What do you find unprofessional at work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:eating at your desk/office.

i find that disgusting. eat outside or in the cafeteria. hate having to smell 50 different kinds of food in teh work area.

we aren't animals.

Actually we are!

[Anonymous]

Agree with clipping nails, cleavage and any odd fonts or colors in emails.

I'll also add refusal to use email. I've had not one, but two former bosses who would go office to office, cubicle to cubicle, to relay messages to us, like some sort of unprofessional game of operator/whisper down the lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:eating at your desk/office.

i find that disgusting. eat outside or in the cafeteria. hate having to smell 50 different kinds of food in teh work area.

we aren't animals.

Most people eat at their desks because they're simply too busy and important to take a real lunch.

Most of us here eat at our desks if we don't go out together. But most of us have our own offices. I personally do not give a shit if you want to eat shrimp curry with extra garlic at your desk -- work sucks so if that makes your day better, by all means, I'll even run out and pick it up for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thigh highs that drop below the hem of your skirt
Fingertip length skirts
Cleavage
Booties with a skirt
(Previous 4 items were all on the same person on the same day at my firm)
Golf shirts with college or sports team logos
Wearing all black all the time

I agree with pretty much everything else on this thread except this. I'm from NYC and I can promise you that some of the most sophisticated, successful professional women I know rock this look. It has to be done right, of course -- the blacks have to match, the clothes must be beautifully tailored and lean more toward classic than trendy, and the makeup and accessories have to be impeccable. I also disagree with the idea that it's unprofessional to wear similar clothes from one day to the next. If my outfit is professional on Monday, the same outfit is professional on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

It sounds like someone you dislike wears a lot of black, but that doesn't make it unprofessional. (And no, I don't wear all black almost ever. I just take issue with your premise.)

Umm, no, you are wrong. I was actually referencing a person I actually like on a personal level and go out with out of the office as we both like live music. Its just that she doesn't pull off the look in the very specific manner that you describe above. Instead she looks like she should be waiting in line at a club.

And, what might fly in progressive NYC fashion doesn't usually translate well to yor average DC law or accounting firms. This just demonstrates that "professional attire" is highly dependent upon geography and industry.

[Anonymous]

What's up with all the cleavage remarks? And I bet 99% of these remarks are from other women with small chests that have no freaking idea how hard it can be to cover them up. Why can't women be proud and own their bodies instead of being ashamed of them? I don't go out of my way to buy low cut tops but sometimes there's no hiding them. I shouldn't feel ashamed in the office because of it. It seems like a backwards thing when it comes to womens rights in the workplace.

[Anonymous]

This thread has taught me that women are our own worst enemies and critics in the workplace. A bunch of petty, jealous school girls dressed up in their mothers clothes.

[Anonymous]

chewing gum unless it's done in the most discrete, nearly-invisible possible fashion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's up with all the cleavage remarks? And I bet 99% of these remarks are from other women with small chests that have no freaking idea how hard it can be to cover them up. Why can't women be proud and own their bodies instead of being ashamed of them? I don't go out of my way to buy low cut tops but sometimes there's no hiding them. I shouldn't feel ashamed in the office because of it. It seems like a backwards thing when it comes to womens rights in the workplace.

This. I can show cleavage in a t shirt, I kid you not. Its not purposeful. The same shirt on a flat chested woman would be completely innocuous. I'm not going to wear turtlenecks every day to placate your sensitive eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has taught me that women are our own worst enemies and critics in the workplace. A bunch of petty, jealous school girls dressed up in their mothers clothes.

+1. This is what I've picked up on so far:

Don't wear heels, but don't wear frumpy flats.
Don't go without make-up
Don't wear too much make-up.
Don't eat any foods that might have a scent. Raw spinach and poached chicken are OK.
Don't make friends with your co-workers and show interest in their hobbies and personal lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:eating at your desk/office.

i find that disgusting. eat outside or in the cafeteria. hate having to smell 50 different kinds of food in teh work area.

we aren't animals.

Actually we are!

This thread is so funny.
OT I know but just this morning I was explaining to a 4 yr old how he was indeed a mammal even though he didn't make milk...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's up with all the cleavage remarks? And I bet 99% of these remarks are from other women with small chests that have no freaking idea how hard it can be to cover them up. Why can't women be proud and own their bodies instead of being ashamed of them? I don't go out of my way to buy low cut tops but sometimes there's no hiding them. I shouldn't feel ashamed in the office because of it. It seems like a backwards thing when it comes to womens rights in the workplace.

This. I can show cleavage in a t shirt, I kid you not. Its not purposeful. The same shirt on a flat chested woman would be completely innocuous. I'm not going to wear turtlenecks every day to placate your sensitive eyes.

Well, as a DD chest, I am. Not turtlenecks exactly but I don't wear anything that shows cleavage. Which means I have a much harder time shopping than smaller-chested women. But I do it anyway because cleavage is not professional -- at least not in law.

[Anonymous]

Re; cleavage. I am a woman and find it distracting because I usually don't have it. However, I was pregnant last year and now and nursing and frankly, I'm enjoying showing my little cleavage. I know it's temp and I dress pretty conservatively otherwise.

My office mates are gifted and sometimes they show a distracting amount but again, they are otherwise conservatively and professionally dressed.

Which reminds me: I can't wait for spring!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's up with all the cleavage remarks? And I bet 99% of these remarks are from other women with small chests that have no freaking idea how hard it can be to cover them up. Why can't women be proud and own their bodies instead of being ashamed of them? I don't go out of my way to buy low cut tops but sometimes there's no hiding them. I shouldn't feel ashamed in the office because of it. It seems like a backwards thing when it comes to womens rights in the workplace.

This. I can show cleavage in a t shirt, I kid you not. Its not purposeful. The same shirt on a flat chested woman would be completely innocuous. I'm not going to wear turtlenecks every day to placate your sensitive eyes.

Well, as a DD chest, I am. Not turtlenecks exactly but I don't wear anything that shows cleavage. Which means I have a much harder time shopping than smaller-chested women. But I do it anyway because cleavage is not professional -- at least not in law.

+1 Get yourself some button-up work shirts, ladies. And make sure they are well-tailored so they do not gap open at the buttons. Voila, professional.

[Anonymous]

Surfing DCUM all day! So many of you do it and unless you're Jeff, or you're being paid for planting endorsements, it's certainly unprofessional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's up with all the cleavage remarks? And I bet 99% of these remarks are from other women with small chests that have no freaking idea how hard it can be to cover them up. Why can't women be proud and own their bodies instead of being ashamed of them? I don't go out of my way to buy low cut tops but sometimes there's no hiding them. I shouldn't feel ashamed in the office because of it. It seems like a backwards thing when it comes to womens rights in the workplace.

This. I can show cleavage in a t shirt, I kid you not. Its not purposeful. The same shirt on a flat chested woman would be completely innocuous. I'm not going to wear turtlenecks every day to placate your sensitive eyes.

Well, as a DD chest, I am. Not turtlenecks exactly but I don't wear anything that shows cleavage. Which means I have a much harder time shopping than smaller-chested women. But I do it anyway because cleavage is not professional -- at least not in law.

+1 Get yourself some button-up work shirts, ladies. And make sure they are well-tailored so they do not gap open at the buttons. Voila, professional.

But that is my entire point. We aren't men and we shouldn't have to pretend to be or over extend ourselves to hide our secondary sex characteristics. I find that mentality more offesnive than the actual cleavage.