“Dress Codes: A History of Our Collective Fashion Trauma” Let’s begin with a universal truth: Nothing inspires existential dread quite like the words “business casual.” What does that mean, who’s interpretation counts, what’s included and what’s completely off-limits? Dress codes are humanity’s longest-running inside joke, and the punchline keeps evolving. One day it’s “no jeans,” the next it’s “only jeans if they’re not too jean-y, not faded, and certainly without any trendy rips or holes”. Somewhere in between, someone wore a full dinosaur costume to a Zoom meeting and no one said a word. But how did we get here? And more importantly—where exactly are we going? Act I: When Status Meant Starch Should we rewind to the days when “dressing up” meant shoulder pads so intense, you looked like an action figure ready to file a hostile takeover and fight crime before lunch. Back then, clothing wasn’t about personal expression—it was a social billboard: “I own land.” “I hunt foxes recreationally.” “My servants buttoned this for me.” Fashion was functionless on purpose. If you looked wildly uncomfortable, congratulations! You were winning. Spanx, girdles, and corsets—oh my. Over-starched jeans with knife-sharp pleats down the front. Two-inch heels designed by sadists. Turtlenecks so tight they doubled as mood rings. And synthetic blouses so “breathable,” they turned your torso into a slow-cooking steam roast. Fast forward to the industrial age and the birth of the office worker. Enter: The Suit. It said, “I work in a building with paper,” and later evolved into “I have 37 unread emails and mild acid reflux.” The Barbie Years: Dress Code, But Make It Passive-Aggressive But no era of dress codes quite captured the blend of control and comedy like this one… I’ll never forget the Barbie incident. Our male boss bought one of those talking Barbie dolls—the kind you could record voice messages on. No one else ever touched it. She lived on his desk, waiting for deployment like some kind of glittery compliance drone. And her one job? Dress code enforcement. If you came back from your morning break and found Barbie casually reclining on your desk, you already knew: you’d been tagged. Pull her string and out came a disturbingly perky recording, something like: “Your outfit does not align with our professional dress standards. Please go home and change. Have a great day!” Didn’t matter how brilliant you were. Barbie didn’t care about your KPIs. She existed solely to crack down on cleavage, criminalize visible seams, and banish any pant fabric that didn’t scream “boardroom austerity.” Flat-felled stitching on dress pants? Too edgy. A v-neck that showed even a whisper of a collarbone? Too everything. We lived in quiet dread of that doll. She was a pink plastic HR deputy with one mission:enforce an unwritten dress code that essentially said; “Don’t look too comfortable—or too female.” Act II: Business Casual and the Great Beige Era Then, somewhere in the late 20th century, someone decided that “casual Friday” would boost morale. Suddenly, the suit and tie weren’t the only game in town. Enter: Dockers, sweater vests, and polos so clingy they practically absorbed your workplace anxiety. Business casual was meant to free us, but instead it birthed a new kind of tyranny: the vague, unwritten rules of “not too casual.” Jeans? Sometimes. Sneakers? Depends on your title. A hoodie? Only if you’re a tech billionaire. . . or when you just gave up. If business formal was a prison, business casual was parole, with confusing terms and a very judgmental parole officer named Karen from Compliance. Act III: Zoom Tops and Sweatpants Bottoms Then came the pandemic. A reset button for fashion expectations. 2020 was the year we collectively asked, “Wait, were pants ever really necessary?” Blouses were paired with pajama bottoms. Robes made it to board meetings. And yes, there was that guy that showed up to the Zoom call as a cat - a naked cat. Somehow, no one spontaneously combusted from the collapse of professional decorum. The line between “home” and “office” blurred, then disappeared, then was stomped on by someone wearing fuzzy animal slippers and holding a ring light. Act IV: So… What Now? Today, we stand at a crossroads. Do we return to the tyranny of tailored blazers? Or lean all the way into comfort couture? Will Gen Z finally kill the high-heel once and for all? (Godspeed.) Will Boomers ever accept that a hoodie can mean leadership? (Unclear.) The truth is, dress codes have always been less about clothes and more about power, control, and the illusion of order in a world where someone will inevitably show up in flip-flops anyway. As an HR professional, I’d say this: If I were writing today’s dress code policy? It would be simple. Don’t be gross. Don’t be distracting. Just wear something you can sit, breathe, and maybe even thrive in. If it expresses who you are, go for it. If it was last worn at a Renaissance fair, maybe ask a friend first. 💬 Let’s Talk What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever been told to wear (or not wear) at work or school? What would your ideal dress code look like? 📌 Follow me for more stories that explore the silly, strange, and occasionally stylish corners of modern life. 💬 And if this made you laugh, share it with someone who still owns “work slacks.” Follow me on Medium for more! https://medium.com/@beckybell714

Education is not merely a phase of life; it is a transformative journey that shapes the very essence of an individual. At the heart of this journey lies the institution that serves as its foundation: school. From the tender age of enrollment to the bittersweet moments of graduation, the impact of school in children’s lives is profound and far-reaching. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted significance of school in shaping the minds, characters, and futures of our young generation. https://childrenareloved.com/2024/03/13/the-impact-of-school-in-childrens-life/

Chemical plastic recycling technologies are only just emerging - this creates an exciting environment for novel innovations to become the heart of future infrastructure. Explore challenges and opportunities of this fast-paced industry in this insights blog.

“Dating is for white girls” was the implicit truth that we all knew in high school. Yes, some Indian girls and Pakistani girls had boyfriends, but they were kept hidden. These boyfriends would not be going over to dinner at the girl’s house. Their numbers were kept saved as a girl’s name on their phones. They would have to “go to the library” to meet them. Perhaps the clandestine nature of the affair made it all the more attractive to them but it was always going to happen when they shared a society with degeneracy. It does not happen with the same frequency in communities that are isolated from modern western culture. The parents of white girls on the other hand had given open approbation to their daughters having boyfriends. This was the precursor of the hoe behaviour that would naturally ensue in later years. They think dating is “cute and normal” but it has only been normal even in white cultures for about 50 years. I know there are some white families that are just as strict with their teenage daughters when it comes to dating, but they themselves must admit they are the exception and not the rule. The degenerate culture of the modern west has now, unfortunately, become synonymous with “white culture”. However, it is not, in fact, “white culture”. It is simply a modern disease that began its rot in the west and has, invariably, begun to spread. But white girls weren’t always like this. There was a time that they formed part of a more elegant, honourable and dignified society. And it was unique because it struck a delicate balance between restriction and freedom; it was neither suffocating nor too liberal. What did that look like? Let us discuss… Would you like to read more? Comment Link to get the link to this article!

I have largely kept silent on my views surrounding American politics and geopolitics in general. However, this week, two things happened: 1) I was inspired by a brilliant Ted talk by Ian Bremmer (watch it here), and 2) I felt that God was releasing me to share my perspective. My perspectives are based on considering the world through the lens of community - a global community - and through the lens of an unfolding plan of God.... https://authenticjoy.org/2025/02/28/faith-and-politics-understanding-community-dynamics/

My 8 Dogs + 2 Guest Dogs + Ice Storm of the Century: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Imagine this: ten dogs, no power, and an ice storm that would make even Elsa reconsider her life choices. Sounds fun, right? For five days, I lived in what can only be described as a chaotic masterpiece: - Feeding, entertaining, and cuddling 10 (yes, TEN) dogs. - No power, no lights, and zero modern comforts. - Sleeping in a recliner to keep the wood stove going so we wouldn’t freeze into popsicles. Let me set the scene. Last week, life was peaceful. There were whispers of a winter storm brewing, but around here, that could mean anything—from a light dusting to a full-blown blizzard. As the days went on, the whispers turned to shouts, and before I knew it, people were calling this storm monumental. Spoiler alert again—they weren’t exaggerating. Read more of the Ice Chronicles https://thebarkingblogger.com/10-dogs-5-days-1-ice-storm-a-comedy-of-chaos/

🚨 New Blog Alert! 🚨 Writing Tips - For Free Thinking about writing and self-publishing your book? It's a rewarding journey, but not always a lucrative one. In my latest blog, I dive into the passion, costs, and realities of being an author and how to manage your expectations while chasing your dreams. Check it out and stay inspired! 👉 https://kayaoliver.com/blog #WritingLife #SelfPublishing #ChaseYourPassion #writingtips #newauthors #newwritersclub #newwriter #authorlife #authorlife

"𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥" (A Blog Post) by Sheila Evans I often begin my personal prayer time by speaking the Lord's Prayer to God. Over the course of my life, I'm certain I've read and spoken it literally thousands of times over. Yet, each time I pray it, it's with the intentional focus of my mind and heart on every minute part, as though it is "brand new" to my heart and my spiritual hearing... because it is. I desire that the Holy Spirit will bring fresh illumination to my spirit -- a revelation I didn't receive the last time I spoke the prayer... a reawakening of who God is, the conveying of His will, a reminder of my absolute dependence upon Him, a resurgence of my want of Him in the deepest well within my soul. No matter how many times you've read, heard, or quoted a verse, passage, or chapter of the Holy Scriptures, never perceive God's Word as something routine and mundane. Never allow your heart or mind to approach the Living, Active, Word of God without the anticipation of hearing the Holy Spirit speak afresh and anew - the deep things of God. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 "𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦" 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 -- 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. #InspiredToInspireOthers #christianauthor #authorasoulsreflectionbook #christianauthorsofinstagram #Godstillspeaks #JesusStillSaves

The concept of the Son of God as mediator between earth and heaven began in Egypt. https://www.linwoodjacksonjr.com/new-blog/2024/12/31/shu-and-the-logos-ancient-egypts-influence-on-christianity

why my kids hate Christmas

Gain the knowledge and skills to help others with GCU's online Master of Social Work program.

ブログ更新しました---「雪と阿弥陀仏の本願」 https://kougwanji.net/%e3%80%90%e4%bb%8f%e6%95%99%e3%83%96%e3%83%ad%e3%82%b0%e3%80%91%e9%9b%aa%e3%81%a8%e9%98%bf%e5%bc%a5%e9%99%80%e4%bb%8f%e3%81%ae%e6%9c%ac%e9%a1%98