Dress Code

Soooo...I work in an office with a professional dress code. Great, no problem. I'm happy to comply. It used to be that I had no idea how to dress professionally, and no motivation to brush my teeth let alone dress properly for work. But nowadays, I both brush my teeth every day and dress professionally. I've invested in my wardrobe and while it's not as dapper as some people's, it's decent and meets the dress code.

On Fridays we are allowed to dress in business casual attire. I have a brand new pair of dark black jeans that fit perfectly, neither too tight nor too loose, and I usually wear those on Friday with a top that I wear during the week, usually a light orange cableknit sweater with 3/4 sleeves. It looks good on me. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it. Twiggy also wears colored jeans on Fridays. Colored jeans are specifically mentioned as being acceptable in our dress code.

Well on Thursday of this last week, my supervisor was busy making much ado about nothing as usual and wanted to meet with me about something inconsequential. I hate it when she does that. She practically gives me an ulcer over nothing. So we cleared up the little bit of nothing she called a frickin meeting about and then she tells me that Napoleon has issued an edict that I shall no longer be able to wear my black jeans to work on Fridays. That he's gotten comments from other people about it, etc.

Did I also mentioned that Napoleon ordered that my cube be reconfigured so that it is completely walled in again? Yes indeedy folks. Apparently, it is disruptive to have me be able to speak to others. Sales people were congregating by my cubicle and being loud and I heard Twiggy tell someone who'd asked her for the lowdown that, 'Well, you know, her voice carries...'. Betch. Well last week was when this magical event actually took place. So we have the jeans thing and the cubicle thing all at once.

I was not too happy about the jeans. I think my reaction to my supervisor was, "What the hell?" I just felt really picked on. Like, why can't this guy leave me alone? Next sentence, "I will just say that I think that it's very difficult for employees to know what the rules are when they only exist in the minds of this company's executives."

So again I just felt really picked on. So I talk with my favorite director, SeaBee. She lets me know that Napoleon is a pig who does not like fat people. Niiice. So now I feel even worse. I cannot overcome someone's ignorance and bigotry. Don't like me because I'm late everyday, don't like me because I call in to work every so often, don't like me because I surf the web too much, but please don't decide I'm worthless because I'm fat. Because I cannot lose weight for you or for a job.

I go home that night and cry on the Makistani's shoulder. He's so understanding and tries to comfort me. Bless his heart, he didn't say anything stupid. Check this out, it works better when you tell someone what they ought avoid saying, for example, "And DO NOT tell me that fat people get paid less and get discriminated against and that if I don't want that that I ought to lose weight!" He just says and does the right things.

Friday morning comes along and I dress in different pants, same top as usual, arrive at work and notice that Twiggy is wearing jeans, then I go and show my supervisor and ask her if anything's wrong with my appearance. Since she's in some fairyland thinking that I want to move up in this company, she says to me, "You should really wear some makeup if you want to make a good impression."

WHAT? Ok I wear makeup sometimes, but I only wear it when I bloody well feel like it and it's not covered in the dress code. So forget it, I'm not wearing it, especially because I can't now that you just told me I should! Dangit!!!! LOL I cannot look like I'm giving in to the s*xist alpha males that run this department and this company! Then the Makistani called and asked me out for lunch so I put on some makeup for him. :o) He tried really hard to say nothing stupid, but one thing slipped out, something about that they pick on people whom they're about to fire. I immediately forgave him. He tries so hard.

Anyway, I went home that night and tried to forget about this stupid week and get a more positive attitude back so that I could function. This week I am doing much better. It's so funny that I whined incessantly to so many people about this stupid thing and last week all I got was, well slap some makeup on. What's the big deal? This morning one friend called me back whom I had called last week while depressed and her answer was completely different, "DOCUMENT IT! They can't make you wear makeup!!!" lol. Well I guess this documents it.

I don't know why the happenings of last week threw me off so badly. I felt so depressed. Maybe it was because I felt like I was doing the best I could and it still wasn't good enough. Maybe it was the brush with discrimination. Well I am not going to get fired over a pair of pants so whatever on that. I am working on getting a degree right now so I can leave the world of secretaries once and for all. Then maybe I won't have to work in a department full of s*xists again. Maybe there is less s*xism in a bigger city, like Chicago...