From: lvglenn	Date: June 6th, 2001 08:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I'll answer your question with a question. Why is it that the clothes which on a man would be "business casual" are okay for women to wear on non-casual office days?

Sorry, you struck a nerve. :)

	From: anne	Date: June 12th, 2001 02:32 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I've been out of town but have meant to respond to your post. I'm glad you've gotten something from what I've written...I've been reading some very interesting, thought-provoking, and mind-expanding stuff for my exam! :)

I'm sorry you got the response you did. As one piece suggested here said, as is generally the case, human beings take for granted the benefits derived from some social arrangement but are aware of its costs for them. It is likely that men viewed women as the more sheltered sex, free from male pressure to provide and to achieve. Men are going to be more likely to notice things that impact them negatively, but fail to notice the overwhelming general advantage they have in society. Chivalry, such as in the case of women having doors held open for them, is simply not in the same league as pay inequality and pink-collar occupational ghettos.

Certainly, there are different social expectations for men and women, including dress standards. I love how at 'black tie' functions, women are all wearing different gowns, but men all look the same in their tuxedos. Of course, men are also only wearing pants, while women have more flexibility in clothing choices. I see these as less pressing concerns, but they are certainly indicative of the different expectations that exist for men and women in our society (and in societies around the world).