I love Sandra Granger’s style! And I honestly thought that with her rocking all those sleeveless dresses as First Lady, we would have seen a shift in the archaic rules we still have in Guyana when it comes to dress codes in a majority of public offices. It has been just over six months since she has been First Lady and I have officially lost count of how many sleeveless dresses the lady owns. I expected change. No pun intended.
It has always baffled me as to why these stupid rules are still in existence. I call them stupid because I don’t see the danger a sleeveless dress or top, shorts and slippers could cause. As a matter of fact, I don’t see why what one wears should be determined by rule makers of public offices. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against dress codes in general; I am just against them being used carelessly and inappropriately, with no sort of validation. Take for example, the Guyana Revenue Authority, a place where one would go to handle tax matters, licences etc. Why should I cover my arms to get my licence sorted? What difference does it make to the taxman, on how I choose to dress to pay my taxes? Is my tax payment more valid if I cover up? Why should what I wear determine how public servants treat me? Why should what I wear determine if I should be respected? Please be reminded that fashion is a form of art and self-expression.
I feel these rules have been around for far too long and we have somehow managed to get accustomed to them, to the extent where it feels disrespectful to break away from them.
Sandra is not the first political figure who has successfully worn sleeveless attire though.
Priya Manickchand from the previous administration is also famous for rocking sleeveless outfits. Who rocks them better? I will leave that up to you to decide.
The point of this column entry is to question why unnecessary dress code rules are still in existence and why women politicians continue to play the silent game as we roast below the equator. Don’t they feel the heat? I mean given the pressure and all of being so connected to “heated politics” in this already hot country. Yes, this week Ashma is really delving into her sarcastic soul. It is because I am absolutely tired of senseless rules.
The archaic dress code, to me, points to attempts at control and dictatorship. Why must we be stifled in expressing our individuality? Why must we me dictated to over something as simple as clothes?
I asked a few persons why these rules are still there and why they haven’t been relaxed. The general response was that if they were relaxed persons would tend to go overboard with the extremely short pants, extra tight clothes and other inappropriate forms of dress. I felt as if this is discriminatory. People see arms as less offensive than legs but in reality, isn’t it all just skin?
I feel the problem in Guyana is that we try to have too much control over unimportant things. There is a tendency to want to ‘lord’ it over people and to be 
‘traditional’ even if it kills us.
I’m tired of these rules and I really wish women in Parliament would take a cue from the First Lady and actually do something about it.
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