Funny article here from BusinessWeek.com titled Office Wear: A Tale of Two Generations. There is a definite clash of generations when it comes to business attire, especially among women. This article provides a discussion from both the Baby Boomer perspective and the Millennial perspective.
Some pull quotes:
It’s no wonder then that she is unnerved by women who drift into work wearing bright tops or fitted dress pants. Or that she is downright shocked when they wear even less, baring bellies, toes, or tattoos. “We banned flip-flops here two years ago,” says Gaines. “I still can’t believe we had to tell people not to wear them.”
Apparently I am dating myself by agreeing here – flip flops in the office? Come on.
Gaines says Mahoney’s generation never has had to worry about sexism in the workplace, so the women think nothing of wearing clothes that highlight their bodies. Mahoney’s response? “I watch old Murphy Brown shows and see the big shoulder pads and the women dressing more masculine, and it is so off-putting. I don’t think that kind of fashion proves anything today. It doesn’t mean you are more serious. People feel more comfortable dressing in tune with their personalities.”
Murphy Brown and big shoulder pads. Excellent reference. I’m no slave to fashion, but I did enjoy the article.