I guess I'm getting old.

[HgTX]

This is kind of a rehash of the harrumphing in Thread731-110284 (which I happened to surf to recently), but I just gotta.

I was just at a conference. There were a number of college students in attendance.

The boys all wore what I'd expect a student to wear to a conference--variations on the theme of polo or oxford shirt, and khakis. More formal than they'd wear just hanging out or going to a party.

The girls, on the other hand...

Okay, it's not like they were wearing lowriser jeans with their thongs sticking out. But they wore outfits that, although fairly nice, looked a lot more like they were going to parties than to a meeting. And they wore that "I'm finally too old for Daddy to tell me not to do this" quantity of mascara that has been popular with girls and that adult women have always grown out of since about 1968.

And they wore flip-flops. Sure, new fancy flip-flops with little gold spangles, but flip-flops dammit.

And yes, I know, the face of engineering is changing and new demographics will bring in new looks, but this didn't strike me so much as cutting-edge as simply juvenile and clueless.

There were also girls there who knew how to dress--they looked plenty feminine, plenty modern, but professional. So it's not simply that Times Have Changed. (And besides, cutting-edge in engineering just means wearing what was cutting-edge a few years ago in less conservative fields but is now pretty standard. Flip-flops are NOT "the new flats", and a quick googling backs me up on this.)

There were no boys who wore nice yet inappropriate clothes (like, Idunno, silk knit T-shirt with more jewelry than one ought to wear to the office).

I don't really think it's just a matter of What Young People Are Wearing These Days. I recently attended a presentation given by a bunch of business school freshmen (age 19, mostly girls), and they were all VERY professional-looking. I guess they teach them that in B-school.

So why should it be the girls who didn't bother figuring out what they should wear to this conference? Is it lack of role models hanging around their civil engineering departments? Or is it the greater variability in women's wear that leads to more likelihood of picking the wrong thing?

Or is it just my deep-seated prejudice against anyone who reminds me of high school?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[casseopeia]

uh oh, I'm in trouble now. I probably violate the nail polish rules. I have well-manicured toenails because I get pedicures about every 2 weeks. So that's not the problem.

But I am currently wearing NEON PINK practically glows in the dark! And I usually wear sandles.

"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[EddyC]

Neon Pink/Fuschia/Magenta is one of my favorite colors.

 

[HgTX]

I'm not necessarily against nail polish. I don't really know what the rules are (but I'm pretty sure there are some rules). I don't think I've really seen anything other than perhaps a French polish on an engineer--but if we were to allow flipflops or other open-toed shoes, I wouldn't be surprised to see nail polish there, even on someone who doesn't wear fingernail polish. (Casseopeia, are you in this category?)

I'm guessing someone with bright fingernail polish and/or very long nails would be seen as less professional (and certainly not willing to get her hands dirty). (And coloured polish on short fingernails just looks childish.)

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[powerjunx]

casseopeia,

"..But I am currently wearing NEON PINK practically glows in the dark! And I usually wear sandles."
Seems like you're a highaway signages! But anyway, who cares it's just your fashion.

 

[casseopeia]

Funny you should mention it. My nails seem to be a mirror to my personality; split. Never thought about it in those terms before.

I've got NEON PINK on my toes, which I can cover up if I need to to look serious for work, and NO color on my fingernails, which I keep pretty short. In fact, I usually just get a buff for my fingernails. This is what MEN get when they have a manicure. You get all the usual maintenance stuff, like cuticle trim, filing, clipping and a hand massage, but no color, and no extended nail length.

Never have been a girly-girl who is afraid to break a nail, or get my hands into my work. Can't keep color polish on more than 2 days. It starts to chip, then I just take it off. Easier to not do it in the first place.

I'm not too sure what the rules are for polish, just that it should be neat and unobtrusive.. and not grown out 1/4 inch at the bottom of the nail. As for color, probably something soft. I've always hated the black/purple look. Too goth for the office.

I'll wear goth make-up, costuming and put on fake tattoos for a performance, but I don't bring that stuff into the work.




"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"

 

[btrueblood]

Goth bellydancing? Save me a seat on the couch at the old folk's home, HgTX...

 

[ivymike]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060629...BIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--