Female reporters, as well as House Of Representatives employees, are up in arms against a Congress Dress Code. Women are not allowed to wear sleeveless dresses when they go to the speaker’s lobby.

Those who do not follow the rules, imposed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, are not allowed to enter. The rule, however, appears to apply only to rank-and-file. The New York Post, however, pointed out that the dress code appears not applicable to members of the first family.

Obama and Trump women exempt from the rule?

The New York Post cited former First Lady Michele Obama who had worn sleeveless dresses when she attended several State of the Union addresses in Congress.

Another example is Ivanka Trump, the first daughter, who wore an off-the-shoulder dress in February when she attended an event where her father delivered a speech.

Besides Ivanka, Mashable also cited First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Karen Pence are other examples of women who wore sleeveless dresses to events in the House of Representatives. The website published photos of the three women wearing sleeveless dresses as proof.

Ryan reminds lawmakers

Before he imposed the dress code on women, Ryan also reminded lawmakers in late June to be in appropriate business attire. It meant males must wear suits, while females must wear suits or sleeved dresses. Both genders must wear shoes that are closed-toed.

Those guidelines are also found in the 2015 edition of Jefferson’s Manual and Rules of the House of Representatives.

Outside the guidelines, it is the speaker who determines what is proper and improper to wear.

The dress code applies only in the Speaker’s lobby, not in other parts of the Lower House or Senate.

One young, female reporter arrived in a sleeveless dress. To avoid being told to leave the speaker’s lobby, she made makeshift sleeves from notebook paper, but the trick did not work. Another violator of the dress code was Kellie Mejdrich, reporter of CQ Roll Call.

According to the New York Post, female reporters are sometimes offered sweaters to cover up bare arms and male reporters are offered neckties if they do are not wearing one. The loaned cravats are known as the Tie of Shame.

Reporters and staff affected by the strict implementation of the dress code have complained about it on Twitter and other social media sites. Miranda Green, a CNN political reporter, finds the outdated female dress code policy bizarre because the federal government imposes it. Even during summer.
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