Natalie

Hello Feministing community!

I have a dilemma that I need help with: How do you establish a dress code at work without shaming women or making them uncomfortable?

The Background: I work at a homeless shelter. We work with a population that is comprised of many sex offenders and generally more men than women. We also have a mostly young and mostly female staff. The concern is that certain types of clothing will be drawing the wrong kind of attention, and that all staff should be encouraged to wear loose fitting clothing. In reality however, we all pretty much dress how we want. I dress in a professional way for the job that I have, I feel that suggesting parts of the body that should not be exposed is insulting. In my opinion, asking for and expecting professionalism in the workplace should be enough.

I would really like some feedback on this. Does the clientele necessitate a more puritanical dress code? Should it not matter? Should I feel uncomfortable wearing a tank top?

Feminist input is needed, please help!