Adhering to your workplace’s dress code sends the message that you are serious about your job. It also helps present a professional image of your organization and can promote a sense of belonging with your colleagues and the company.
If you’ve been informed about the guidelines for attire at your office—whether it be casual, smart casual, business casual, or formal—it’s likely that you won’t run into any problems with your boss.
However, there are other times when the rules aren’t that clear. A TikToker known as @christmaskwon recently took to the Chinese-owned platform to share a confusing episode she experienced with her boss regarding her outfit, sparking a debate over what her employer’s remark actually meant.
A worker in South Korea was told by her boss that she was showing “too much skin” with her outfit, which consisted of dark jeans, a tank top, and a cardigan
Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
“My boss just told me I’m showing too much skin,” wrote the South Korean worker.
Her all-black look consisted of jeans, a tank top, and a cardigan.
“Is…too much skin in the room with us?” she added in the caption of the video, which has been viewed over 7 million times.
In the comments of the clip, @christmaskwon shared that she works in customer service and answers questions through a chat log, so she has no occasion to interact with clients face-to-face.
Taking to TikTok, user @christmaskwon showed everyone the outfit in question
People were equally as confused as her, with many disagreeing with her boss‘ assessment of her clothing.
“That’s corporate talk for ‘I can slightly see down your shirt, and I am not competent enough to stop looking,'” a social media user suggested.
“A clavicle?!?!? How dare you!” commented another.
The Seoul resident shared that she works in customer service and answers questions through a chat log, so she has no occasion to interact with clients face-to-face
“Are they taller than you? I got told this and when we discussed it, we found out when he looks down at me he sees into my top. So, we decided to never speak of policing my outfits if we didn’t take it to HR,” a third user shared.
Someone else advised @christmaskwon to request to see the company’s dress code policy. “Unless the dress code is putting a bag over your head with two peepholes for eyes, then I’m not sure what your boss means. Ask for clarification.”
Then, another woman shared her own experience of being sexualized for her outfit. “I got dress-coded at my school, which doesn’t have a dress code, and they told me I was distracting professors with my low-cut tops and short shorts. I was dressed like everyone else,” she wrote.
People were confused by the employer’s comment, and many suggested they likely tried to get @christmaskwon to cover her tattoos
@christmaskwonIs…too much skin in room with us?♬ The Spark – Kabin Crew
Others speculated that the comment was an indirect way to ask the Seoul resident to cover her tattoos.
“I hate that it’s the truth, but they probably meant the tattoos, especially the one running up your sternum. Personally, I think you look amazing,” someone said.
“Their way of saying wear a turtleneck to cover the tats,” summarized another, while a separate person said, “Too much tattooed skin* is what they probably meant, unfortunately.”
“Guess you’re supposed to wear a bag over your head,” someone joked
