Here, short and sweet, is our newest "dress standards" policy:

"LRMA is a public service business and cultural institution.  The Museum 
has a highly visible image and the staff is expected to be professional 
in their work, attitude, and dress habits."

The previous dress code, written in 1988 (though sounding like 1958) 
specified pantyhose with skirts, no trousers for women, ties on men at 
all times, and other absurdities, in an institution where you might find 
yourself climbing a ladder, hauling a crate, swinging a hammer, or 
helping a schoolkid throw a clay pot on any given day.   Never mind the 
very notion of pantyhose in August in Mississippi at all.  Anyway, it's 
to the point, open to interpretation, and it's above all, "a written 
policy." 

At the very least, you might point out that flip-flops and other flimsy 
shoes are a safety liability for behind-the-scenes workers.   I had one 
intern who kept showing up in stilettos, which aren't exactly the best 
art-wrangling shoes.  One day, I would like to find a way to tactfully 
tell my college-aged interns that I do not wish to see their underwear, 
butt-cracks, or lower-back tattoos peeking out of their low-riding 
jeans.  It seems that the low-riders are on their way out, so maybe this 
will no longer be a problem.   Anyway, good luck with your half-dressed 
employees.


Via, Marie wrote:
> Our museum is debating the pros and cons of adopting a dress code for
> museum staff.  This has come up primarily because a few interns,
> volunteers and younger staffers are wearing shorts, rubber flip-flops,
> spaghetti straps, revealing necklines, hats, etc., to work.  In the
> past, supervisors have simply talked one-on-one with a person they felt
> was inappropriately dressed for his or her particular position,
> emphasizing that they were doing themselves a disservice if people don't
> take them serious.  And obviously there was some degree of difference in
> the expectations of a front-end vs. behind-the-scenes people.  A few
> people have not responded well to this and cite the absence of a written
> policy. (*sigh*)  Obviously, we need to find a way to balance our
> identity as an institution that fosters creativity and personal
> expression with our commitment to professionalism.
>  
> I'd appreciate hearing feedback on this situation and hearing from
> anybody whose museum has a written dress code.  
>  
> Marie Via, Director of Exhibitions
> Memorial Art Gallery
> 500 University Avenue
> Rochester, NY  14607
> 585-473-7720, x3012
> http://mag.rochester.edu
>  
>
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-- 
Jill R. Chancey, PhD
Curator
Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
PO Box 1108
Laurel, MS 39440
www.LRMA.org
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