Friday is, of course, casual day at the firm. You are supposed to wear “business casual” (whatever that is these days; the mores seem to change with lightning speed). Today I got to wondering whether casual Fridays are more advantageous for men or for women. That is, do men or women get more out of being able to discard the standard professional attire in favor of something more comfortable?
This is not an easy question. For men, well-knotted ties and shirts that button to the neck are pretty darned uncomfortable, and if you are in a meeting where you have to wear your suit jacket, it adds up to a truly hot, binding ensemble. Kish tells me, on the other hand, that panty hose are about as uncomfortable as clothing can get.
Upon careful consideration, my conclusion is that casual Fridays are of more benefit to men than women. Why? Because even on casual Fridays, women often nevertheless wear what appears to be the most uncomfortable clothing item of all — their shoes. Many women’s shoes look more like the legendary Iron Maiden than comfortable footwear. They’ve got straps and buckles and high heels, all of the weight is on the ball of the foot, and often toes are jammed into some “open toe” slot. If I had to walk around in something like that for a day, my feet would be cramping up and would hurt like blazes.
So, I think men win the comfort contest. They wear open-necked shirts and get to toss the coat. Women, on the other hand, bravely continue to endure extreme pedal discomfort in the name of fashion.
