Lady employees of the Bank of England: Wear heels and makeup

I can understand them wanting you to look presentable, but this should not include heels and make-up. Heels and makeup are a personal choice. And personally, I do not want to ruin my face with all those chemicals that aren't even tested to be safe on humans.

As an Image Consultant I understand that the suggestion made to match their skirts and shoes would be in the context of advice on how to create a co-ordinated look and how to look taller. Out of context this does sound unimportant and at worst tyrannical. Studies by L'Oreal several years ago showed that women looking for jobs who sent before and after makeover photos to employers were invited for interview more frequently when their After Photo was received - what would you do? A lot of the guidelines given would have been valid advice for women who are serious about being promoted, or maybe simply who want to keep their jobs.

white heels are delicious, especially with faux snakeskin print. i don't understand why they're considered "unprofessional". If your shoes match the outfit, or your handbag, then they'll look good.

I think it is a excellent memo, its asking the ladies to dress in a way that they would be looked at as a professional worker and not a sex object, most people come to work wearing ridiculous things and sometimes overpowering cologne or perfumes, and We as a friend or coworker do not speak up to correct this, and when we rely on the bosses to make this call, to correct this indidivual, its sexist or wrong for them to do it, Start helping people, its funny when someone has something on there cheek or hanging from there noise, or they didnt wear any deodarant, its the bosses fault, not the guy or girl that works closely with that individual.

Ugh! This is just dismaying. As has already been asked: is there a memo going round telling men how they should dress in order to look "professional"? I doubt it. This is transparent sexism.

Plus, that snarky "professional, but not the one you want to be associated with" comment? Yikes!

Hell i just wanna know where she got those shoes...I'm buying a pair for the wife.

Men ARE told what to wear...you think in most white collar jobs, if we truly had choice, we'd wear suits, ties and hard soled shoes everyday?

"Why are women always being told how to dress? Why don't men have to wear heels and makeup?"

What is with "Look at us women! Look how men treat us!"? This is fucken ridiculous. Yes, there are incidents where this does happen to women. But, many of you forget that this happens to men as well. Men are expected to have a certain body physique, certain kind of hair cut, and wear suits and dress shoes. The victim cries are annoying as hell.

Everyday I use the subway, I see women dressed in all kind of ways (I live in Montreal). Its a sure thing that without a dress code, you'll see some bank employees, among the younger ones, in punk/goth black clothes with dozens of piercings and black lipstick, or some with very casual clothes like ripped jeans and t-shirt. Those working in the downtown area could be dressed to go out after work, with high heels and mini-skirt (I would not be against that, but the manager could have a HARD time to judge her work)
I think the Bank of England is reasonable with its suggestions to women employees, but they should also send a memo to their men employees on the same subject, like don't wear running shoes, sandals or construction boots...

PS, why should women step up the sex appeal for success?!?!

oh yeah BTW slivers would be more of a problem for me. I dont have carpet in my house I have hardwood floors...

and what the hell is wrong with a dress code anyways.I have one where i work and you can bet you sweet little bottom that if I owned a business I would have one too....DARLIN.

I think its a great idea. If babes showed up to work looking like that every day i would never take a day off of work again. yeah i know thats sexist bit I dont care. skirts heels and hose......YEAH BABY

Of course an employer can create a somewhat strict dress code for employees, but adding things like heels and makeup are just unnecessary.

Dress codes enforcing certain types of clothing makes sense, but makeup doesn't. Should they also require women to dye their hair on a regular basis? What would be the difference? It's just a very unnecessary extension of what a dress code should be. Both men are women are given rules on clothing, but only women have a requirement for applying a substance to their face.

Also, if women are capable of owning nice shoes that are *not* heels (and they totally can), then heels are unnecessary too. What about women who find heels to be completely uncomfortable and hard to walk in, but they own a perfectly good pair of flats?

i love how there r specific extra guidelines and expectations for women in business (IE make up, a heel) vs expectations for men...suit, tie...

lol Hmm yeah why are women always told how to dress
lol but personally i like wearing hills and make up i look pretty and i feel pretty i look at my face like a white canvas and when i wear makeup its like art i don't think i over do it but i guess it up to the individual now that i think about it men are told how to dress as well slacks clean shave no piercings cuffing ect.

Maybe we're not same as how some women cry out...

You mean that dressing hot has led to the murder of Mexican women in Jaurez?

Where I work there is a dress code but you wouldn't believe it if you saw what was being worn to work. LOL So, I dress like the guys in jeans and a shirt w/long sleeves. Sex/sexist has nothing to do with it, as I work in a predominately male field. I would love to go to work looking like a "girly-girl" because I am one, but the money is pretty good where I'm at now. $$$$

what they are saying is legit, it may sound sexist but doesn't everything. If that letter was sent out to men, for a dress for success day, it would say similar things except that the similar things apply to the opposite sex. They would sound like: not a beard more than half an inch long or wear a three piece suit don't wear to many rings, make sure you belt is not brown unless its a earth tone suit, never ever where a pink tie, blah blah blah. Its always going to sound sexist, but what can you do. I mean a girl who looks good is going to get a job faster than a girl who doesn't, the same goes for men.

Has anyone checked with the upscale store with the initials VM lately? All female employees must wear a dress/skirt with hose to work. Sadly, hardly any of their employees can afford the clothing or shoes they wish to peddle off on the consumer. Begging the question, "Why buy it if their employees cannot." Hmmmmm

men have to wear suits, dress shoes, and other appropriate items, i have to dress 'business casual' for school every day, i should be pissed right?!!?

I'm in Oz, and all the bosses I've had were terrific, except one who asked me to make coffee for him and 10 other guys. As I walked out, I turned around and said, Well, get off your ass and help me, and the room broke out in applause. I married him...

UK sucks.

I want to put my money in that bank.
Yeah baby you sicko britons hahahahahahahaha.

i'm confused

don't some jobs just require women to look a certain way = heels and make up?

seems like a bank job would do this.

maybe that's awfully southern californian of me. but makes sense to me..
usually it just doesn't need to be said.

Why would your shoes and skirt need to be the same color? Dumb. I guess I would be in trouble with my cartilage piercing. =/

I hope the memo also included warnings to male employees to not over-dye their hair, to avoid unsightly hair plugs, and to get some botox to fill their deeper wrinkles. Oh, and no brown socks with black shoes or vice versa. And please crease your pants properly! No elbow patches, either.

See how fast that shit hits the fan.

Oh dear. Did they mix up this memo with one from 1959?

can the men wear ankle bracelets?

There is no way that this would be legal in the United States. Gender politics should not be allowed in the workplace. It is 2009.

There are so many problematic considerations with mandating dress code. Consider the maquilas on the U.S./Mexican border. For the past decade+, they have standardized appearance of female workers; in Ciudad Juarez, this standardization defined a new Americanized femininity that has been connected by scholars and documentarian Lourdes Portillo to the murders of many women...

what a total load of crap - time to call the British equivalent of the ACLU

Um, excuse me? Since when does professional = skirt, makeup and heels for women? I'm sorry, but I can look just as professional wearing pants, flat shoes, and no makeup.

Well, these requirements are quite low!
Bank folks attend people and a nice looking banker is always interesting. :)

Ladies, the feminism is good but remember you can also be ladies...

I agree that it's sexist to send a memo out to women and not a duplicate one to men. But it's not sexist to point out that there are levels of appropriateness of dress. Men have rules of dress in the workplace just like women. Suits that match, ties, button down shirts, dress shoes not sneakers, appropriate-length hair, regular shaving, no piercings, minimal to no jewelry, undershirts, watches. It's naive to just squawk SEXISM like a parrot and move on.

And actually, men not wearing makeup is a recent phenomenon. Also, men's dress shoes are slightly raised just like a half-inch heel is.

It's a sad fact, but women are perceived as being more hygenic if they wear make-up. Not Pam Anderson makeup, but something soft and natural.

This memo should have had two parts: one for men and one for women. If it had, I'd have no problem with it, and nobody else should either.

I agree..this is inappropriate and sexist. As much as I love sexy, dressed up women, this isn't fair to them.

Some men have to wear heels and makeup to work. Most of the time they just hang out on street corners.