# I am about to become the most unpopular man in the office **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077 "2011-04-12T12:49:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/61 "2011-04-13T04:02:06Z")
I remember in the nineties how one co-worker of mine got all in a snit because the bosses wouldn’t let her wear leg warmers in the office. Leg warmers! Remember those? Yeah, so unappealing in so many ways. So the dress code was good for something. By the way, I also am known to show up in black jeans to get around the blue jeans rule. The bosses never notice. The secret? Don’t wear them too tight. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/62 "2011-04-13T10:35:13Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I, for one, am disappointed that **Skald** did not handle the manner in the form of a poll. > > -D/a I confess it: I too had been tempted to make a joke about a poll of some kind - but restrained myself at the last minute. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/63 "2011-04-13T11:56:00Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I confess it: I too had been tempted to make a joke about a poll of some kind - but restrained myself at the last minute. Your restraint is noted. Would have liked to hear the joke, though ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/64 "2011-04-13T12:53:55Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > (While irrelevant to the topic, she also continued to dress like a hawt 20ish woman when she had morphed into a 30 something who hadn’t matured the way she presented herself) Sometimes, that is part of the problem. There are jobs where being able to pull of a short skirt, 2+ inch heels, and a little cleavage - all professionally done - are an asset (IT and pharmaceutical sales come to mind) - but you have to have the body (and age) to go with it. And dress codes really can’t be written in the "the hot young thing can wear a mini skirt, but all you 40 year old women who have had three kids - you need to have your skirts hit your knees. I have a girlfriend who was never (I met her when she was 17) a hot young thing. And she is now 45 and hasn’t managed to mature her look from the time she was 17. Its a shame - she has that unusual arty face that can go to that eccentric arty flowy jackets, tunics and big jewelry. Instead, she is wearing fingertip length skirts, leggings, and tank tops. She’s a teacher. At 22 with a killer bod, it would have been inappropriate. At 45, its sad. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/65 "2011-04-13T13:48:20Z")
And she’s your girlfriend now, you say? Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyTVS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BunnyTVS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyTVS)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/66 "2011-04-13T13:53:41Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > So you want me to call a young hot female employee into my office, with the HR representative there, tell her she is dressed inappropriately and must either go home and change or be written up, and then ask the employee to pose for a picture and post it on the internet? > > Yeah, there’s no possible way that could backfire. :rolleyes: CCTV. Just sayin… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/67 "2011-04-13T13:54:38Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And she’s your girlfriend now, you say? Hmmm. I’m frequently wrong about these things, but I think **Dangerosa** is female and is using _girlfriend_ in the non-black&Southern-American meaning of “a woman’s platonic female friend.” In my neck of the woods, she’d have said _friendgirl_ to remove ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/68 "2011-04-13T14:19:02Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > First **Skald** has to reset his Tolkein ring network. Just so you know, someone appreciated it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/69 "2011-04-13T14:24:57Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Sometimes, that is part of the problem. There are jobs where being able to pull of a short skirt, 2+ inch heels, and a little cleavage - all professionally done - are an asset (IT and pharmaceutical sales come to mind) - but you have to have the body (and age) to go with it. And dress codes really can’t be written in the "the hot young thing can wear a mini skirt, but all you 40 year old women who have had three kids - you need to have your skirts hit your knees. Pull off a short skirt, you say? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/70 "2011-04-13T16:53:04Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Just so you know, someone appreciated it. 🙂 I appreciated it. I just didn’t want to date myself. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/71 "2011-04-13T17:26:55Z")
Don’t worry about that. We Dopers are a motley bunch, and not especially inclined to pass judgment on the way our compatriots arrange their social lives. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/72 "2011-04-13T17:49:55Z")
The dress code in our office (an ad agency) is pretty loose. Even so, we had one young woman, who briefly worked her as a secretary, who managed to dress inappropriately pretty much every day. The frequency with which she wore one particular top, which was far more appropriate for a biker bar than an ad agency, led us to dub the days on which she wore it “Tube-Top Tuesdays”. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/73 "2011-04-13T18:00:13Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > \ > > (While irrelevant to the topic, she also continued to dress like a hawt 20ish woman when she had morphed into a 30 something who hadn’t matured the way she presented herself) So, we’ll be seeing her on “What Not To Wear” someday? > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The dress code in our office (an ad agency) is pretty loose. Even so, we had one young woman, who briefly worked her as a secretary, who managed to dress inappropriately pretty much every day. > > The frequency with which she wore one particular top, which was far more appropriate for a biker bar than an ad agency, led us to dub the days on which she wore it “Tube-Top Tuesdays”. Her, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/74 "2011-04-13T19:41:53Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > At 22 with a killer bod, it would have been inappropriate. At 45, its sad. What if you’re almost 42, have the killer bod, and maybe even the face to go with it? I’m often told I don’t look a day over 30. Can I still wear short skirts to the office? I usually wear tights if the skirt is more than 3-4 inches above my knees. I’m an A-cup, so no cleavage to reveal and I don’t wear a lot of tight stuff. Just your basic professional A-line or pencil skirt with a buttoned-up blouse. Can I? Purty please? P.S. I sit in my office all day long and rarely interact with any other humans. There are about 25 people in this office. Four of them are men and two of those are gay. Can I wear a short skirt to work? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/75 "2011-04-13T19:46:43Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > What if you’re almost 42, have the killer bod, and maybe even the face to go with it? I’m often told I don’t look a day over 30. Can I still wear short skirts to the office? I usually wear tights if the skirt is more than 3-4 inches above my knees. I’m an A-cup, so no cleavage to reveal and I don’t wear a lot of tight stuff. Just your basic professional A-line or pencil skirt with a buttoned-up blouse. > > Can I? Purty please? :: teleports two-by-four with nails stuck in it to Dogzilla :: Someone is about to demand pictures, so I figured you’d want that at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/76 "2011-04-13T19:50:58Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > P.S. I sit in my office all day long and rarely interact with any other humans. There are about 25 people in this office. Four of them are men and two of those are gay. Can I wear a short skirt to work? Your not being a teacher, unlike the woman in that example, is a point in your favor. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/77 "2011-04-13T19:53:33Z")
Are some of us implying that a dress code should be based on what a person looks like? That seems a bit discriminatory to me. Actually, it seems very, very discriminatory. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/78 "2011-04-13T20:02:15Z")
I remember years ago we had one of these: Leanne. Leanne was about 22 and very cute and knew it. She’d wear short shorts in the summer. Not anything actually inappropriate for the summer months, but attention-getting nonetheless. After a while our old-school, ex-military department director handed down the first-ever dress code barring short shorts and I’m not sure what else. We are definitely office casual around here; we just never had to spell out any kind of “please keep covered up” rule before. We called it the Leanne Rule, because she was the only reason we had such a rule. We’re a bunch of frumpy old Midwestern middle-aged and older ladies here! I am curious about the young lady in the OP, though: if she quits instead of being fired, would she not have to explain to future job interviewers why she left? Meaning she doesn’t have to tell anybody, “They fired me because I wouldn’t stop dressing inappropriately for work”? Does it affect her ability to claim unemployment? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/79 "2011-04-13T20:04:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > :: teleports two-by-four with nails stuck in it to Dogzilla :: > > Someone is about to demand pictures, so I figured you’d want that at hand. If pole dancing pix are demanded, I most certainly will need that. :: slaps 2 x 4 on palm of hand :: Yep. That oughta do it. Thanks! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077/80 "2011-04-13T20:05:15Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Are some of us implying that a dress code should be based on what a person looks like? > That seems a bit discriminatory to me. > Actually, it seems very, very discriminatory. > 🙂 No, I think some of us are implying that the dress code should be based on how _old_ you are. Which also seems very, very discriminatory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-about-to-become-the-most-unpopular-man-in-the-office/578077.md?page=5)