bit unprofessional, tbh. My first job, 1000 years ago was very formal and strict and I think I carry some of the attitudes with me now. The chairmans PA use to send handwritten notes about dress code if standards slipped. I know smart dress is bit old fashioned now but I do still bristle at people attending meetings in jeans

In any case, your manager Has no room to talk as bAre legs are far more acceptable than flip flops. Open toed shoes, the shame!

I have bare legs in the office, I only own one pair of jeans as I live in dresses and skirts. Everyone wearing skirts on the train in the morning commute seems to be bare legged too. I think a lot of offices are becoming more casual in general as the last few places in work don't expect ties or tights etc

Jesus Christ seem to have hit a time slip back to 1994. Work for big four accountancy firm we do dress for your day which largely means jeans and t shirts, although seen walking trousers, skirts, maxi dresses usually trainers as footwear. We still produce high quality work, we are just more comfortable all day.

I'm a locum and I wore the same as you today.

I'm a senior manager in the CS and work closely with a number of NHS organisations. This is just utterly bonkers. I regularly go to work bare legged or wear leggings, open toed shoes, trainers or whatever.

I'm a 51 year old professionally qualified woman and I will not accept anyone telling me what to wear to do my job. I know how to dress appropriately in the office and when I meet clients. Thankfully my organisation doesn't do this shit.

I appreciate that not everyone can but this utter bullshit really pisses me off. Who got offended by bare legs, an above knee length skirt or opened toed shoes?

I work for the NHS. In my trust we are not allowed trainers or flip flops. There is nothing in the policy about bare legs. Ask your manager for a copy of the dress code. She is probably in the wrong.

Sorry GP. But I've never had an issue anywhere I've worked with dressing similarly.

I think bare legs are fine in the summer so long as the skirt isn’t shorter than just above the knee.
Flip flops are definitely not.

I work in the City - most women have bare legs especially in this weather.

I don't know anyone my age that wears skin coloured tights (and I'm 36 so not that young).

I wore bare legs today to a client meeting with senior management at one of the world's biggest banks - your boss is weird.

I've just realised I said I 'wore' bare legs