[em]The Atlantic[/em]’s D.C. Summer: Hot, Yes; Sultry, No

With the onset of the hot, gummy months in Washington, D.C., Atlantic staffers are apparently still adjusting to their new home. So on May 31, the magazine’s human-resources department sent out a post-Memorial Day memo to remind everyone of the company’s “neat and professional” dress code.

“Our policy is intentionally vague and does not specifically exclude certain articles of clothing or types of shoes,” Susan Lavigne, Atlantic director of benefits and compensation wrote. Lavigne then went on to specifically exclude certain articles of clothing and types of shoes: “Flip-flops, crop tops, tank tops, spaghetti-strap tops, and shorts (to name a few) are not appropriate.” The full memo follows below:

–Gabriel Sherman

From: Lavigne, Sue
Sent: Wed 5/31/2006 3:35 PM
To: AtlanticMediaCompany
Subject: Reminder – Appropriate Office Attire

As summertime approaches, we wanted to remind staff of our dress code as stated in our Personnel Policy Handbook:

“Atlantic Media Company currently maintains a “business casual” dress code. Employee dress and personal appearance should be in keeping with standards of good business taste, and should be consistent with the requirements of an individual employee’s work day. Employees are expected to use their best judgment in choosing business clothing that displays a neat and professional image.”

Our policy is intentionally vague and does not specifically exclude certain articles of clothing or types of shoes, but we ask that you consider the spirit of the policy and keep in mind that we work in a professional environment. For example: flip-flops, crop tops, tank tops, spaghetti-strap tops, and shorts (to name a few) are not appropriate.

If you have any questions about our dress code, please let a member of the HR staff know.

Thanks,

Sue