Cleavage at work...how much is too much?

There usually is a dress code in a workplace environment. I would suggest you take a look at it and if it is not being enforced, I suggest you do otherwise the behavior becomes commonplace and you will lose the opportunity for reprimand.

I have been a boss and have had to instruct a woman to "cover up". I always did it in private, but with another woman present so that there could be no chance of misconstruing the conversation or to categorize it as innuendo.

On the other hand to steal from Bill Mahr: "New Rules: If you are going to wear clothing that is tight and revealing, then I am going to look!"

Cleavage, never enough! Really, if your going to flaunt it, then flaunt it, but don't be surprise when your oogled.

Considering I work in a two-person office and my boss has fake boobs that almost blind you, I don't worry much.


As long as you can't see any nipples and the sides are covered well, I don't see a problem with cleavage.

My theory (for myself) is if you have to question it, don't wear it. I'm not offended by what other employees wear. I figure what they choose to wear reflects upon them, not me.

I only worry about my own boobs. HR exists for a reason/

I think the point should be to look professional in a business environment. I am "chesty", so I wear cami's under my dress shirts. A little will still obviously show. Some women can't hide all they have. As one person posted “it would require wearing a turtleneck". I agree with that. It just depends on this persons behavior and if the cleavage is taking away from people being able to concentrate at work. If she is bearing it all, then I'd say it's inappropriate

A manager should address the concern if it is causing a disruption in the work place. With that being said, if it is a male superior he should have a female present and the conversation documented so he is not charged with anything…..It’s very easy for that to go the wrong way,,

Also, there should be a glance into the companies dress code. If she isn't breaking any rules, you can't really do anything.

P.S I worked in HR for a long time, so that’s where my advice is coming from. 

<<this much

I am tired of people being so uptight - getting "offended" by this or that...To me this is just little stuff when there is hunger in Somalia a bad economy, fires/floods and so on....

I think Jewel had a great idea. If there is a dress code, kindly remind her of it before a superior does. (If there isn't a dress code, and this disturbs you, you could approach HR)

I am tired of people being so uptight - getting "offended" by this or that...To me this is just little stuff when there is hunger in Somalia a bad economy, fires/floods and so on....

There will always be world issues. That does not mean that other, daily issues are unimportant. They're just on a different scale. I cannot tell anyone else what should or shouldn't offend them. As a manager (or HR rep), if someone's behavior or dress is offensive to another, it has to be dealt with. I am not personally offended by cleavage, but there is a time and place. Beach- go ahead. Bar/nightclub- fine. Pharmacy sales rep wanting to impress doctors- do your thang. It is not appropriate attire for "business dress" policies, not okay if you're a teacher, not okay if you work with children or teens, etc. Some people do not know what is appropriate dress (OP knows about this because we used to work together). It's up to HR or their immediate supervisor to inform them.

I had a staff that used to wear shirts that showed her cleavage and you could tell her nipples were pierced. I work with troubled adolescent boys. I had a female administrator from another department address it.

I work in a pretty straight-laced and serious industry. I personally feel that any cleavage in a professional office environment is too much. I'd rather not have the men who work here (or the women, either!) think of me as anything other than a complete professional. Flashing your cleavage around is usually bound to get you the completely wrong kind of attention.

Even in the past, when I've worked for completely casual and laid-back companies, I was pretty leery of wearing anything that showed any cleavage. I usually wore jeans and a t-shirt or similar top. I worked with a bunch of guys who were all in the their late 20s and early 30s and most of them single. It's been a few years after we were all laid off from that job (they closed the office in our city completely) and I've run into a few of them since then. I now hear stories how some of them were STILL talking about me and my body even though I was completely covered up. I can't imagine what would have been said if I'd dressed in a more revealing manner.

ETA: I'm not big chested at all. I'm about a 36B or 34C depending on the bra. It definitely wasn't that I couldn't hide them!

pictures or it never happened...

this thread is worthless without pictures.

Enforce a dress code. Not even toes are professional. And too much cleavage is when you can see where the breasts begin, which is too much Also, clothes may cover, but be too tight. Professional is when you can't tell the outline or color of the undergarments.