This query came out of this thread. I was thinking there had to be one job in the western industrialized world that required a skirt or dress, but I can’t think of one. Is there a job that requires wearing a skirt?
Various types of women in the entertainment industry, perhaps. Say a dancer in a Vegas show.
Are you talking strictly white-collar work? I would think that skirts are pretty well contraindicated for most blue-collar work.
When Ross Perot ran EDS for a long time he did not allow women to wear pants. I think that rule only changed in the last 10 years, well after he sold EDS. In the 80s men had to wear full suits too.
Uh, maybe I’m missing something, or I’ve been away for too long, but it seems to me there are many professions that require a uniform, and said uniform features a skirt. Flight attendants, and others in the service industry come to mind.
Many, if not most, flight attendants wear pants suits these days, at least they did on my flights. I defy you to name one non-theatrical service job where skirts are a must.
Nun?
What is the status of female officer uniforms in the US military these days? Skirt required?
I think it depends on the nun and the order. When I was in Catholic school (for 12 years, total), some nuns, usually the older ones, always wore a habit which included a skirt/blouse and veil of some kind. Others wore conservative clothes, no veil. Some of these wore pants as often as skirts. I think it was their choice whether to wear a habit. These were Sisters of St. Francis and Sisters of Providence, btw.
I suspect there are some business offices that do not consider suits with pants to be acceptable attire for women.
Not a whole profession, but individual employers may still have that as a dress code requirement. Positions where that has been a common requirement are receptionist and restaurant hostess. A quick Google indicates some military branches still require women to wear skirts on some occasions: (warning, sound) http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/94607/us_navy_makes_skirts_optional_for_women/
In professional positions, it’s not likely to be a requirement, but there will be a lot of pressure to dress for the occasion, and sometimes the choice of pants will be criticized. For example, Hillary Clinton was routinely criticized for wearing pantsuits. Now, some of that was just Hilary-hate, I’m sure, but somehow that criticism wasn’t dismissed as ridiculous on its face. It wasn’t seen as being as ridiculous as criticizing a male public figure for wearing suits with pants.
Check out Wikipedia’s “Women in the US Senate” page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_United_States_Senate
In the photo of the 17 female Senators, all of the ones whose legs are visible are wearing skirts. These are women who hire consultants to help them dress for power and influence. I believe they are wearing skirts because that gets them better results in those areas, not for fashion or comfort–heels and hose being supremely impractical.
So as a formal requirement, it’s fading away, but as an informal norm, I don’t think it’s dead.
“Sure you can wear pants for the picture, honey, but you’ll have to stand behind the couch.”
Skirt model.
In most office environments, females in the U.S. Navy can choose whether to wear pants or skirts on a given day. At sea, females are generally required to wear pants or coveralls.
However, in some situations (such as ceremonial occasions), the option may be prescribed in the guidelines for the Uniform of the Day. Females may well be required to wear skirts at such times.
I have attended various ceremonies (e.g. Change of Command ceremonies and graduations) where all of the females in uniform wore skirts.
In other cases, such as group formations, for a uniform appearance, it may be dictated that all females wear pants or all females wear skirts.
You’re not sexing a cat, you can call them “women.”
Also, wasn’t there some brouhaha over what the Solicitor General will wear to SCOTUS. All previous SGs have been men and have worn morning dress. The version of this attire for women is distinctly inappropriate for oral argument (I think it would be some kind of Edwardian gown).
French Maid?
Heck, in some military units even the men are required to wear skirts as part of the dress uniform.
Yup.
Better yet, upskirt model.
I spent over ten years in the Navy–we had male sailors and officers and female sailors and officers, and they were universally referred to as such.
Check out the Navy uniform regulations–I challenge you to find the words “men” and “women” anywhere in there:
http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/upd_cd/bupers/unireg/chapter3/chapter3.pdf