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Hey - the thread is called 'I hate', not 'I hate: now make a case for it to convince others.'
I said I hated high heels, next referred people to the outrageous incident whereupon a worker was sent home for refusing to wear them, and finally made an off-hand comment about how we'll one day look back and wonder what the attraction was. I fully understand "what's going on", agree that there are plenty of other daft things that some people feel obliged - or are obligated - to wear, but my personal gripe is with high-heels (along with men in smart shoes and trousers but no socks, and men who leave the top three buttons of their shirt undone, especially if they're over 30).
In any case, I think that the "expectation that women look feminine and basically sexy as part of a work/professional image" is EXACTLY the sort of argument that will effect change, if only because it highlights that such dress-codes breach existing (European?) legislation regarding equality in the workplace.
The_Kindness_of_Trees-
About the shirt button thing, does it matter if it's a work shirt or casual shirt? Would it be allowed with short sleeves? What if there was a t-shirt underneath? Does the colour of the shirt make any difference?
I just feel you're being a bit generalistic with your hate when a modicum of specificity would improve the situation.
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I have no issue with you hating high heels, men in smart shoes but no socks etc.
I was responding to this - "One day they'll be looked back upon quizzically the way we now view corsets". If you'd said "the way I view corsets" or "the way we now view those rib-wrecking 17th century corsets" I wouldn't have made a squeak.
Call it a personal pet hate, if you like.
Wanna fight?
Ramsaye
hoefla
Hmm. You didn't specify "the health-damaging type of corsets worn 300 years ago" though. I'm not being deliberately antagonistic, it was a genuine response to your statement - people wear both corsets and high heels by choice, today, it isn't some outdated thing. It's the expectation that women wear corsets that has gone.
I think the health thing is what will get heels banned from dress codes, but I also think it's a distraction. Clothing is a complex nuanced cultural thing, it isn't really about comfort. It is on some level absurd that we don't choose clothing based only on comfort and practicality, but we don't. No cultures ever have. We also wear make-up, that's kind of absurd, but thankfully, a bit like corsets no longer breaking your ribs when you get laced in, make-up no longer gives you lead poisoning. We can make things 'safer' - but there's so much more going on.
Requiring women to wear heels to work obviously isn't to do with 'smartness' - they could just wear exactly the same sort of Proper Leather Shoes as men (at the same place of work), in that case. It's an expectation that women look feminine and basically sexy as part of a work/professional image. But that kind of argument isn't going to get heels banned. What I hate about "heels as work dress code" isn't the discomfort but the gender expectation. Having said that, with size 9 wide flat feet, it's the physical pain that would prevent me doing/taking the job. I don't know if that makes sense. But also, I find most dress codes indefensible, I don't see why wearing a tie at the office is still a thing. Luckily I've only ever worked at casual places that don't mind if you show an ounce of 'personality' (it's not really personality, obvs, but that's what the usual dress codes seem to be afraid of?).
(tl:dr etc)