And by fat I mean anyone who is not a size 2. A sartorial slip at a social event may only lead to sharp stares, but those at work may bear more serious consequences. Actress Julia Roberts arrives at the festival in Cannes.”But not everyone is as lucky. The public relations industry, in particular could be demanding, as it turns out. Fashion rules it seems, can be bent only by a few and the fashion police too, is less or more forgiving of aberrations of the code, depending on who is making the faux pas, when and where.

While Ash was trolled for her purple lipstick on the red carpet at Cannes, Julia Roberts was applauded for kicking off her heels and walking bare feet on the same patch of red.”. Thankfully, the rules are relaxed for lower courts. It can be exhausting. The saying ‘dress for the job you want’ applied heavily there. “If the hotel issues you shoes, you have to wear them to work whether they are comfortable or not and by the end of the day, my feet feel like they’ll fall off. Consulate parties these days also allow the national dress of the country.”Thankfully, things seem to be changing outside workplaces, feels fashion writer Marcellus Baptista. Heels were encouraged.The fashion industry for obvious reasons, is the most critical of gauche. In the afternoon heat, it was quite terrible. Snehal Rana, before becoming an independent fashion blogger trained as an intern at a fashion magazine and says, “There was never an official dress code or written memo, but once you started working, you got the gist of it. No one was reprimanded or sent home, but you did get a reputation as the person who shops off the rack or is a plus-sized woman. They aren’t that strict anymore.”The same cannot be said about gymkhanas though.

One used to have to wear ties or jackets at the private box at the racecourse once upon a time. They are still particular about closed shoes, but it’s changing. (Photo: AFP) While Ash was trolled for her purple lipstick on the red carpet at Cannes, Julia Roberts was applauded for kicking off her heels and walking bare feet on the same patch of red. “I once saw a new employee getting publicly yelled at in the cafeteria for wearing pink pants. It was around 2002-2003, after an agitation helmed by advocate MP Vashi, that the rule was relaxed. Later like any sensible woman, I started carrying my heels in my bag and changing out of super comfortable sneakers right outside the office. Thanks to carrying on the colonial legacy, lawyers in the higher courts are expected to wear coats, bands and gowns, come rain or shine. Some of them were sent to the dressing room to fix their makeup, or even slightly chipped nail polish.”

The hospitality industry is another area that pays much attention to suiting up. Besides, I’ve seen plenty of people come in trousers and shirts without jackets, even at formal parties, and they are not sent away. A band or tie however, is still mandatory. Sure, a basic uniform is needed so that you can tell the staff apart from guests, but we even have to have the same kind of makeup and hairstyles. Casual clothing at the racecourse for instance, isn’t scoffed at anymore.”Fixing a chipped nail polish seems like a breeze when you compare it to what lawyers are subjected to, informs advocate Shreepad Murthy.

A better-dressed person was appreciated. The unofficial dress code spanned everything from clothes and shoes to accessories. Anita D’Souza recalls her time at her PR firm quite bitterly. “For the longest time, lawyers in the lower courts were expected to wear coats in the courtrooms. The state bar council under the Advocate’s Act 1961, passed a regulation to allow lawyers to do away with the coats during the summer months — March 15-June 30. Five-star hotel receptionist, Ananya Chakraborty, is far from happy with the state of affairs. Her bosses absolutely insisted on putting on makeup and dressing perfectly, even on days when they did not have client meetings. “It was like more importance was given to looking pretty than getting the job done,” she rues. But they no longer enforce that rule. In another part of the world, a young receptionist in London — Nicola Thorp — lost her job because she did the exact same thing. It tended to be nerve wracking, dressing everyday like you are going to be on show. Of course, no one said plus-sized, they just said fat. Refused to wear heels.