‘We’re sending you to a class — on how to use fashion and makeup’
July 1, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: Dubious decisions, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
HR Managers are some of the biggest proponents of further education for employees. But how would you feel about sending female employees to classes about fashion and makeup?
The WNBA’s new class of rookie women basketball players recently had orientation classes on those very topics.
In one class, a cosmetics expert brought in by the league showed the women how to arc their eyebrows, apply blush across their cheekbones and put on no-smudge eyeliner to receive the right attention off the basketball court.
And the players don’t seem to mind, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
“I think it’s important,” said No. 1 draft pick Candace Parker. Others quoted in the article seemed to agree.
Meanwhile, over at the LPGA, seven top women golfers are being represented by Wilhelmina Artist Management. The women have posed for photo shoots in which they wear bikinis, summer dresses and evening gowns. The photos are then used to help the women get endorsement contracts.
Similar to the basketball players, they seem to like it. “It was nice to feel glamorous,” golfer Kim Hall told the Los Angeles Times.
About three years ago, the NBA instituted an off-the-court dress code for its players. It requires “business casual,” which is defined as:
- a long- or short-sleeved dress shirt (collared or turtleneck), and/or a sweater
- dress slacks, khaki pants or dress jeans, and
- appropriate shoes and socks, including dress shoes, dress boots, or other presentable shoes, but not including sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, or work boots.
NBA player reaction at the time wasn’t as positive as that mentioned above from the WNBA. “I think it’s a load of crap,” said Tim Duncan of the Spurs.
But the Knicks’ Antonio Davis seemed to sum it up quite well. “I think anything you impose on players, the first reaction is going to be, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do that.’ We fight a little bit about change. But in the end, when it all settles, and you start to realize why, and guys will come in and they’ll feel good about how they’re dressed and things like that. Hopefully, they’ll start to embrace it.”
And that pretty much summarizes how we feel about having to put on a suit once a year for the company dinner when we’re used to the business casual dress code, much like the NBA’s, on a regular basis.
Tags: class, dress code, makeup
July 7th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I think it is a great idea for companies that want to portray a professional image to provide classes that will help steer their employees in the right direction. Looking good equates to feeling good and if you feel good, you will perform at a higher level. As an HR Director, the argument I hear most about dress codes is the inability of some employees to afford the right clothes. If employers require a certain dress code but don’t pay accordingly, they should give examples of where employees might find the right clothes at a price their employees can afford. Considering the economic slump most retailers are experiencing, they may be willing to provide the training. On the other side, good weekend casual clothes (jeans, gym shoes and the like) seem to be just as expensive than business casual attire, so I don’t really buy into that argument.