6th form dress code

[Guest55]

Yes - if they are not smart they are spoken to ...

[Amber]

It's all so much easier for men though: I spent last night somewhere very posh, where I was expected to pitch up in LBD and tottery heels; the men only had to think about jacket and tie, and they could at least walk in their shoes. Mind you, I have learned a trick from the last such event and had flat shoes on until the last minute (swift change in the street outside), and a spare pair of tights in my bag so I wasn't caught out by ladders. Watching a friend put on a tie for what looked like the first time in his life was quite funny though.

[mad?]

It's all so much easier for men though: I spent last night somewhere very posh, where I was expected to pitch up in LBD and tottery heels; the men only had to think about jacket and tie, and they could at least walk in their shoes. Mind you, I have learned a trick from the last such event and had flat shoes on until the last minute (swift change in the street outside), and a spare pair of tights in my bag so I wasn't caught out by ladders. Watching a friend put on a tie for what looked like the first time in his life was quite funny though.

I'm having to do that tonight. OH just gets to wear his work suit and I have a dress code of 'cocktail' to follow. It is supposed to be an expensive night out by his firm saying 'thank you' to the partners for putting up with the long absence/hours etc. A much nicer thank you would be OH getting home before 9pm once in a while, or even, dare I say it, having a night off. I find it a rather patronising implication that a night out at a restaurant followed by some 'entertainment' (God help us) is a treat for little old me. I am too long in the tooth for such guff and am already having to secure a plastic face in place to ensure that I do not let the side down as of course, these things are actually only ever a test on OH's and my 'commitment' to the firm. Declining the invitation being a complete no no of course. AND, since I'm on a rant, it's halloween and both DDs are out at parties in odd bits of London (ie miles from a tube) and will need to be making their way home late at night alone as they cannot be picked up by us as we are busy being 'thanked'. It will cost more in taxi fares for them than the 'value' of the event itself. I too have a spare pair of tights, but might have to be restrained from using them as a ligature at some point. Sorry, completely off topic and a rant but I am SO there at the moment.

[scary mum]

It will all feel better after a couple of glasses of wine, mad?

[mad?]

It will all feel better after a couple of glasses of wine, mad?

Yes, perhaps I should start now...actually I have decided not to drink for fear of passing the odd choice remark or two

[Amber]

It will all feel better after a couple of glasses of wine, mad?

Yes, perhaps I should start now...actually I have decided not to drink for fear of passing the odd choice remark or two

You have summed up my usual two strategies for such social events, mad?
1. Avoid going, at any cost
2. If 1 fails, stay stone cold sober in order to marvel at how stupid other people start to look and sound after a glass or two of the hideously priced alcohol. The only exception is champagne - this should never be turned down.

Good luck - I do feel for you as I am a total social phobic in such scenarios. Last night's one for me was well away from OH and his work chums, and from my other nightmare, the 'girls night out' /school social event. So being there in my own right, as it were, kind of made it easier. Except for the shoes, obviously.

[Rob Clark]

Going to one's own work night out is one thing, but going to OH's!? I think I can safely say, hand on heart, that I have never been to one of OH's and I have certainly never made OH come to one of mine

Can't remember the last time I wore a tie, though. Sister's wedding a decade ago maybe…

DS (boys GS) has to wear a suit and tie for sixth form but the girls GS they can wear what they want, think I prefer the former.

[mad?]

Going to one's own work night out is one thing, but going to OH's!? I think I can safely say, hand on heart, that I have never been to one of OH's and I have certainly never made OH come to one of mine

My thoughts exactly Rob, but every year OH firm arranges this for 'us' the partners' partners. It is supposed to be a treat for us. Feels like a hangover from the 50s to me. We have alwasy assiduously avoided it citing baby sitters, my work commitments etc etc but in the past few years out absence has become more noticable and so we hvae become resigned to having to go at least every other year. My only hope is that my presence dazzles everyone so much that OH gets promoted and is in a position to stop the wretched thing, and fire the stupid woman whose role's sole purpose appears to be dreaming up and organising such things. Needless to say she is partnerless and finds the whole thing a tremendously exciting activity. I'd hope for her to get pregnant but having met her I feel it is unlikely.

[Tinkers]

Work social events used to be a bit of a nightmare for us, because as a female engineer often the other women used to assume I was just there with my DH rather than the other way round, and once realising, didn't know quite what to say to their DHs work colleague. Not sure why this made a difference to them.

Much better now as we both work for the same company and most people know both of us. There's also a lot more women engineers around, so I'm not so unusual any more.
(Thankfully we have never worked together, a former boss of mine thought about putting me on the same project as DH, then thought better of it )

Back on topic, the local comp has the sixth formers wearing smart 'business' attire. DDs gs has a dress code, but it's casual dress.

At work the wearing of ties is decreasing across all age ranges. Not much suit wearing either.

[push-pull-mum]

As long as all the necessary bits are covered up I can't see the problem.
With the abolition of EMA and education post 16 becoming compulsory why should going to school be made more expensive than it has to be? Cheap business dress looks "cheap" - I don't see why sixth formers can't wear their usual casual clothes .... or uniform?