Yeah , this one is a hold over from the tradition of children wearing short pants and skirts. Switching to full length pants and skirts signified the end of childhood. So shorts still get considered unprofessional because of the cultural memory of the relation to childishness. And some realation to sportswear.
We’ve already been through a change where short skirts have become sexual instead of immature. So skirt length gets examined primarily though the lens of modesty. But because there isn’t the same scrutiny of men’s bodies, showing a little extra skin doesn’t jump straight to sexual implications. It just gets called “sloppy” or too casual or just unprofessional.
Shaking up these rules is good for everyone, it roots out all those subconscious assumptions.
Serious answer: There is no way I am holding a ladder for someone without looking up to see what they’re doing and/or if something is on it’s way towards my head.
I think it’s totally possible to be aware of what’s happening while not looking up their clothing at their body. In fact I’d argue that if you’re focused on what you can see of their body, you can’t properly be aware of safety.
But I imagine most people wear long pants and close-toed shoes when doing any work that involves ladders in the interest of mitigating injury.
oh if you worked on your scottish accent, you could pull a really awesome: “so you think that there aren’t any scotts that aren’t white do ya?” i’d love to see the look on their face.
It’s possible to avert your eyes, but I would say nigh impossible to not look up at someone on a ladder and see up their clothing depending on what they’re wearing. If you’re actively STARING up their clothes, yeah, that’s a problem. (Also, depending on how high up they are. There is a point where it crosses from taking a peek to can’t help but see.)
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever…by Les Murray (australian)
To go home and wear shorts forever
in the enormous paddocks, in that warm climate,
adding a sweater when winter soaks the grass,
to camp out along the river bends
for good, wearing shorts, with a pocketknife,
a fishing line and matches,
or there where the hills are all down, below the plain
to sit around in shorts at evening
on the plank verandah…
This is what I’ve discovered through research. They are sturdy and last – sometimes it is worth shelling out the cash for something that lasts. I’ve ordered one for my 14-year-old for our next comic con and he is thrilled.
I’m not sure I believe this response from HR, there are never any humans in Human Resources, only cold blooded things with an aspect of the vengeful undead.
I threatened to do the same back in the late 90s, though I was going to go more for a kilt-type approach. In the end none of the management decided to challenge my short-wearing and the only time I ever wore ‘office gear’ was on ‘dress down’ (aka ‘Mufti’) Fridays (I refused to be told what to wear and when to wear it) - I even convinced my customers to come to meetings with me in casual clothing.
I recall a cartoon in a Scots clothes shop of an assistant saying “Of course there’s a Cohen tartan sir”, while behind him in the back room a man is frantically drawing one. After all, the whole thing is made up (I believe partly by Sir Walter Scott), especially the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Battenberg-“Windsor” ones. It may amuse the Duke of Rothesay, if he thinks about it.*
*When Prince Charles visits Scotland, he turns into the Duke of Rothesay despite being the Prince of Wales. When the UK splits up it’s going to be very complicated.
