What do you say when someone wears the same thing 5 days in a row?

Question

I work with this woman who wears the SAME outfit everyday of the week...I mean from Monday thru Friday...the exact same outfit (and I'm not talking uniform). She doesn't wash it each night either. What gets me is...there are like 150 other people working all around her that KNOW this and nobody says anything to this woman. What's up with that? And how can I 'hint' at her to ummm...wash and do some laundry and wear something different for a change?

Answer 1

That is creepily bizarre! I had a similar situation, only my colleague would wear 2 outfits per week.

Nobody said a word to her...

Answer 2

Renegade 6 definitely made a great point.

One thing that you may not have considered is that this may be the only nice thing she has to wear to work and she may have a 2nd or even a 3rd job that prevents her from being able to wash it each night (and, even if she did wash it each night, it would fade and wear out much faster).

Maybe she's a recently separated woman out of an abusive marriage and just had to leave with her kids and the clothes on her back? Providing for her children is going to be of much more importance to her than having only one work outfit.

She may have a whole lot of issues in her life that are so much more significant than what people at work think about her. Maybe the other 150 people you mention (or at least a majority of them) have other things to think about and/or have considered that this woman may have issues she's dealing with and they don't want to cause her any embarassment or make her feel like she needs to explain her private life to them.

If you want to do something, why don't you talk to someone in your office in a high supervisory position ... AND MAKE NO MENTION OF THE WOMAN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT .. and ask approval for something along the lines of a "free" yard sale to be held after work hours in the cafeteria or something.

If you can get approval for this idea, then you could ask the Supervisor to put out a memorandum that, as a fun employee activity, there will be a "free yard sale" and all employees are encouraged to bring anything they would like to recycle to another person or no longer have any use for and donate it ANONYMOUSLY. All donations to be brought in large plastic lawn and leaf bags or cardboard boxes and left in a designated area (so that no one knows for sure who really contributed what). Ask that clothing be 'gently used.' Make mention in the memo that any leftover items will be donated to a charity chosen by popular vote and chose, say, four charities (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Abused Women's Shelter, Homeless) and set up a voting system. Get everyone involved.

A couple of people could be in charge of organizing the donated items into men's wear, ladies' wear, children's wear, toys, household goods and appliances, knick-knacks, etc.

Then, on an appointed day, the office staff could have the free yard sale. If this lady you are so concerned about is truly in need, it would be a way for her to obtain a few other things to wear. It would also be a fun way for others in the office to obtain a few new things, too. One man's "trash" can truly be another man's "treasure!"

Finding a solution is always better than judging.

Answer 3

As long as she is doing her job and she is not affecting you doing yours, I wouldn't say anything. You might embarrass her if you say something. You don't know what her situation is. She may not have another outfit that she deems suitable for work and may not be able to get new clothes right now. If you are friendly with her, you could try to get to know her and learn more about her. If or when you become good friends, you could buy her an outfit for her birthday or Christmas. You could be a "secret Santa" and give her a gift card to a nice clothing shop.

Answer 4

You say nothing, because you do not know her financial or home situation. Get to know her first and find out if there is something major going on behind the scenes, i.e abuse, death in the family, poverty... whatever, before you judge her/start making comments/jokes about it. If it is something you can help her deal with, i.e recommend counseling, or offer her a gift basket of like soaps and stuff, then do what you can. But don't say anything until you have all the facts.

Answer 5

DON'T say a thing. You do not know the circumstances she's in. You don't know and you might just be letting yourself in for a difficult time trying to excuse yourself. Leave it alone. She may be going through some hardship or some depression where you just might set off the wrong reaction and have to live with it. Find out her size and get her a few inexpensive things and mail them to her. Do not look at her or say anything if she starts to wear them... as far as you know, she may be spending her paycheck on medicines or on her elderly mother or disabled child... (some people also do not like to voice these things).

Answer 6

Maybe the woman is broke.

If she smells bad there are probably kind ways to have her understand the need to wash more. i.e . have yoru boss send out a mass e-mail about physical well being and people working together and using deoderant and wearing clean clothing is part of common curtesy in an office environment.

Don't be so shallow though, you don't know this woman's story.

Answer 7

the thought folk would desire to positioned on different clothing daily it a noticeably contemporary substitute. In different international locations that i've got lived in, like China and France, human beings would positioned on the comparable ingredient 2 days in a row, even 3 or 4 days in China -- and that i'm no longer speaking approximately undesirable human beings. noticeably women would positioned on the comparable fancy gown 3 days in a row. the factor: you're in basic terms frightened that somebody isn't following social norms. You did no longer say that her clothing are stinky -- merely which you're uninterested in seeing them. i think of it relatively is petty.

Answer 8

OK...Does the woman stink? Are there are obvious stains on her clothes? Are her clothes wrinkled and dingy looking? If not, what is your problem?

Where is it written that someone has to wear something different every day? Unless there is something going on that you haven't expressed in your question, you simply come across as a snob. I don't know the lady's situation, but just maybe she doesn't have the money to have as extensive a wardrobe as you seem to think she needs.

If she is clean and not offensive to be around...then lighten up.

Answer 9

If you are genuinely concerned, and not superficially concerned, the problem probably has more to do with the person's sense of self-worth or self-image. In particular, she may not like some aspect of her self so much that she feels no need to "dress-up" and "perform" as so many of us do in the workplace. Sounds as though she is either 1. deeply depressed, or 2. suffering from a weight problem and doesn't have anything that fits.

Answer 10

I would hope nothing would be said to this woman. You don't know the personal situation. She may be alone raising children, which everyone knows takes a big portion of your pay. She might be in an emotional crisis, please please please have some compassion. Things are not what they seem sometimes, I know a persons first instinct is to judge, but that is not your place. Be kind, maybe try to find out if she needs help or not, it would be nice if everyone in your work place could help in that case. It's not your fault for your thoughts though, most people might think the same. Sometimes we, as human beings, are too quick to judge, everyone of us is guilty of this at one time or another.

Answer 11

Hmmm, or she has nothing to wear because she is too poor (debts or ?), or has no time... Or she just likes it.
By the way I know a woman too working at UNO that keeps the same skirt maybe all week as well, and doesn't put any deodorant because she has an allergy, and she is filled with money...same thing with the dishes not well washed or the food : she buys food and forget it in the fridge, and sometimes serves decayed food... Sometimes she really stinks and she still behaves like an aristocrat, receiving for tea, speaking about all her very high relations ... Disgusting and ridiculous. But impossible to change.
For you it is worse, you are at work with someone who got a work despite her lack of hygiene, also don't forget she certainly already had occasions to know she stinks, otherwise brainless people seldom get a job...Also it means she loves to stink, most of these people like it, she likes to put her print (here displeasant odor) on people like a cat on its territory, and that she is well protected in her job. Also be careful... Maybe bring a ambiance perfume at work...