the dress code revisited

I know I have written about this before but I am going to write about the office dress code one more time. People who complain about them should stop, and I'll tell you why.

Yesterday morning I was in the cafeteria on the main floor of my building getting my tea and bagel. There was a woman in front of me in line wearing black leather pants ... sorry let me rephrase that ... tight, tapered black leather pants with little high heeled booties and a shirt .... how shall I describe the shirt well it was more like a short sleeve sweater. It was crocheted along the neck line for a thick crocheted band across her upper chest but then she turned around I could see it was a lovely plunging crocheted V in the back. The sweater was not long, came right to her waist and it was this COLOUR not only that you could see her black bra through the lovely crocheting in the back. It was horrible, HORRIBLE. She was not young and trying to do that hip 80's throw back look either, she was probably in her mid forties and this outfit looked like it was her favourite "Ma, I am going to the Misty Moon* so don't wait up" outfit from 1986 ok maybe 87.

So here's my point, this outfit was in no way violating the dress code ... yes it violates fashion sense, yes it violates common sense, yes it violates the senses in general, but the dress code it does not. So imagine what this woman would wear if there were no dress code ... think about that for a minute, because I am pretty sure she knows exactly what the dress code states as she is walking its fine line. And yes, if you have read this blog before I am pretty damn sure it is the same woman who wore the head to toe zebra striped denim atrocity on casual Friday a few months back.


*The Misty Moon was this club back in Halifax in the 80's, the kind of club that played 80's rock like Heart and was full of mullets and mustaches. I went there once, it was 1992 shortly before it closed, I was 17 or 18. There was a Kiss cover band playing ... I mean a full make-up Kiss cover band. I may have had a little to much to drink, I may have told a hooker to go do something nasty to herself outside on the corner, I may have sung along to the Kiss songs, I may have left and missed the stairs outside and fell completely on my face ... that's the kind of club it was ... but it as so long ago, I can't really remember.

Disclaimer: I am by no means put off by women in their 40's wearing leather pants and thinking they look hot. I found it equally stupid on the 20 something girl down the hall who actually looked hip ... it's an office, not a club.