Flip Flops @ the White House

Hunter1 · July 2005

Is this much ado about nothing? Or, don't young people get taught about respect, etc?

TN HR · July 2005

I find it quite idiotic, thruth be told, for these young ladies to pull cutesy little stunts such as these. If you want to act like an imbecile, do it elsewhere. Wear a sequined-halter top for your Senior portrait, act like a retard during the family reunion group photo, but don't spoil the moment for everyone else. Suppose one or two in the group wanted to share this memory with their grandkids later on.

Whatever · July 2005

Unfortunately, I don't think this was a cutesy stunt. I believe they didn't know better. I have on several occasions dealt with people who were inappropriately dressed for work and didn't even understand why their attire was unsuitable (I'm talking see thru blouses, tank tops, pants that hug the lower hip with a short top etc. etc.). I think these girls honestly believe that flip-flops were appropriate.

LisaMN2 · July 2005

I just looked at the pic, I thought the young women looked very nice, no one's belly button ring was showing, the skirts were an appropriate length. I say its about time women shoes were both comfortable and stylish. Beats the crap out of the the pointy toed stilettos the older women wear....

They interviewed someone on the Today show about this????8-|

mushroomHR · July 2005

I agree with Whatever. We have college girls come to work in our office environment with crop tops, low-slung hip-huggers, flip-flops and skirts so skimpy they look about the size of a dinner napkin. When we tell these young ladies about their attire they look at us like we're dinosaurs. I honestly believe they have no clue that their attire is inappropriate.

ray a · July 2005

We had the conversation on another thread comparing style of dress for school in the 50s to today. In the 50s and 60s crop tops, low-slung hip-huggers, flip-flops and skimpy skirts were forbidden, today they are commonplace. We learned how to dress properly. Today's youth are not taught that.

Whatever · July 2005

Here's the problem. The Yout (I am from Brooklyn) of today believe that they know how to dress and we are a bunch of old fuddy-duddys (though I would assume they use an entirely different word).

Parabeagle · July 2005

What's the deal? Flip-flopping at the White House has been a time-honored tradition since Nixon. x;-)

JudyT929 · July 2005

How does wearing flip flops ruin something for somebody's grandkids??? Did they wear them on their head or something?

SMace · July 2005

The media needs to find their next Michael Jackson. This is riduculous.

HRinGA · July 2005

Yeah, it was pretty tacky. We've had to really crack down on them at work. I would never, ever wear flip-flops to work!
Even when you count the legitimate reasons why they shouldn't have worn them, the bottom line is they don't match what the girls are wearing. Cute dress, ugly shoes. Ruins the whole outfit.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

I usually stay on top of things better than this. What did I miss? My grandmother and mother used to call it 'home training', as in "He ain't had no home trainin' poor thing", or "She just didn't have good home trainin', bless her soul". I don't know what it's called now or if that term became extinct.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

dchr9203 · July 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-19-05 AT 04:43PM (CST)[/font][br][br]

Personally, while I don't like flip flops and think they are about the tackiest shoe around (I wish that women who wore them would learn to walk in them such that they don't distract a whole city block by the FLAP FLAP noise), these young ladies looked very presentable for their age, considering how I've seen some dress. I wouldn't wear them to the white house, nor would I allow my daughter to if I had one, but there are worse things. Like the hipster pants/skirt with the thong, tattoo, belly, tongue and nose rings.

HRinNH · July 2005

I agree with dchr. Though I wouldn't have worn them or allowed my daughters to wear them to the White House, at least the piercings and tatoos (and I'm sure many of the team players have them) appear to have been covered.

lorrie · July 2005

I do not consider them appropriate for work, and I agree that 'dress sandals' would have been more appropriate for the white house, but I have actually come to accept flip-flops as an acceptable option for some dress occasions.

Here's my reasoning:
Many of todays 'dresses,' similar to those worn by the lacrosse team, are fairly casual, and the flip-flops don't seem so out of line with the styles. If casual skirts are acceptable, then flip-flops are ok.

Many of the flip-flops are not very different from the strapless 'dress' sandals; except for little piece of material between the toes.

My general rule of 'requirements' for dress with 2 teenage daughters is something like: I won't argue about preferences on style, as long as I see no cleavage or cracks. And belly buttons and pubic hair must be covered also. (Can I say that on the forum?) Sad to say the latter must be specified with today's jeans.

TN HR · July 2005

Whoa nelly! Pubic hair? What if they brazil wax? I'd hate to know what the standard is then!

LivindonSouth · July 2005

I know nothing of this and don't know what group of young people are being discussed here. But, it is my assumption that whoever they are/were, they had no preconceived notion of reverence for the place, as most Americans don't. I guess it would be like me suddenly finding myself touring the Vatican after having walked around in Rome (is that where it is) for a day and a half. I doubt I would go somewhere and put on wingtips and a button down shirt. But, what the hey, for several years the American public, or a large segment of it, tolerated the thong-cigar-kneepad scenario in the white house.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

dchr9203 · July 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-20-05 AT 08:48AM (CST)[/font][br][br]The article can be viewed here. If you cannot open it, just do a Google search on "Flip Flops @ the white house". There is a link to the picture of the group and another link to the article. You can get to them from Google without having to register on the Chicago Tribune site. In looking at the picture, I don't see any indication of irreverance; just a group of young girls dressed like a group of young girls. But again I say, from the picture I saw, not all bad.

[url]http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0507150145jul15,1,998868.story?coll=chi-news-hed[/url]

LivindonSouth · July 2005

I got the message "page cannot be found", but I think I have the message. If the White House was their destination and they left their hotel to go directly there for a planned tour, some adult in charge of the group had a responsibility to advise the dress code just as surely as they told them no food or drink or smoking and be back on the bus by 11:15. That's what chaperones are for, after all. But, if they were touring downtown D.C. and visiting a large number of sites, taking perhaps all day, big deal. Maybe they should have left their shoes at the door like they would have to do in China when visiting the Premier.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

HRLASS · July 2005

I hated wearing thongs when I was seven because I always got blisters either between my toes or on top of my feet. I bought some recently to try to be "stylish", but now only wear them home from the pool. I admit that some look dressy enough to possibly qualify as sandals, but at the White House? Martha Stewart was turned away from a White House formal dinner party for wearing a pink silk pant suit (versus a dress/skirt). I guess with kids, Bush is more lenient.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

That was because bottle blondes in pink pant suits only invoke memories of Hilary. She wears one every day. HRLass, you left yourself wide open with that remark about thongs. I hope you wrap yourself in a towel when you do that.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

lhill · July 2005

So, let me see if I understand this. It is a mortal sin to wear flip-flops to the White House, but OK for a president to have oral sex with an intern at the White House?

Linda

TN HR · July 2005

Only if she's wearing a thong, in which case, she should also have conservative black leather pumps on. Bostonians would be prefered.

HRinNH · July 2005

Geeeeeez...She didn't say 'A' thong, she said thongs...what I used to call flip flops before THE thong became so popular.

You gotta keep these things straight or it could mean serious fashion faux pas.

Cheryl C.

HRLASS · July 2005

Just shows my true color - I am not a bottle blonde!!! ;;)

Whatever · July 2005

And, let's not forgot that when Jenna Bush appeared in court she wore flip-flops.

LivindonSouth · July 2005

Is that somehow relevant? I also recall that during the Clinton impeachment he wore flip flops, knee-high black socks and a dinner jacket.

Disclaimer: This message is not intended to offend or attack. It is posted as personal opinion. If you find yourself offended or uncomfortable, email me and let me know why.

National Guard · July 2005

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-21-05 AT 11:45AM (CST)[/font][br][br]Were the girls in the 2, 3, and 4th rows wearing flip-flops? I guess we'll never know.

It's the middle of summer not the middle of winter! Now you have offended everyone in Florida and Southern California who think that the more skin you show, the better dressed you arex:D It certainly is appropriate attire for hot weather. I bet a Hawaiin wedding ceremony does NOT include pointy toed, close toed, Manolos!

When all is said and done, yes it is much ado about nothing!

Flip Flops @ the White House

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