About breasts and thighs

This isn't about chicken.

It's about skin in the workplace.

Call it a rite of spring. As warm weather dictates less clothing, my inbox fills with advice, questions and complaints about cleavage and short skirts.

Anyone who's seen what's being sold in young women's wear knows that low-cut tops are the norm. And the return to '70s fashion has sparked re-emergence of short skirts. It's all great stuff for fun wear, but not advisable in many offices.

It's such a touchy subject. Male managers, especially, tell me they're at their wits' end. They're afraid to say anything to a scantily clad employee for fear of being charged with sexual harassment. They don't know how to tell a woman that her plunging neckline is not appropriate at work.

Standards do change over time. Definitions of modesty vary. And what looks great on some bodies doesn't looking appealing on others.

But no matter what the body type, no matter what the style, there's workplace consensus that bared cleavage and skirts that end way above the knee are simply not appropriate office garb.

It should be noted that some human resource managers, fashion consultants and office managers also object to the fairly recent bare-leg trend. For many young women, pantyhose are a historic relic rather than a must-wear part of professional attire.

There's not a universal hue and cry about that trend, though. What do you think?

Comments

[Quad Kings]

Isn't it "hewn cry", Diane?

I like the skin. But not for MY employees.