June 16, 2005

Observations on France:

Unintentional cultural irony of the day...

    By Jack Grant

I had to take a "Occupational Health and Safety" class today, after having been on site here in France for over a year.

As the instructor, a woman, said, "You must not dress in shorts when you come to work, you must dress professionally," I could not help but notice the 10+ inch gap between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her jeans, not the largest I've observed since higher temperatures have arrived here, nor the lowest-waisted pants I have had the pleasure to observe on women, among the other, shall we name them revealing fashions associated with warmer temperatures here in the southern portion of France.

At least 8 inches of this particular gap in the dress of the instructor lecturing on dressing professionally was between her navel and the top of her jeans, with all the exposure that implies...

As I said, an unintentional cultural irony upon what is "dressing professionally", at least as viewed by an American male.

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Posted by Jack Grant at 22:47 on 16 June 2005
Comments

Sounds like its time for you to consider photoblogging......

Posted by: jmaster at June 17, 2005 09:21 PM

Even from company to company there is a big difference in the US. My sister is an exec at a big American corp started during the dot.coms and thriving. Her employees come in wearing shorts. They had to put a memo out saying, "You must wear shoes." This is in a major US city too.

Meanwhile, I can't believe how casual my new place of employment is because... I can wear jeans and sandals. At my old job, no jeans, men wore ties always, no tennis shoes...

I was stunned when she told me what the 'professionals' at her place of work wear.

Posted by: Boudicca at June 18, 2005 12:10 AM

Were you holding you gut trying to remain professional so you wouldn't guffaw out loud. I would have just burst out laughing and then explained why!

However, I have always wondered why men can get away with wearing golf shirts to work but it is frowned upon for women to wear dress shorts or the same for that matter. Another conundrum.

Posted by: Sinequanon at June 18, 2005 04:32 AM



























































































































































































































































































































































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