Take The Bathing Suit Off
July 31st, 2009
In my 20’s (1980’s) I went to the company picnic, the invitation included swimming in the lake. I did. On Monday my picture was posted on the bulletin board throughout the company. Some guys never treated me the same. It’s as if my business suit couldn’t cover up the visual in their mind; and the women . . . they just stared. I didn’t get it: there’s a lake, there are friends, so why not swim? I removed all of the pictures from the bulletin board, laughed it off and it took a long time to recover professionally. Today, being conservative during a company picnic is part of our regular schpill during our Style Matters business seminars .
It’s time for the summer office picnic and according to a July 16 Wall Street Journal article, nothing has changed since the 80’s. The article quotes many employees discussing how once they see someone’s birthmarks, leopard bikini, speedo, etc. it’s embedded in their memory . . . “once you’ve stripped to the equivalent of skivvies in front of your colleagues, you’ll never be fully dressed again in their minds.” The company picnic is the perfect place to wear knee-length shorts, capri pants, conservative summer dresses, think of this party as a business meeting with a hotdog.
I was once at a company picnic that has one of those dunk tanks where you throw a ball at a target and when hit, the manager suspended in a chair falls in (see picture) . If you are a female in top management and this is your duty, claim you can’t swim and get out. But if you can’t, wear walking shorts with several tee shirts so that your nips don’t peek out. The double standard still applies to women.
The days of bulletin boards are long gone, today, your bathing suit body will be plastered all over office emails. Be smart, be conservative and don’t show to much of your personal side.
