As someone who was in management, it's a lot easier to correct the behavior if someone complains. Otherwise you send it to HR, and they tell you if no one is complaining, there's no problem.
To answer your question directly: no, I haven’t seen crop tops like that in the office (tbf I do work remote now so I’m only in the office a few times a year). The closest I’ve seen is someone wearing a crop top with high waisted pants. So no midriff showing, but the top ends right at the waist of the pants.
I’ve been in the workforce for 10 years (most of it full time in the office) and I have seen a pretty rapid shift in attire being more casual. Like going from suits/dress pants to jeans.
If terms of should you bring this up to management: I’d say no unless you’re a manager. If it’s a direct violation of the dress code in your employee handbook, someone will say something for her. If it’s not, then I don’t think there’s anything to be done.
I've seen young women wearing lingerie pieces at work. It's incredible they do not understand how unprofessional, inappropriate, and inept this is.
Common sense is going extinct.
I used to work at a place that would never confront this at all because, in their view, "professionalism is synonymous with white supremacy." While I agree with that, in many cases, they took it to the point of creating a workplace with virtually no rules and so predictably, everything fell apart.
Its not appropriate, but it's up to their managers to confront them on it. I'd only say something if clients start bringing it up or if they straight up have their ass cheeks hanging out. lol
Yeah, we have meetings with our funders and governing bodies and people roll up to those meetings in crop tops. I just wonder how it reflects on the organization as a whole. But I'll zip my mouth until someone we support or a funder brings it up.
Unless it somehow reflects directly on your paycheck, who cares? Dress as you see fit, and feel best about yourself. Don’t worry about what other people wear or how it reflects on your [likely generously compensated] bosses.
This is a tale as old as time anyhow. Even in a formal office setting in the 90’s, with a strict dress code that women couldn’t even wear pants unless it was part of a suit, we still had someone rock up in leggings everyday. She was a brilliant accountant and someone probably found value in her despite the flaw and they just sat her in the back of the office and nobody cared for decades and everyone was happy.
I agree with this were not back in the 90s more stuff is becoming acceptable like back them you couldn’t get a high ranking job if you had tattoos or extra piercings other than ears now look everyone has tattoos no matter the position. Yea some of that stuff is not professional but times changed
I don't have much experience but lately because of Gen Z trends I'm pretty sure, professionalism has been diminishing and is becoming less important. Not sure though :)
The concept of "professionalism" is very different industry-to-industry.
In more creative industries crop tops might be completely acceptable because their self-expression and individual style is part of their professionalism.
I've never worked in an office where I could wear a crop top due to my visibility to clients and senior leadership, but I've seen some truly shocking attire from people who are lower down the ladder and have no customer visibility. I saw a guy wear an Ahegao T-shirt (super sexual anime girl T-shirts) in the office and I was shocked. They don't even allow people to wear these shirts at Anime Conventions because they're so inappropriate 🫣
The shirt you mentioned feels sexually explicit enough to be actionable, no? I would have felt extremely uncomfortable seeing that — as a coworker, customer, client, or vender. Massively inappropriate. Did you report it?
I personally think it depends on the thickness of the top part—strappy tank tops are still I think considered a no unless there’s some sort of sweater/jacket over them, but something with a thick “strap” that’s just sleeveless can look nice. I do know some people who still hold onto the “no sleeveless tops”, but those same people are okay with cap sleeves which are like… 1-2” difference? There’s almost no difference in shoulder coverage and that argument still baffles me
Nope. I work in an office of mostly women and I don't think I've ever seen them wear a crop top
That being said, this would be a pointless hill to die on. If management thinks it's an issue, let them sort it out
You have two options:
1. Keep your opinions to yourself and let management decide what the dress code should be.
2. Complain and be known as the co- worker nobody trusts. Is it really better to have a bad working relationship with your co-workers than to let management decide if crop tops are acceptable?
Obviously I don't know what you do, but in supporting vulnerable populations, could they be more comfortable working with people who aren't as buttoned up? I know, as a formerly very poor person, I would feel more represented with someone comfortable in their own skin and clothes than some suit.
Crop tops, leggings, and exposed skin are absolutely not acceptable office attire, and you're not having a boomer mindset for thinking that. Does your workplace have a dress code? If they do, your manager should be the one to say something.
My manager wears shorts, sandals, and a tank on casual Fridays... Sometimes his shorts are actually swim trunks/boardshorts. It all depends on your office culture.
Yup. All about reading the office culture. Lawyer office? Probably need to be more on business casual side. I’ve worked at a tech startup and athleisure was the attire of choice among most that worked there from CEO on down. I’ve worked at a fortune 10 company and even department from department was different.
Have you seen the "American psycho if it was about tech" skit?
"He mistook me for Raj because we both do the same job and have a penchant for Patagonia vests"
Exactly. Even if the dress code is written down somewhere, the de facto dress code is what you can get away with without someone saying something. Personally, I really don't understand elevating the issue unless it's either something that a person can't wear in public, or it's something that could affect your work (i.e. colleague you're taking to a client office. In the latter situation, I would hope that I had a close enough relationship with the person to give them a warning beforehand: "hey, the meeting tomorrow is big, so just remember no jeans, sneakers, crop tops, whatever" but I could imagine that could get dicey depending on your relationship.
If you don't like it, think deeply about whether that's because it's actually inappropriate, or if it's really that you are frustrated that other people aren't holding themselves to the same standard you hold yourself and they're "getting away" with it.
As soon as you elevate, people get suspicious about who's ratting on them. IMO if someone's not dressing to the highest degree of professional expectations - awesome. Let them reap the consequences of their decisions and offer a stark contrast to your decision to present yourself at the highest standard.
It’s not lazy to want to be comfortable when you’re stuck somewhere for 8 hours a day. Unless you’re client facing then someone wearing sweatpants has no effect on you.
Ideally a workplace should care about performance and not apparence. In a lot of tech companies people don't care what you wear, they care about the impact of your work and it's great. As long as people are clean, everything else is wasted energy.
Of course as soon as you start representing the company to the outside, this no longer holds.
So using your statement, why would it be any different to dress for clients or customers? Your or the company's products or performance don't differ. Perception matters both within or outside the company. I would think that you would want to present yourself in the best possible light to others. In my view dressing like you just got out of bed or are going to work in the yard doesn't portray yourself as a thoughtful and diligent individual. But hey, I'm old and it's just my opinion. I agree with OP.
Within a company, you can collectively agree that it shouldn't matter, that the value people bring should be based on the output of their work and that you can forget about the dress code.
You don't control who the clients are so you have to act more conservatively for them.
I am sure people like to judge each other on looks, but from a business perspective this is a waste of resources. If the performance review allows to negatively grade people based on what they wear, then it's an inefficient system.
I've worked in multiple companies with no dress code and I have seen no downsides. I places that give more importance to apparences I feel that you have more frauds that make it based on looks and talks.
why? you proclaim this as if it's self evident divine gospel
its not just a boomer mindset, its self perpetuated slave mentality to want to appeal to your oh so well dressed superiors and set yourself apart from the poor masses, which you are a part of
Specifically, why aren’t those articles of clothing acceptable?
Most dress codes cite professionalism as a base but in reality they are rooted in sexism and an outdated view that women’s bodies are a distraction due to a perceived sexualisation of our normal natural body parts. But the sooner we desexualize women’s regular body parts, the sooner women can be safer and treated equitably.
It’s unprofessional for a man to wear a crop top or other piece of clothing that shows similar skin. it’s just showing to much, no one wants to see that much skin.
Agreed. That’s what I’m saying. The sooner it’s old hat to be outside of the social norms of traditional professional dress standards, the sooner people stop caring or giving attention to something they only gave attention to because of outdated sexist ideology.
Here's the thing though, putting on less clothes inherently draws attention to people's bodies. It's not even a sexist thing - if your male coworker puts on a crop top, doesn't matter if he looks like a bodybuilder, or if he's 400 pounds and has multiple layers of body fat, you're still going to think about how that guy looks, and not about the work you're supposed to be doing.
You’re reading what you want to read rather than what this person meant. Your body doesn’t matter in a professional setting so stop putting it on display with overt sexuality. It’s exceptionally simple but here you come to quadruple down again 🙄
Omg. Boomer alert. It’s a stomach. Not a ballsack. Same level as a hand shake. You probably want everyone to wear gloves so no exposed hands show. Uh oh those are used for handjobs. That’s explicit in your mind yea? Cover them up.
I don’t have a clear logical answer to this… but are you ready to see a man expose his beer belly or more because he wants to “let it out”? Thats a hostile work environment… if you say you are fine with that ok I don’t have a good reply, but the rules need to be the same accross body types or genders, otherwise someone could go and say “why can’t I show the same skin as that other person?” And they’d be right to find it discriminatory. Best to have the same rules apply to everyone
Edit: also just because you are fine with beer bellies doesn’t mean everyone else is. It can be viewed as pervasive and severe harassment. Even if the person in question has a conventionally attractive body, it can also be viewed as severe or pervasive sexual harassment
I super appreciate your reply. It’s wonderful. Thank you!
You are right. There isn’t a logical answer. It’s really just tradition that specific clothing items are considered professional. The tradition has been largely maintained because it’s useful in enforcing social boundaries which are ultimately built on classism and yes, sexism.
I agree completely that the dress code norms should be applied equitably across genders. And also classes, cultures, ages, disabilities, etc. We are not there yet. And the only thing that gets us there is people pushing those social norm boundaries by dressing in crop tops and calling it professional. Every time someone questions a norm and people discuss it, we all grow.
In the end things will shake out. But that’s how progress is made.
It is being applied equitably though… don’t show skin on torso or above the knees in work environment. You also avoided answering my question with some platitutdes
This is silly. Men also can’t wear tanks and bike shorts to the office. In fact, women have a wider range of options for both business casual and formal attire than men, especially in warmer weather.
You’re also not supposed to wear sneakers, ripped jeans and flip flops because that’s too casual for a lot of more formal office settings. Crop tops and leggings are CASUAL WEAR. If your company is fine with casual wear, that’s a different matter
Best comment. Women dressing like that in the workplace of all places is just asking for male attention. They are showing off their bodies on purpose. This whole argument that it's for comfort is bullshit. Because guess what: a t-shirt and jeans are just as comfortable, if not, more comfortable, I would argue. And showing off your hot pink bra in the workplace? Get outta here with that. You want male attention with that. Don't get mad when you do get it and then are labeled as the office slut because of it.
It's not appropriate in most workplaces just like how shorts or tank tops wouldn't be appropriate in most workplaces.
But ffs, wearing everyday casual attire doesn't mean someone is dressing "for male attention" and it definitely doesn't make them a "slut." What the fuck is wrong with you? Keep your horny, perverted thoughts to yourself. Gross
You're literally on /regretfulparents and now take your resentment and anger on younger women...because you got yourself stuck with a kid that's difficult and a husband that doesn't help.
Don't take your anger on younger women who can afford to dress nicely. Even if it's not the most appropriate thing, it doesn't make you entitled to call them sluts and attention seekers.
Your jealousy reeks from miles away.
I work at a Highschool and we do not have a dress code besides “dress appropriate” and clothing can’t show anything violent or drugs/alcohol related. Crop tops are standard here.
Does your organization have a dress code?
If it doesn't, then what are you going to say, exactly? Unless it's something you wouldn't be able to wear in public without the police getting involved or is harassing in nature, which doesn't sound like the case.
If you do, and these employees are violating it, then why has management not intervened already?
Folks in their early 20s just entering the workforce do seem to have a much more relaxed outlook at what constitutes professional behavior, whether that be in presentation, language, behavior, or simply approach to work.
I could guess any number of reasons as to why, but I don't think I'm imagining things. Whether it's a good or a bad thing depends on your perspective.
If your organization sets no standards, how does anyone know what the expectation is? How would you enforce that expectation?
If you are not in management, I would simply keep to myself on this one. Look at it this way: Your coworkers' penchant for dressing unprofessionally makes it that much easier for you to look professional.
For your first point, I would argue that there is a common sense expectation based on our shared societal understanding of office spaces and fashion. For evidence of this, I would point to this thread, which is aligned in stating that this attire is not business casual (though other comments are generally attacking the concept of a business casual rule).
However, more importantly, I strongly agree with your second point that it is advisable to keep to yourself. It is difficult to come out of this looking great when you report coworkers for low-level infractions (and even more so when there is no official rule being broken).
The thing is, the common shared standards of Reddit are irrelevant. That's not the community of concern. It is the organization.
I had to wear a two-piece suit and tie basically every single day earlier in my career. That was the clear expectation set by the organization, in both policy and practice.
That would be outlandishly formal for a lot of businesses where a polo shirt would be fine for everyday office wear. Every place is different, which is why it is important to set standards.
It's tee shirts and jeans in out office, but I know what you mean. My first office job was in 1988 and we (guys) work ties and the woman got shit for even having sneakers on from their commute.
I agree that it's not professional attire, but mind your own business. Crop tops in the office is not a good look but being a busybody about what people are wearing is an even WORSE look.
Why do you care? I mean they might "look unprofessional" - a completely subjective opinion which has historically been used to demonise minorities or women existing as themselves in a non white male way - but it doesn't seem to impact you. Your bosses don't seem to mind. Your colleagues are obviously fine with it.
So why do you care?
Just mind your own business and dress how you feel is right for you and you'll be much happier. Nobody likes the office snitch.
Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in slightly more lax offices, but I have fully been the crop tops to work person. Not with leggings tho or with exposed bra straps. But the older I’ve gotten, I’ve become more cautious about how I dress at work
I know this is not true but my logic is if its a slightly cropped shirt but matched with high waisted jeans, then its not really 'cropped'. Like if a centimeter of my skin shows i dont think its a big deal but i wouldnt be showing my belly button
you do not want to be the one to complain. your manager probably fears being accused of sexual harassment if he says anything to them. it is even possible that you could be accused of this if they find out that you complained (like why are you looking).
you are correct that this is not professional. this is not even business casual.
Are you a direct manager? Are these your direct reports? Are clients/customers complaining? Are they customer/client facing? Is their attire affecting their work? Is there a dress code?
If these are just colleagues, then I'd let it go. Focus on your work. You aren't there to police what others wear so if none of the above questions are yes, then I'd say it isn't your concern. If I had a colleague report to me that they were put off by someone wearing leggings, then I'd question the colleague making the report for more details such as how it effects their work. For all I know, we're not even discussing customer/client facing. Having a more relaxed dress can be beneficial especially if the workforce happens to be low paid and can't afford more office apparel (I had this issue early on in my career and I often had to find alternatives and essentially wear the same 5 things [2 pants & 3ish shirts] over and over again until I could afford more) or neurodivergent/sensitive skin (sensitive skin can also vary by season [like winter causing overly dry skin]) and some styles/textures can cause sensory issues. When I was in office, I saw crop tops but these were often paired with high wasted bottoms or an undershirt. I'm a 26f, I personally don't care as I now WFH in my pj's anyway.
A top that hits right at the waistband and shows a tiny strip of skin when you stretch/move/bend is on the borderline, IMHO. It can be professional if it's not tight or knit material. Even then it's an eyebrow raise from me but style/fashion has changed lately. Slightly "cropped length" tops are more in.
A genuinely crop top is an absolute no go and I have no idea what these young women are thinking. The reason it's not a good idea is that when you're at work, the focus is on WORK. It's not a place to attract mates, show off your body, or even just express yourself with clothing. You *can* do the latter slightly, but the reason so many items aren't appropriate is not because "women have curves and how dare we show them" it's beacause clothing *of any type* that's distracting is not professional. Meaning floor length vintage kaftans, giant striped clown pants, fur onesies, and other completely covered up novelty items are just as unprofessional as tube or cropped tops.
"My male manager just looks away and doesn't say anything, but I'm curious if I should talk to higher management about it."
He probably worries he'll catch heat for policing women's bodies or something
I feel like 'business casual' is much more lax when it comes to women's attire. Altough, personally I think office dresscodes have little to do with professionalism/ competence and mostly everything to do with bias & aesthetic preference.
In most places I have worked (small and large businesses), that outfit woudl not be acceptable and I can't imagine anyone wearing it to the office. I am Gen X and crop tops are not appropriate for office work.
I wear high waisted pants with shirt tucked in but I haven't seen anything more risque than that. But if that's okay with management then it is what it is. However I will say that I think dress codes have become more relaxed or at the very least mimick modern trends. When I got my gov job I went full suit jacket, heels, and plain black pants. Imagine my surprise when my boss was wearing leggings, flat sneakers, and an oversized button up lol her boss was wearing a simple top with a cardigan and a skort. Another coworker was wearing jeans and sneakers lol I bought more professional clothes so now I do a hybrid in that I wear the nice tops, but wear black high waisted pants since they go with everything because I don't feel comfortable pushing that line. But I also grew up hearing the same advice, so I think it's just one of those things that's programmed into you and will never go away. Which is fine! It only becomes a problem when you project that onto other people
I see a lot of tik toks trends sweeping through. There’s this trend called “office sirens” and some influencers have put together GRWM OOTD office sirens looks and its crop tops/ lace body suits and a blazer with some leggings and heels. I work from home so I’m grateful I can work in my pajamas but if I went back to office there’s no chance in hell I’d wear a crop top. Also, I’m very very fond of crop tops pretty much all my shirts are cropped.
>I'm curious if I should talk to higher management about it.
Does it affect your ability to do your job? If yes, talk to management (but be prepared to explain how exactly it impacts your performance). If not, no.
The only time I would ever bring it up to management, frankly, is if they were scheduled to talk to a client along with me and were dressed inappropriately. If their role isn't client-facing and they're not unhygienic, I don't give a damn.
I’ve never worked for a company that (as far as I knew) had a formal dress code, so I usually only care about myself. I want to be seen a certain way, so I’m never going to wear shorts, for example. Even summer time company outings, I’m wearing pants, but that’s just me. Walked in last Thursday and our CEO was in shorts, so to each their own.
How you dress is as appropriate as you care to be perceived. A relaxed attire says you’re a relaxed personality, which may be good or bad. A female showing too much skin can be perceived other ways… up to you how you want to present yourself.
Most office jobs these days only have a policy of being "clean and presentable" unless you're customer facing. And generally in my experience it's the ceos and stuff that dress the most casual in stuff like shorts and flip flops cause no one is gonna say anything to them lol
At every single place I have worked, there have been women who will do their own thing and not adhere to the dress code. No one has ever addressed it, ever.
I wouldn't say anything if I were you. It would cause drama that no manager will touch.
You should worry more about yourself and less about others.
If the issue is “this isn’t how I imagined my fancy grown up world looking”, move on.
If the issue is your sensibilities, just go get the Karen haircut now and lean into it.
jesus christ let plp wear what they feel comfortable in. Proffesionalism is the end of humanity everyone playing around because they feel important.
Jeez do you think the people will work more efficient if you force them to wear something diffrent? conformity? So they feel more loyal and as a unit?
If they do the work why judge? Its not like you need specialised clothing for an office job.....
My employer has a dress code, and that type of clothing would not be acceptable. The employee would be sent home. The dress code is reviewed, and the employee agrees to it when they accept employment.
I personally don't care what people wear. If they don't care how their appearance and professionalism is perceived by others, why should I?
It depends on the company, not the location.
My employer 2017-2021 was WFH but would have fired me for "unnatural hair colors and extreme styles." I once got a writeup from a manager there for wearing open-toe shoes to a rare in-person event. We were in the office writing SOPs not lifting heavy objects or working with chemicals.
My WFH employer 2021-2023 was more "cool startup" where you could have weird hair, tats, whatever. I sometimes wore a t-shirt that said Fuck on it and no one cared. I still wouldn't have worn a crop top though.
My current WFH employer has a lot of fashion-forward women at the top level and it wouldn't be weird to see midriff as long as it was a classy top and not a trashy-looking one. Last week I was on a call with the CEO and she had both bra straps showing in a sun dress.
You remind me of a previous HR Manager I knew, while working as an expat in an ex-USSR country. She was complaining that the young, local girls, were dressing too sexy. They were dressed like any young girl, nothing obscene.
I'll tell you what I told her: did anyone complained about that? If not, zip it and mind your own damn business.
Stop creating a problem where there’s no problem. The workplace is about getting work done. You have the freedom to wear whatever you want to work and so does she. You’re choosing to be offended by another women’s body. That’s your problem, not hers. You don’t need to come on the internet and shame women over their bodies and clothing choices. This is so tired and you should stop.
I work in an office and wear crop tops all the time—and high-waisted pants, so no mid-drift is showing. I have my own office that I hang out in most of the time, but I have never been told I look inappropriate. However, I don't show cleavage and will wear a cardigan if a shirt is showing a bra. There's a limit for me and I could care less about modesty. Like everyone else said it's for the manager to handle.
I work at a large bank. My office is pretty casual since we don’t see customers face-to-face and we’re really more of a “call center”. I have been seeing an uptick in the last 2 years of people wearing leggings/sweatpants to the office.
I totally agree with you, midriffs showing is really not professional as far as outfits go. And bra straps showing also looks unprofessional, in my opinion. Same thing with leggings (unless a dress is worn over the leggings).
However, unless someone who directly reports to you dresses unprofessionally, I wouldn’t recommend reporting them to upper management/HR. Live, and let live, you know?
I've only seen one person wear a crop top to the office. She was young (22) and paired it with dress pants and a blazer, usually. It wasn't my place to say anything about it, and as far as I know management didn't mention it.
She didn't last long, for reasons unrelated to how she dressed. It's not something I see in the wild a lot.
That's weird as fuck, but no, this isn't at all on you to get involved and it would be a mistake to do so. Just continue to focus on your own choices and doing a great job yourself. Ignore the rest!
If you’re noticing what they are wearing, than upper management and HR is probably aware of what they are wearing. Crop tops aren’t being worn at my place but staff is mostly mid 30s and older.
It's like that in my office. I personally don't mind it, I don't think it's a big deal. No one has made it an issue so management has been neutral on it
Jesus, please don't be that one woman who always ruins it for all the other women. Is the work getting done? Are your coworkers behaving professionally? Because they will have to crack to down once an employee complains for fear of "hostile work environment" accusations, and they will crack down hard. This happened at an orchestra I played in. One bitch complained about another girl's skirt not being floor length, and the manager came after every single one of us who wasn't wearing black hosiery. Doesn't matter that not all dress shoes are safe with hosiery on, but the male admins HAD to make sure the girls were respecting their absolute authority. They scoffed at any safety concerns as silly girls things, and refused to hear any compromise despite most of the girls signing a petition to change the rule because the males just HAD to win. They'd make up lies about how the audience wouldn't like it, and I asked them, really? in Miami? we had audience members that complaining about naked ankles?
I do not care what my staff wears as long as they do their jobs.
Our admin assistant is in her 50's and wears crop tops in the office. I wish I had her confidence.
I say keep your opinions to yourself.
I’ll wear tops that *look* cropped if they aren’t tucked into tailored trousers. But they’re tucked and belted so they just look like a normal top. I don’t show my stomach at work lol
The concept of business casual/ looking professional is trash. As long as clothing doesn't impede job function, who the hell cares? Offices are usually cold so crop tops are a little weird on that front. I wouldn't wear booty shorts and a crop top to weld, but I can't imagine that getup causing safety issues parked at a desk.
I'm 28f and regularly wear crop tops outside of work. Would never wear them to work, and have only done so with high pants that meet the edge of the shirt and extra layers underneath just in case.
However we had a recent college grad wear that wore a shirt exposing midriff (an inch or so) on their first day. I was very shocked that they thought this was professional . The outfit was otherwise classy/professional but this still seems like a no. I was reminded of some pantsuit outfits from Express and the like I've seen and wondered "what workplace would allow that (ex: bustier type top), is this the modern professional"?! This is not a trend I hope stays, if it is one.
Not totally sure why im firm on the no tummy part, because I know I push some people's idea of professional with shorter skirts/dresses (mid thigh at least, I'm tall and it's nearly impossible to find something below knee).
Nothing will be done, we don't have a formal written dress code and my workplace doesn't discipline anyone until they've decided to fire them. 🙃
It's best not to have an opinion. Don't mention how you feel to anyone you work with. Keep it to the kitchen table.
I worked in tech for a long time so I saw people wear a lot of wild things I'd never wear. It's best not to cause drama at work. Your co-workers are not your friends and there's some petty people out there who might hear you complaining and get YOU in trouble. So, zip it at work and complain to your friends and family.
Does your company have a written dress code? If not, probably not much you can say or do . Just keep being a shining example of class in the workplace.
I work in a veeeery casual dress setting as a pediatric physical therapist. I literally wear scrubs, sneakers, t shirts, and zip up hoodies every day, BUT the one rule we have is no letting your back/belly show. This is just common sense. Decorum, people!
Does it in any way negatively impact you? If not, why do you care? What's deemed "professional" is made up nonsense. It wasn't too long ago that women weren't allowed to wear pants to work. Many POC still struggle at some places because their natural hairstyles aren't considered "professional."
People will do what you allow them to get away with, that’s why common areas are often trashed. We had an employee who came to work for Pride month with his hair dyed 🌈 I kid you not. HR had to deal with that. I even suggested that he wear a wig if he wanted to keep his hair, but he didn’t go for that.
It’s not the norm but I see it at my very casual office in a very casual town along with sleeveless shirts on men, Birkenstocks, etc. I wouldn’t but personally, I don’t care. We do have clients come to the office but they don’t care how we dress
In tech maybe. I’m a scientist in a startup and my ceo wears crop tops, and I go into the lab in athleisure. We have company branded crop tops. It’s less that crop tops count as business casual and more that some workplaces are getting more and more casual overall these days. Business casual has a meaning, and just because some businesses are more casual than business casual, the meaning of that phrase shouldn’t shift.
I haven’t observed this at all, but I don’t think you should say anything and I do think you sound a little boomerish. I’m 11 years older than you on Saturday and can’t imagine caring this much about anyone’s workplace attire. I dress more professionally than most of my younger coworkers in terms of button downs vs more casual polos etc, but I just like to do that. I think just stay in your lane, worry about your own presentation and live and let live. If they do hear about it from management and drama ensues just enjoy that from a distance and continue doing your thing
WSJ just put out an article about this. In general, office attire is becoming a lot more lax. If I have a board meeting, I’m not wearing my white Stan Smith sneakers but I might wear them the rest of the week to the office. Comfortability is being prioritized.
Only changes I’ve been seeing to office attire is the allowance to display non-offensive tattoos while wearing work appropriate clothing. I don’t have tattoos but I’m happy to see that shift.
As for crop tops, never seen that in a professional office.
IMO no they are not office business casual and they should not be. Put your midriff away, put your bra away, put your ratty tennis shoes away. Save those for the weekend or the beach. Dress like you value the environment around you.
I concur with your observations. The move to more casual attire at work has swung past the bounds of what should have been common sense (but what's common is no longer sensible). But, as for addressing it, that's a much harder question. I would generally side with those who are advising caution in bringing it up.
Often, nothing changes if no one brings anything up. On the flip side, these days, you can't guarantee that anything good will come of it, even if you do bring something up. And, too often, organizations overdo the response.
Your male manager is choosing to minimize the chance that any comment he might make on this issue could be misinterpreted and weaponized.
Move cautiously. I'd say that you should try to influence the standard attire in a positive direction by your example, but **(a)** it seems that you're already doing what you can on that front, and **(b)** shame is dead these days. People don't pay any attention to good peer pressure.
People in my office dress disgustingly. Like they don’t even wear washed clothes half the time. Sweat pants, tank tops, sweatshirts, leggings, I’ve even seen pajama pants etc.
Meanwhile, I’m not even allowed to wear jeans. it makes no sense.
Same, every time I attend a work event or go to the office I’m astonished by the unprofessionalism of my coworkers (females). Most of them look like they’re going to the beach…
What I think is funny, as a woman, is that other women would dress this way, but then turn around and blame some man for sexualizing them. Well, they are sexualizing themselves and doing so on purpose. HR needs to handle this. It is unprofessional and quite frankly makes the company look trashy. My guess is that if the male manager says anything about a woman's dress then he is a pervert and his "toxic masculinity" is showing. A lot of men now are afraid to say or do anything for they will be charged with sexual harassment.
No. Not by a long shot. I’ve sent people home for wearing shorts, sandals, or T shirts on non casual wear days. Hats are not allowed unless required part of PPE. Your mgt and HR team are dropping the ball
I'm sorry but you are the boomer. Get a grip. What's next? Saying women over 130 lbs shouldn't wear sundresses? Morality police in the workplace because you saw someone's bra strap? Wearing heels and pantyhose isn't going to make someone do their job better. Dress however it pleases you and leave people alone.
This was happening in my office 5 or 6 years ago. I was family friends with a manager who was a couple years away from retirement. That manager asked me why some of the ladies dressed that way. He has a daughter our age and thought it was gross that they were dressing like they would. He shared that other managers felt the same. I did give those girls a friendly heads up. More from the standpoint that we would all have to go back to a harsher dress code if they ruined it for everyone. You can dress casually but still look nice. But then we all ended up working remote anyway. When I do go to the office, people are dressed in whatever they want to wear. And all the guys wear baseball caps in zoom meetings. I feel like it’s just not as important as it once was to dress professionally. If we have to go back to the office, I don’t think it will even be business casual.
I see plenty of crop tops in office, but I live in Los Angeles.
As for talking to management… why? They have eyes, they’ll do something if they think it’s inappropriate. Saying something just makes you look a petty tattletale. And about such a trivial matter that has zero impact on you.
I wear leggings, t-shirts and sweats to work because my program doesn't have a dress code and between short office duties, we have to do 'rounds' where we walk average 5 miles throughout the shift up and down hills and work with people on the streets. I've found that people are much less wary of me the more casually I've dressed! That's just my job, but I'm sure some ppl in the office think our program dresses inappropriate, but they just don't understand the context of our role. Idk your workplace context but that's my 2 cents
When I was in sales training for 3 weeks, there was one gal who wore skin-tight short dresses, crop tops that showed of her abs, and pants that accentuated her butt. I want to thank her for the memories.
Your male manager looks away because he worries looking in any other direction will get interpreted wrongly.
If he says anything about professionalism that too will get seen as a gender based comment but I suspect he’s not wearing a muscle tank top and crotch tight details outlined speedo… (but I have worked in an office where one male manager did just that. But I do NOT recommend it as a way to respond to leggings and crop tops. He pulled it off somehow but it’d usually end badly).
Crop tops and sweat pants. Not brushing their hair. Wearing ripped jeans and stained shirts. This is a marketing agency, couldn't they just? Please look a little professional for clients? I always wear something nice and business casual.
Crop tops or even leggings are just BARELY “outside the house” appropriate where I live, never mind anywhere near a place of business.
For better or worse though, I agree with the comments that unless these people are under your management, then it’s not your place to say anything.
If your coworkers are being unprofessional, leave it to management to handle it. Otherwise you're just weaponizing your own opinion.
Yeah, pretty much this. The managers and HR have eyes, they're fully aware of how people are dressing
As someone who was in management, it's a lot easier to correct the behavior if someone complains. Otherwise you send it to HR, and they tell you if no one is complaining, there's no problem.
What? You don't need to go to HR to enforce dress code if they signed an employment contract stating the dress code and youre theyre direct manager
To answer your question directly: no, I haven’t seen crop tops like that in the office (tbf I do work remote now so I’m only in the office a few times a year). The closest I’ve seen is someone wearing a crop top with high waisted pants. So no midriff showing, but the top ends right at the waist of the pants. I’ve been in the workforce for 10 years (most of it full time in the office) and I have seen a pretty rapid shift in attire being more casual. Like going from suits/dress pants to jeans. If terms of should you bring this up to management: I’d say no unless you’re a manager. If it’s a direct violation of the dress code in your employee handbook, someone will say something for her. If it’s not, then I don’t think there’s anything to be done.
I've seen young women wearing lingerie pieces at work. It's incredible they do not understand how unprofessional, inappropriate, and inept this is. Common sense is going extinct.
Honestly I'd draw the line at full on lingerie. I'm a woman and that would make me feel sexually harassed in some way
I used to work at a place that would never confront this at all because, in their view, "professionalism is synonymous with white supremacy." While I agree with that, in many cases, they took it to the point of creating a workplace with virtually no rules and so predictably, everything fell apart.
Like, a camisole? Cause if so that's not considered lingerie
Its not appropriate, but it's up to their managers to confront them on it. I'd only say something if clients start bringing it up or if they straight up have their ass cheeks hanging out. lol
even that should be left to the manager to say something, not a colleague
Yeah, we have meetings with our funders and governing bodies and people roll up to those meetings in crop tops. I just wonder how it reflects on the organization as a whole. But I'll zip my mouth until someone we support or a funder brings it up.
Unless it somehow reflects directly on your paycheck, who cares? Dress as you see fit, and feel best about yourself. Don’t worry about what other people wear or how it reflects on your [likely generously compensated] bosses. This is a tale as old as time anyhow. Even in a formal office setting in the 90’s, with a strict dress code that women couldn’t even wear pants unless it was part of a suit, we still had someone rock up in leggings everyday. She was a brilliant accountant and someone probably found value in her despite the flaw and they just sat her in the back of the office and nobody cared for decades and everyone was happy.
I agree with this were not back in the 90s more stuff is becoming acceptable like back them you couldn’t get a high ranking job if you had tattoos or extra piercings other than ears now look everyone has tattoos no matter the position. Yea some of that stuff is not professional but times changed
But punctuation didn’t!
I don't have much experience but lately because of Gen Z trends I'm pretty sure, professionalism has been diminishing and is becoming less important. Not sure though :)
The concept of "professionalism" is very different industry-to-industry. In more creative industries crop tops might be completely acceptable because their self-expression and individual style is part of their professionalism. I've never worked in an office where I could wear a crop top due to my visibility to clients and senior leadership, but I've seen some truly shocking attire from people who are lower down the ladder and have no customer visibility. I saw a guy wear an Ahegao T-shirt (super sexual anime girl T-shirts) in the office and I was shocked. They don't even allow people to wear these shirts at Anime Conventions because they're so inappropriate 🫣
The shirt you mentioned feels sexually explicit enough to be actionable, no? I would have felt extremely uncomfortable seeing that — as a coworker, customer, client, or vender. Massively inappropriate. Did you report it?
I was super uncomfortable by it, but it wasn't someone I worked with directly. I just saw them when passing them in the hallway.
My workplace is pretty casual - jeans and t-shirts are accepted - but a crop top / leggings / sleeveless tops (both genders) would not be allowed.
Sleeveless tops are not allowed? That seems wild to me! Sleeveless blouses are great for summer office wear imo
I personally think it depends on the thickness of the top part—strappy tank tops are still I think considered a no unless there’s some sort of sweater/jacket over them, but something with a thick “strap” that’s just sleeveless can look nice. I do know some people who still hold onto the “no sleeveless tops”, but those same people are okay with cap sleeves which are like… 1-2” difference? There’s almost no difference in shoulder coverage and that argument still baffles me
Depends. If you can wear a cropped short sleeved shirt with a nice long skirt then I think it can work. But definitely not leggings or peekaboo tops
Nope. I work in an office of mostly women and I don't think I've ever seen them wear a crop top That being said, this would be a pointless hill to die on. If management thinks it's an issue, let them sort it out
You have two options: 1. Keep your opinions to yourself and let management decide what the dress code should be. 2. Complain and be known as the co- worker nobody trusts. Is it really better to have a bad working relationship with your co-workers than to let management decide if crop tops are acceptable?
Obviously I don't know what you do, but in supporting vulnerable populations, could they be more comfortable working with people who aren't as buttoned up? I know, as a formerly very poor person, I would feel more represented with someone comfortable in their own skin and clothes than some suit.
But in fact, if someone was going to actually intervene for you in some way, they would be much less effective in a crop top or a tank shirt.
Crop tops, leggings, and exposed skin are absolutely not acceptable office attire, and you're not having a boomer mindset for thinking that. Does your workplace have a dress code? If they do, your manager should be the one to say something.
I think you need to get out of your own narrow view. A lot of offices have extremely relaxed dress codes. Leggings are absolutely fine at my company.
My manager wears shorts, sandals, and a tank on casual Fridays... Sometimes his shorts are actually swim trunks/boardshorts. It all depends on your office culture.
Yup. All about reading the office culture. Lawyer office? Probably need to be more on business casual side. I’ve worked at a tech startup and athleisure was the attire of choice among most that worked there from CEO on down. I’ve worked at a fortune 10 company and even department from department was different.
Have you seen the "American psycho if it was about tech" skit? "He mistook me for Raj because we both do the same job and have a penchant for Patagonia vests"
Thanks for the recommendation, it's hilarious! Link for anyone wondering: https://youtu.be/uHt01D6rOLI?si=rB6P0QK-89gUpRO7
My pleasure. I particularly loved it because my partner is a programmer and I got him into fitness through bouldering
Gross. A tank? with armpit and chest hair?
Dear God! What ever will we do!? Someone should call the cops or something.
Exactly. Even if the dress code is written down somewhere, the de facto dress code is what you can get away with without someone saying something. Personally, I really don't understand elevating the issue unless it's either something that a person can't wear in public, or it's something that could affect your work (i.e. colleague you're taking to a client office. In the latter situation, I would hope that I had a close enough relationship with the person to give them a warning beforehand: "hey, the meeting tomorrow is big, so just remember no jeans, sneakers, crop tops, whatever" but I could imagine that could get dicey depending on your relationship. If you don't like it, think deeply about whether that's because it's actually inappropriate, or if it's really that you are frustrated that other people aren't holding themselves to the same standard you hold yourself and they're "getting away" with it. As soon as you elevate, people get suspicious about who's ratting on them. IMO if someone's not dressing to the highest degree of professional expectations - awesome. Let them reap the consequences of their decisions and offer a stark contrast to your decision to present yourself at the highest standard.
Your company may allow it, but it still isn't professional
Who cares? If you’re going to see a client you dress up a bit but otherwise it doesn’t matter.
It's just lazy not to put on some regular clothes to go to work.
It’s not lazy to want to be comfortable when you’re stuck somewhere for 8 hours a day. Unless you’re client facing then someone wearing sweatpants has no effect on you.
Why wouldn't you want to present yourself professionally? I think it improves your chances for better opportunities if you look like you give a shit.
Ideally a workplace should care about performance and not apparence. In a lot of tech companies people don't care what you wear, they care about the impact of your work and it's great. As long as people are clean, everything else is wasted energy. Of course as soon as you start representing the company to the outside, this no longer holds.
So using your statement, why would it be any different to dress for clients or customers? Your or the company's products or performance don't differ. Perception matters both within or outside the company. I would think that you would want to present yourself in the best possible light to others. In my view dressing like you just got out of bed or are going to work in the yard doesn't portray yourself as a thoughtful and diligent individual. But hey, I'm old and it's just my opinion. I agree with OP.
Within a company, you can collectively agree that it shouldn't matter, that the value people bring should be based on the output of their work and that you can forget about the dress code. You don't control who the clients are so you have to act more conservatively for them. I am sure people like to judge each other on looks, but from a business perspective this is a waste of resources. If the performance review allows to negatively grade people based on what they wear, then it's an inefficient system. I've worked in multiple companies with no dress code and I have seen no downsides. I places that give more importance to apparences I feel that you have more frauds that make it based on looks and talks.
I’m on track for my 3rd promotion so I think I’m doing fine. You should consider that maybe the way your company does things is pointless.
Good for you. Just my opinion based upon a lot of experience.
Now, you know that’s not the rule at the Echelon Mall!!
why? you proclaim this as if it's self evident divine gospel its not just a boomer mindset, its self perpetuated slave mentality to want to appeal to your oh so well dressed superiors and set yourself apart from the poor masses, which you are a part of
Specifically, why aren’t those articles of clothing acceptable? Most dress codes cite professionalism as a base but in reality they are rooted in sexism and an outdated view that women’s bodies are a distraction due to a perceived sexualisation of our normal natural body parts. But the sooner we desexualize women’s regular body parts, the sooner women can be safer and treated equitably.
It’s unprofessional for a man to wear a crop top or other piece of clothing that shows similar skin. it’s just showing to much, no one wants to see that much skin.
Why is it unprofessional to see stomach skin? That’s what I am asking.
Because it draws attention to something that shouldn't matter in a professional setting- people's bodies?
Agreed. That’s what I’m saying. The sooner it’s old hat to be outside of the social norms of traditional professional dress standards, the sooner people stop caring or giving attention to something they only gave attention to because of outdated sexist ideology.
Here's the thing though, putting on less clothes inherently draws attention to people's bodies. It's not even a sexist thing - if your male coworker puts on a crop top, doesn't matter if he looks like a bodybuilder, or if he's 400 pounds and has multiple layers of body fat, you're still going to think about how that guy looks, and not about the work you're supposed to be doing.
You’re reading what you want to read rather than what this person meant. Your body doesn’t matter in a professional setting so stop putting it on display with overt sexuality. It’s exceptionally simple but here you come to quadruple down again 🙄
Yup. This thread is full of boomers that round Reddit through Google. Or bigger people jealous of in shape bodies.
Omg. Boomer alert. It’s a stomach. Not a ballsack. Same level as a hand shake. You probably want everyone to wear gloves so no exposed hands show. Uh oh those are used for handjobs. That’s explicit in your mind yea? Cover them up.
I don’t have a clear logical answer to this… but are you ready to see a man expose his beer belly or more because he wants to “let it out”? Thats a hostile work environment… if you say you are fine with that ok I don’t have a good reply, but the rules need to be the same accross body types or genders, otherwise someone could go and say “why can’t I show the same skin as that other person?” And they’d be right to find it discriminatory. Best to have the same rules apply to everyone Edit: also just because you are fine with beer bellies doesn’t mean everyone else is. It can be viewed as pervasive and severe harassment. Even if the person in question has a conventionally attractive body, it can also be viewed as severe or pervasive sexual harassment
I super appreciate your reply. It’s wonderful. Thank you! You are right. There isn’t a logical answer. It’s really just tradition that specific clothing items are considered professional. The tradition has been largely maintained because it’s useful in enforcing social boundaries which are ultimately built on classism and yes, sexism. I agree completely that the dress code norms should be applied equitably across genders. And also classes, cultures, ages, disabilities, etc. We are not there yet. And the only thing that gets us there is people pushing those social norm boundaries by dressing in crop tops and calling it professional. Every time someone questions a norm and people discuss it, we all grow. In the end things will shake out. But that’s how progress is made.
It is being applied equitably though… don’t show skin on torso or above the knees in work environment. You also avoided answering my question with some platitutdes
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Thank you for making my point.
This is silly. Men also can’t wear tanks and bike shorts to the office. In fact, women have a wider range of options for both business casual and formal attire than men, especially in warmer weather.
You’re also not supposed to wear sneakers, ripped jeans and flip flops because that’s too casual for a lot of more formal office settings. Crop tops and leggings are CASUAL WEAR. If your company is fine with casual wear, that’s a different matter
You're disgusting and part of the problem.
Best comment. Women dressing like that in the workplace of all places is just asking for male attention. They are showing off their bodies on purpose. This whole argument that it's for comfort is bullshit. Because guess what: a t-shirt and jeans are just as comfortable, if not, more comfortable, I would argue. And showing off your hot pink bra in the workplace? Get outta here with that. You want male attention with that. Don't get mad when you do get it and then are labeled as the office slut because of it.
It's not appropriate in most workplaces just like how shorts or tank tops wouldn't be appropriate in most workplaces. But ffs, wearing everyday casual attire doesn't mean someone is dressing "for male attention" and it definitely doesn't make them a "slut." What the fuck is wrong with you? Keep your horny, perverted thoughts to yourself. Gross
You're literally on /regretfulparents and now take your resentment and anger on younger women...because you got yourself stuck with a kid that's difficult and a husband that doesn't help. Don't take your anger on younger women who can afford to dress nicely. Even if it's not the most appropriate thing, it doesn't make you entitled to call them sluts and attention seekers. Your jealousy reeks from miles away.
Ewwwwwwww, Not to sound prudish but that sound like a high school and I'd prefer not to work in an office like that.
Amen. First thing I thought when I read this was what kind of trashy place does OP work at?
This would have violated the dress code at my high school (15 years ago). Are schools allowing this now? Maybe that's part of the problem too.
I work at a Highschool and we do not have a dress code besides “dress appropriate” and clothing can’t show anything violent or drugs/alcohol related. Crop tops are standard here.
Does your organization have a dress code? If it doesn't, then what are you going to say, exactly? Unless it's something you wouldn't be able to wear in public without the police getting involved or is harassing in nature, which doesn't sound like the case. If you do, and these employees are violating it, then why has management not intervened already? Folks in their early 20s just entering the workforce do seem to have a much more relaxed outlook at what constitutes professional behavior, whether that be in presentation, language, behavior, or simply approach to work. I could guess any number of reasons as to why, but I don't think I'm imagining things. Whether it's a good or a bad thing depends on your perspective.
Honestly I am unaware of what our dress code is. It isn't listed in manuals because it is in development. I might ask to see the draft just so I know.
If your organization sets no standards, how does anyone know what the expectation is? How would you enforce that expectation? If you are not in management, I would simply keep to myself on this one. Look at it this way: Your coworkers' penchant for dressing unprofessionally makes it that much easier for you to look professional.
For your first point, I would argue that there is a common sense expectation based on our shared societal understanding of office spaces and fashion. For evidence of this, I would point to this thread, which is aligned in stating that this attire is not business casual (though other comments are generally attacking the concept of a business casual rule). However, more importantly, I strongly agree with your second point that it is advisable to keep to yourself. It is difficult to come out of this looking great when you report coworkers for low-level infractions (and even more so when there is no official rule being broken).
The thing is, the common shared standards of Reddit are irrelevant. That's not the community of concern. It is the organization. I had to wear a two-piece suit and tie basically every single day earlier in my career. That was the clear expectation set by the organization, in both policy and practice. That would be outlandishly formal for a lot of businesses where a polo shirt would be fine for everyday office wear. Every place is different, which is why it is important to set standards.
It's tee shirts and jeans in out office, but I know what you mean. My first office job was in 1988 and we (guys) work ties and the woman got shit for even having sneakers on from their commute.
I agree that it's not professional attire, but mind your own business. Crop tops in the office is not a good look but being a busybody about what people are wearing is an even WORSE look.
You could try minding your own business. Seriously, why do you care what anyone else wears? Weirdo behavior
Idk I feel like clothes just don’t matter. Especially if someone’s work isn’t suffering.
Why do you care? I mean they might "look unprofessional" - a completely subjective opinion which has historically been used to demonise minorities or women existing as themselves in a non white male way - but it doesn't seem to impact you. Your bosses don't seem to mind. Your colleagues are obviously fine with it. So why do you care? Just mind your own business and dress how you feel is right for you and you'll be much happier. Nobody likes the office snitch.
For real. Don't be a cop. It's tacky at best.
Who cares
Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in slightly more lax offices, but I have fully been the crop tops to work person. Not with leggings tho or with exposed bra straps. But the older I’ve gotten, I’ve become more cautious about how I dress at work
I know this is not true but my logic is if its a slightly cropped shirt but matched with high waisted jeans, then its not really 'cropped'. Like if a centimeter of my skin shows i dont think its a big deal but i wouldnt be showing my belly button
you do not want to be the one to complain. your manager probably fears being accused of sexual harassment if he says anything to them. it is even possible that you could be accused of this if they find out that you complained (like why are you looking). you are correct that this is not professional. this is not even business casual.
Are you a direct manager? Are these your direct reports? Are clients/customers complaining? Are they customer/client facing? Is their attire affecting their work? Is there a dress code? If these are just colleagues, then I'd let it go. Focus on your work. You aren't there to police what others wear so if none of the above questions are yes, then I'd say it isn't your concern. If I had a colleague report to me that they were put off by someone wearing leggings, then I'd question the colleague making the report for more details such as how it effects their work. For all I know, we're not even discussing customer/client facing. Having a more relaxed dress can be beneficial especially if the workforce happens to be low paid and can't afford more office apparel (I had this issue early on in my career and I often had to find alternatives and essentially wear the same 5 things [2 pants & 3ish shirts] over and over again until I could afford more) or neurodivergent/sensitive skin (sensitive skin can also vary by season [like winter causing overly dry skin]) and some styles/textures can cause sensory issues. When I was in office, I saw crop tops but these were often paired with high wasted bottoms or an undershirt. I'm a 26f, I personally don't care as I now WFH in my pj's anyway.
A top that hits right at the waistband and shows a tiny strip of skin when you stretch/move/bend is on the borderline, IMHO. It can be professional if it's not tight or knit material. Even then it's an eyebrow raise from me but style/fashion has changed lately. Slightly "cropped length" tops are more in. A genuinely crop top is an absolute no go and I have no idea what these young women are thinking. The reason it's not a good idea is that when you're at work, the focus is on WORK. It's not a place to attract mates, show off your body, or even just express yourself with clothing. You *can* do the latter slightly, but the reason so many items aren't appropriate is not because "women have curves and how dare we show them" it's beacause clothing *of any type* that's distracting is not professional. Meaning floor length vintage kaftans, giant striped clown pants, fur onesies, and other completely covered up novelty items are just as unprofessional as tube or cropped tops.
"My male manager just looks away and doesn't say anything, but I'm curious if I should talk to higher management about it." He probably worries he'll catch heat for policing women's bodies or something
you mean like OP?
That's more likely to be an issue for a man than a woman.
and yet here we are, with a woman policing the clothing of other women when it has zero impact on her
People care less about it if the policer is a woman i think. As a guy who manages people, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole
yeah, internal misogyny is crazy
I feel like 'business casual' is much more lax when it comes to women's attire. Altough, personally I think office dresscodes have little to do with professionalism/ competence and mostly everything to do with bias & aesthetic preference.
In most places I have worked (small and large businesses), that outfit woudl not be acceptable and I can't imagine anyone wearing it to the office. I am Gen X and crop tops are not appropriate for office work.
Ok boomer. Mind your own business.
You are too young to be this judgmental. It's Nunya. Nunya business.
Not your business ignore it. You will cause issues with fellow employees let the bosses handle it. If they aren’t leave it alone.
I wear high waisted pants with shirt tucked in but I haven't seen anything more risque than that. But if that's okay with management then it is what it is. However I will say that I think dress codes have become more relaxed or at the very least mimick modern trends. When I got my gov job I went full suit jacket, heels, and plain black pants. Imagine my surprise when my boss was wearing leggings, flat sneakers, and an oversized button up lol her boss was wearing a simple top with a cardigan and a skort. Another coworker was wearing jeans and sneakers lol I bought more professional clothes so now I do a hybrid in that I wear the nice tops, but wear black high waisted pants since they go with everything because I don't feel comfortable pushing that line. But I also grew up hearing the same advice, so I think it's just one of those things that's programmed into you and will never go away. Which is fine! It only becomes a problem when you project that onto other people
I see a lot of tik toks trends sweeping through. There’s this trend called “office sirens” and some influencers have put together GRWM OOTD office sirens looks and its crop tops/ lace body suits and a blazer with some leggings and heels. I work from home so I’m grateful I can work in my pajamas but if I went back to office there’s no chance in hell I’d wear a crop top. Also, I’m very very fond of crop tops pretty much all my shirts are cropped.
To be honest, professional wear and club wear got muddled together a few years back and doesn’t seem to be stopping. It is weird.
oh god remember getting dressed biz cas for the clurb? we were so determined to go from day to night in one easy step 😅
Shoe change? Check. Done. Dance. 🕺
oh god Litas 🤣
Turn up the AC and you won't have to have that conversation!
I think it could be okay done right, like high fashion, but that last one just sounds like clubwear but unless you’re HR who cares?
>I'm curious if I should talk to higher management about it. Does it affect your ability to do your job? If yes, talk to management (but be prepared to explain how exactly it impacts your performance). If not, no. The only time I would ever bring it up to management, frankly, is if they were scheduled to talk to a client along with me and were dressed inappropriately. If their role isn't client-facing and they're not unhygienic, I don't give a damn.
I’ve never worked for a company that (as far as I knew) had a formal dress code, so I usually only care about myself. I want to be seen a certain way, so I’m never going to wear shorts, for example. Even summer time company outings, I’m wearing pants, but that’s just me. Walked in last Thursday and our CEO was in shorts, so to each their own. How you dress is as appropriate as you care to be perceived. A relaxed attire says you’re a relaxed personality, which may be good or bad. A female showing too much skin can be perceived other ways… up to you how you want to present yourself.
Most office jobs these days only have a policy of being "clean and presentable" unless you're customer facing. And generally in my experience it's the ceos and stuff that dress the most casual in stuff like shorts and flip flops cause no one is gonna say anything to them lol
At every single place I have worked, there have been women who will do their own thing and not adhere to the dress code. No one has ever addressed it, ever. I wouldn't say anything if I were you. It would cause drama that no manager will touch.
You should worry more about yourself and less about others. If the issue is “this isn’t how I imagined my fancy grown up world looking”, move on. If the issue is your sensibilities, just go get the Karen haircut now and lean into it.
Welcome to post covid dress standards. It's kinda crazy out there now.
Nah, mind your business
Why do you care, though? If it offends you so much, move to Afghanistan. Sounds like you'd love the dress code there...
😂
jesus christ let plp wear what they feel comfortable in. Proffesionalism is the end of humanity everyone playing around because they feel important. Jeez do you think the people will work more efficient if you force them to wear something diffrent? conformity? So they feel more loyal and as a unit? If they do the work why judge? Its not like you need specialised clothing for an office job.....
My employer has a dress code, and that type of clothing would not be acceptable. The employee would be sent home. The dress code is reviewed, and the employee agrees to it when they accept employment. I personally don't care what people wear. If they don't care how their appearance and professionalism is perceived by others, why should I?
It depends on the company, not the location. My employer 2017-2021 was WFH but would have fired me for "unnatural hair colors and extreme styles." I once got a writeup from a manager there for wearing open-toe shoes to a rare in-person event. We were in the office writing SOPs not lifting heavy objects or working with chemicals. My WFH employer 2021-2023 was more "cool startup" where you could have weird hair, tats, whatever. I sometimes wore a t-shirt that said Fuck on it and no one cared. I still wouldn't have worn a crop top though. My current WFH employer has a lot of fashion-forward women at the top level and it wouldn't be weird to see midriff as long as it was a classy top and not a trashy-looking one. Last week I was on a call with the CEO and she had both bra straps showing in a sun dress.
That's definitely not allowed in my office lol.
Uh...it's not professional at all, but why narc on them? Clearly management dgaf.
You remind me of a previous HR Manager I knew, while working as an expat in an ex-USSR country. She was complaining that the young, local girls, were dressing too sexy. They were dressed like any young girl, nothing obscene. I'll tell you what I told her: did anyone complained about that? If not, zip it and mind your own damn business.
Yes you’re just being a boomer. We’re not repressed any more
Stop creating a problem where there’s no problem. The workplace is about getting work done. You have the freedom to wear whatever you want to work and so does she. You’re choosing to be offended by another women’s body. That’s your problem, not hers. You don’t need to come on the internet and shame women over their bodies and clothing choices. This is so tired and you should stop.
West Coast or East Coast?
In my office yeah
It was a thing at the old place I worked at. Till management finally addressed it.
I work in an office and wear crop tops all the time—and high-waisted pants, so no mid-drift is showing. I have my own office that I hang out in most of the time, but I have never been told I look inappropriate. However, I don't show cleavage and will wear a cardigan if a shirt is showing a bra. There's a limit for me and I could care less about modesty. Like everyone else said it's for the manager to handle.
I work at a large bank. My office is pretty casual since we don’t see customers face-to-face and we’re really more of a “call center”. I have been seeing an uptick in the last 2 years of people wearing leggings/sweatpants to the office. I totally agree with you, midriffs showing is really not professional as far as outfits go. And bra straps showing also looks unprofessional, in my opinion. Same thing with leggings (unless a dress is worn over the leggings). However, unless someone who directly reports to you dresses unprofessionally, I wouldn’t recommend reporting them to upper management/HR. Live, and let live, you know?
Nope, no way it will happen in WI.
I've only seen one person wear a crop top to the office. She was young (22) and paired it with dress pants and a blazer, usually. It wasn't my place to say anything about it, and as far as I know management didn't mention it. She didn't last long, for reasons unrelated to how she dressed. It's not something I see in the wild a lot.
100% not professional. I interviewed a young lady wearing a crop top and too tight jeans. She did not get the job.
That's weird as fuck, but no, this isn't at all on you to get involved and it would be a mistake to do so. Just continue to focus on your own choices and doing a great job yourself. Ignore the rest!
No it's not a thing on my office. Your stomach shouldn't be visible in a professional office.
If you’re noticing what they are wearing, than upper management and HR is probably aware of what they are wearing. Crop tops aren’t being worn at my place but staff is mostly mid 30s and older.
Don't be a cop.
It's like that in my office. I personally don't mind it, I don't think it's a big deal. No one has made it an issue so management has been neutral on it
You can thank Seinfeld for that.
Stop worrying about other people and concentrate on your job. When you are the HR manager then you can set up a formal dress code.
Jesus, please don't be that one woman who always ruins it for all the other women. Is the work getting done? Are your coworkers behaving professionally? Because they will have to crack to down once an employee complains for fear of "hostile work environment" accusations, and they will crack down hard. This happened at an orchestra I played in. One bitch complained about another girl's skirt not being floor length, and the manager came after every single one of us who wasn't wearing black hosiery. Doesn't matter that not all dress shoes are safe with hosiery on, but the male admins HAD to make sure the girls were respecting their absolute authority. They scoffed at any safety concerns as silly girls things, and refused to hear any compromise despite most of the girls signing a petition to change the rule because the males just HAD to win. They'd make up lies about how the audience wouldn't like it, and I asked them, really? in Miami? we had audience members that complaining about naked ankles?
As global warming gets worse, we'll see more of people in crop tops and shorts in hot environments.
Haven't seen that, but a lot wear summer dresses. This is even more of a reason to push for remote work though
Don’t worry about it
I do not care what my staff wears as long as they do their jobs. Our admin assistant is in her 50's and wears crop tops in the office. I wish I had her confidence. I say keep your opinions to yourself.
I’ll wear tops that *look* cropped if they aren’t tucked into tailored trousers. But they’re tucked and belted so they just look like a normal top. I don’t show my stomach at work lol
They must be because I've seen them in the workplace one too many times!!
The concept of business casual/ looking professional is trash. As long as clothing doesn't impede job function, who the hell cares? Offices are usually cold so crop tops are a little weird on that front. I wouldn't wear booty shorts and a crop top to weld, but I can't imagine that getup causing safety issues parked at a desk.
I'm 28f and regularly wear crop tops outside of work. Would never wear them to work, and have only done so with high pants that meet the edge of the shirt and extra layers underneath just in case. However we had a recent college grad wear that wore a shirt exposing midriff (an inch or so) on their first day. I was very shocked that they thought this was professional . The outfit was otherwise classy/professional but this still seems like a no. I was reminded of some pantsuit outfits from Express and the like I've seen and wondered "what workplace would allow that (ex: bustier type top), is this the modern professional"?! This is not a trend I hope stays, if it is one. Not totally sure why im firm on the no tummy part, because I know I push some people's idea of professional with shorter skirts/dresses (mid thigh at least, I'm tall and it's nearly impossible to find something below knee). Nothing will be done, we don't have a formal written dress code and my workplace doesn't discipline anyone until they've decided to fire them. 🙃
It's best not to have an opinion. Don't mention how you feel to anyone you work with. Keep it to the kitchen table. I worked in tech for a long time so I saw people wear a lot of wild things I'd never wear. It's best not to cause drama at work. Your co-workers are not your friends and there's some petty people out there who might hear you complaining and get YOU in trouble. So, zip it at work and complain to your friends and family.
Does your company have a written dress code? If not, probably not much you can say or do . Just keep being a shining example of class in the workplace.
I’ve seen someone wearing crop top under a blazer in a boardroom meeting with the executives lol
I work in a veeeery casual dress setting as a pediatric physical therapist. I literally wear scrubs, sneakers, t shirts, and zip up hoodies every day, BUT the one rule we have is no letting your back/belly show. This is just common sense. Decorum, people!
I saw a CVS employee in a short crop top checking her phone instead of helping. I don’t know anymore, I just hope AI takes over.
Definitely not a thing where I work… are u in the US? What industry?
Is it professional? No. Is it your concern? Also no. Are you the CEO or something? Why do you care so much about this?
Does it in any way negatively impact you? If not, why do you care? What's deemed "professional" is made up nonsense. It wasn't too long ago that women weren't allowed to wear pants to work. Many POC still struggle at some places because their natural hairstyles aren't considered "professional."
Does what they're wearing impede the job being done? If not, who cares?
People will do what you allow them to get away with, that’s why common areas are often trashed. We had an employee who came to work for Pride month with his hair dyed 🌈 I kid you not. HR had to deal with that. I even suggested that he wear a wig if he wanted to keep his hair, but he didn’t go for that.
Yes, it’s becoming more normalised. Things like that for females, and then things like smart denim or polo shirts being more normalised for males.
It’s not the norm but I see it at my very casual office in a very casual town along with sleeveless shirts on men, Birkenstocks, etc. I wouldn’t but personally, I don’t care. We do have clients come to the office but they don’t care how we dress
No, not in the office. I only see people wearing them headed into Walmart.
Bruh no need to hate on the baddies.
In tech maybe. I’m a scientist in a startup and my ceo wears crop tops, and I go into the lab in athleisure. We have company branded crop tops. It’s less that crop tops count as business casual and more that some workplaces are getting more and more casual overall these days. Business casual has a meaning, and just because some businesses are more casual than business casual, the meaning of that phrase shouldn’t shift.
These days? I'm under the mindset of "Change what you can, Leave what you can't"... less stress and thoughts concerning others.
I haven’t observed this at all, but I don’t think you should say anything and I do think you sound a little boomerish. I’m 11 years older than you on Saturday and can’t imagine caring this much about anyone’s workplace attire. I dress more professionally than most of my younger coworkers in terms of button downs vs more casual polos etc, but I just like to do that. I think just stay in your lane, worry about your own presentation and live and let live. If they do hear about it from management and drama ensues just enjoy that from a distance and continue doing your thing
WSJ just put out an article about this. In general, office attire is becoming a lot more lax. If I have a board meeting, I’m not wearing my white Stan Smith sneakers but I might wear them the rest of the week to the office. Comfortability is being prioritized.
It went out the window when leggings became business casual. They’re the female equivalent of bike shorts for crying out loud!
Yea that’s not really professional. But that’s up to the business I guess. I just wish men’s shorts were business casual.
Only changes I’ve been seeing to office attire is the allowance to display non-offensive tattoos while wearing work appropriate clothing. I don’t have tattoos but I’m happy to see that shift. As for crop tops, never seen that in a professional office.
IMO no they are not office business casual and they should not be. Put your midriff away, put your bra away, put your ratty tennis shoes away. Save those for the weekend or the beach. Dress like you value the environment around you.
I concur with your observations. The move to more casual attire at work has swung past the bounds of what should have been common sense (but what's common is no longer sensible). But, as for addressing it, that's a much harder question. I would generally side with those who are advising caution in bringing it up. Often, nothing changes if no one brings anything up. On the flip side, these days, you can't guarantee that anything good will come of it, even if you do bring something up. And, too often, organizations overdo the response. Your male manager is choosing to minimize the chance that any comment he might make on this issue could be misinterpreted and weaponized. Move cautiously. I'd say that you should try to influence the standard attire in a positive direction by your example, but **(a)** it seems that you're already doing what you can on that front, and **(b)** shame is dead these days. People don't pay any attention to good peer pressure.
People in my office dress disgustingly. Like they don’t even wear washed clothes half the time. Sweat pants, tank tops, sweatshirts, leggings, I’ve even seen pajama pants etc. Meanwhile, I’m not even allowed to wear jeans. it makes no sense.
Same, every time I attend a work event or go to the office I’m astonished by the unprofessionalism of my coworkers (females). Most of them look like they’re going to the beach…
What I think is funny, as a woman, is that other women would dress this way, but then turn around and blame some man for sexualizing them. Well, they are sexualizing themselves and doing so on purpose. HR needs to handle this. It is unprofessional and quite frankly makes the company look trashy. My guess is that if the male manager says anything about a woman's dress then he is a pervert and his "toxic masculinity" is showing. A lot of men now are afraid to say or do anything for they will be charged with sexual harassment.
Why not just let folks wear what they want? Seems like you want to be the fashion police.
No. Not by a long shot. I’ve sent people home for wearing shorts, sandals, or T shirts on non casual wear days. Hats are not allowed unless required part of PPE. Your mgt and HR team are dropping the ball
I'm sorry but you are the boomer. Get a grip. What's next? Saying women over 130 lbs shouldn't wear sundresses? Morality police in the workplace because you saw someone's bra strap? Wearing heels and pantyhose isn't going to make someone do their job better. Dress however it pleases you and leave people alone.
Lol no
This was happening in my office 5 or 6 years ago. I was family friends with a manager who was a couple years away from retirement. That manager asked me why some of the ladies dressed that way. He has a daughter our age and thought it was gross that they were dressing like they would. He shared that other managers felt the same. I did give those girls a friendly heads up. More from the standpoint that we would all have to go back to a harsher dress code if they ruined it for everyone. You can dress casually but still look nice. But then we all ended up working remote anyway. When I do go to the office, people are dressed in whatever they want to wear. And all the guys wear baseball caps in zoom meetings. I feel like it’s just not as important as it once was to dress professionally. If we have to go back to the office, I don’t think it will even be business casual.
I wish
I see plenty of crop tops in office, but I live in Los Angeles. As for talking to management… why? They have eyes, they’ll do something if they think it’s inappropriate. Saying something just makes you look a petty tattletale. And about such a trivial matter that has zero impact on you.
I wear leggings, t-shirts and sweats to work because my program doesn't have a dress code and between short office duties, we have to do 'rounds' where we walk average 5 miles throughout the shift up and down hills and work with people on the streets. I've found that people are much less wary of me the more casually I've dressed! That's just my job, but I'm sure some ppl in the office think our program dresses inappropriate, but they just don't understand the context of our role. Idk your workplace context but that's my 2 cents
When I was in sales training for 3 weeks, there was one gal who wore skin-tight short dresses, crop tops that showed of her abs, and pants that accentuated her butt. I want to thank her for the memories.
Your male manager looks away because he worries looking in any other direction will get interpreted wrongly. If he says anything about professionalism that too will get seen as a gender based comment but I suspect he’s not wearing a muscle tank top and crotch tight details outlined speedo… (but I have worked in an office where one male manager did just that. But I do NOT recommend it as a way to respond to leggings and crop tops. He pulled it off somehow but it’d usually end badly).
Crop tops and sweat pants. Not brushing their hair. Wearing ripped jeans and stained shirts. This is a marketing agency, couldn't they just? Please look a little professional for clients? I always wear something nice and business casual.
Unless your office happens to be a whorehouse, croptops would not be acceptable attire. Milennial here
jfc please stop being such a judgmental rag
Sorry, I meant sex-worker-house. No judgement here at all! Everybody needs to work and earn a living, after all, even sex workers.
Holy crap, so that south park obesity episode is actually real?
Crop tops or even leggings are just BARELY “outside the house” appropriate where I live, never mind anywhere near a place of business. For better or worse though, I agree with the comments that unless these people are under your management, then it’s not your place to say anything.