Female cadres in some Zhejiang government offices have been banned from wearing 'sexy' clothes such as tight pants and low-cut tops, in the mainland's first dress code of its kind. Officials cannot wear tank tops or clothing that reveals the back. Offering a glimpse of underwear is strictly forbidden and wearing too many accessories is another fashion no-no, the Oriental Morning Post reported yesterday. The announcement of the rules comes after a campaign to encourage higher moral standards among the young. State television also ordered presenters to button up as part of the drive. The dress code initially applies to all women working for archive offices in Zhejiang, but an official said the aim was to expand it to cover all government bodies in the province. Market reforms have led to an explosion of fashions since the late 1970s, and officials throughout the country have shed the unisex Mao suits of the previous era. The newspaper said the goal of the dress code was to encourage female officials to be trendy without being sexy. But the code also extends to how the officials should act. Requirements for language, communication and other behaviour are included. For example, women were encouraged to use words such as 'please' and 'thank you' to improve the image of public officials. Wu Ling, director of the Zhejiang Archive Bureau's Woman Commission, dismissed claims the code was discriminatory since it applied only to female officials. She said 70 per cent of the bureau's employees were women. Other large mainland cities also have dress codes for government workers. Guangzhou city officials are forbidden from wearing slippers, while Beijing officials are not allowed to dress in sports clothes during office hours.
