I donated a few hours of chair massage at a charity golf tournament yesterday. It was a mellow event, I didn’t think much about it, just gathered my gear and got there early to set up and mingle. We’ve all done this kind of thing a hundred times, right?
Yeah. So somewhere around the third client I realized that my shirt, a well-fitted cotton knit tank from the local Target, didn’t fit as well as I would have liked and my bra straps were showing more often than not. Arrrgghhh. I hate that. So not classy.
It is with that ‘everyone makes mistakes, just don’t let it happen again’ attitude that I post my (revised) rant on dress code and the massage therapist.
What NOT to Wear
1. Tank tops. While acknowledging that we usually need to wear short-sleeved tops when working, I believe it is important to draw the line at tank tops, low scoop or deep V-necks and anything else that just looks cheap. I’m not talking about a sleeveless t-shirt with appropriately fitted armholes (ya know, like what I THOUGHT I was wearing yesterday). I’m talking real tanks. Ladies, your bra straps should be covered, breasts should be contained, and there should be no anterior gapping when you bend slightly while performing a treatment. If you want to show it off at work, get a different job. Save the cheap tank tops for the Gretchen Wilson concert. Gentleman, just don’t wear tank tops. Ever. Just don’t.
2. Silly undergarments. If the bottom of your shirt does not overlap the top of your pants, YOU LOOK LIKE HUSSY. You lose all credibility when other people can see your undies peeking out of the back of your pants. I kid you not, while on a corporate chair massage job, I saw a therapist wearing white pants, and a bright blue thong that shone right through, and was very visible over the top of her pants. Ick Ick Ick. Let us remember they are called UNDERwear. As in, keep it under the clothes, nobody needs to see your new Victoria’s Secret bra. (If you’re wearing Wonder Woman Underoos, don’t show them to everybody. Just sayin’. )
3. Short shorts. There is only ONE situation in which it is acceptable to wear shorts while massaging: when working an outdoor event with high temps. And even then, if your shorts are higher than 2” above the knee, they are too short. Go get a job at Hooters.
4. Jewelry. If it makes noise, don’t wear it in the massage room. I once got a massage from a woman who was jingling and jangling all over the place. Her earrings made noise, her necklace was one of those “melody balls” and she had 2 anklets on that clanked against each other the whole time. I felt like I was in a metal shop.
5. Pajama Pants. If you need this explained to you, call me. For reals. Please. I’m happy to help you out and really, I’ve got all this pent up rage to vent…
6. When attending Professional Gatherings, step it up a notch, huh? I’m not talking heels and evening gowns, but business casual at least. Nothing is more ridiculous than a person in a green velour track suit bitching about not being respected as a Health Professional. Not kidding. I’ve seen exactly that happen. I was laughing so hard I snorted orange juice out my nose. It stung.
And KEEP YOUR DAMN SHOES ON in public places. Walking around a hotel conference room/exhibit hall with no shoes is just wrong. And gross. And uncouth. What’s that? You’re in a hands–on class? Great, put your shoes on when you get off the table. You know, like our clients do? Not that hard. What now? You don’t like wearing shoes? Well, I don’t like waiting in line or going to the dentist. There are things we do because we are a somewhat civilized society. I don’t care what you do in your office, just wear shoes in public.
BOTTOM LINE: I wouldn’t trust an anesthesiologist in flip-flops and an “It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere” T-shirt, would you? Dress for the job you want, dress in a way that makes your clients, potential clients, friends, colleagues, everyone you meet, think “Wow, that MT is a pro. They take this job seriously.”
And, for the love of Pete, when you’re working an event and your kid’s school principle is there, don’t get caught with your bra straps showing. Like me. Yesterday.
What TO Wear
Well, how the hell do I know what looks good on you? I HATE the whole Khakis & Polo Shirt look so many massage therapists default to. It looks ridiculous on me. (The polo shirts clash with my blue hair). Most of the year I tend to dress up for work, more like an office-y office instead of a massage office. It motivates me to be more professional in general and I need all the help I can get with that. In the summer I relax a little. Like today.
Some MT’s are big fans of the yoga pants & massage themed t-shirt look. I prefer to avoid looking like I’m coming straight from a workout, but yeah, on a casual Sunday with clients who’ve known me forever, I can go that route.
The beauty of being an independent business owner is that I get to make up the rules. But there is a responsibility that lies with EVERY MASSAGE THERAPIST.
If we don’t behave, and that includes our clothing choices, in a professional manner, we have no one to blame but ourselves when we are portrayed poorly in the media, politics and health care systems.
Hey, send me a picture of what you’re wearing today for a Facebook photo album! bluestreakblog@gmail.com
Typical Spring wardrobe at my place
(Consumed while writing this post: 1 cup of ice coffee. I don’t want to talk about the coconut jelly stick.)
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Okay—a few observations on this post. (You really didn’t think I would let this one go without commenting, did you???
1. Don’t beat yourself up too bad about the bra straps…at least you wore one. I’d love to provide more detail, but suffice it to say this very week, surrounded by MT educators, I saw two very “natural” females. Not a good thing.
2. Gretchen Wilson hails from my neck of the woods. While she was once a “Redneck Woman” her one-hit wonderful self has ceased wearing tanks unless she is on stage at a state fair—and I believe she changes right before she goes “on” to please her fans. (So I’m told.)
3. “……I’m not talking heels…..” How dare you!
Keep it up Luke—-Chewy and I are cheering you on from the Millennium Falcon (I’m driving, of course!)
I didn’t say you CAN’T wear heels! I said you don’t HAVE to get that dressed up. I LOVE LOVE LOVE heels. Just don’t wear them with a tank top and short shorts…
I was in Utah with Angie and also saw the swinging boobs at our professional gathering. Bless their heart. And if you look like you’re advertising something at work, don’t be surprised if somebody asks for a happy ending. I despise bras as much as the next woman but I force myself to wear one in the office and I wouldn’t dare appear at a professional meeting without it. Of course if you’re moonlighting as a pole dancer, feel free.
I often wear leggings, with a tunic that hits right above the knee. Nothing indecent about it. My ASSets aren’t showing. I don’t object to nice jeans, if they’re not the holey-ragged variety. I personally don’t care much for khaki; usually it’s black pants for me.
Last year at Nat’l AMTA, Allissa and I were counting the women who apparently think it’s okay to show your belly-button. We saw a lot of that…I’m not exactly the fashionista here, and while I admire people with nice abs, I really don’t want to see them at a professional gathering.
I agree with most of this. Love the Polo and Khaki comment! UGH! I am no longer allowed to speak about my distaste for this look. I do disagree with the yoga pants somewhat. It truly depends on the style-tight legging style with a certain look in front of showing the “assets” too much in back, not so much…
Thanks so much!
I can be swayed on the yoga pants. You make a good point.
Guilty! Though the ball game is somewhat different for men. Jeans, suspenders (braces to you in the UK), polo shirts. Or t-shirts. Hey, I was computer programmer for a dozen years. That does things to your sense of dressing for work that can never be undone. I dress up by wearing the jeans without holes
Oh, Dale. This breaks my heart. Jeans? Really? I do not accept the ‘I was a computer programmer’ excuse. Because that’s past tense. You ARE a massage therapist now. I WAS a crunchy college student and wore baggy shorts, socks with sandals. I AM now a health care professional, and I dress accordingly.
That said, if you’re meeting your client goal #’s, as busy as you want to be with a loyal clientele, hat’s off to you. Wait, I would never wear a hat to work.
& before that I was a professor. I haven’t worn anything but jeans & polo shirts for 20 years; I’m not about to change now
(This is also the most casually dressed corner of the country, remember. My impression on returning to Portland, Oregon from New Haven, Connecticut was “my God, an entire city of people wandering around in their pajamas!” Different parts of the country have different standards of formal. I was at a funeral the other day, and I was almost the only man wearing a tie.)
Great article and comments. One more thing, though, part of a wardrobe but totally invisible — please leave the perfume (or any other strong smelling thing that you use on yourself) at home!! And if you smoke, make sure you don’t do it for at least a week before you see me.
amen.
Amen to the no smoking thing… I would walk out of a therapists’ room if I sensed the scent of nasty smoke! When will schools start teaching these students who all hang outside by the front door smoking… what ARE they thinking? And leave the nasty perfume for the evenings out with someone who can tolerate it! In addition… as I am mentioning it, keep the artificial smells (sprays and cheap candles) out of the bathrooms and treatment rooms~ Please!
It’s a gift and a curse, for us males.
I mean, it basically boils down to some combination of:
Dress shirt/Collared shortsleeve + Khakis/Nice Jeans/Dress pants.
What’s a guy to do?
Point taken. I need to think about this for males.
Hi Allissa,
I love what you are saying here. Laura Allen posted this blog entry on her Facebook page and I just had too read through it. I wrote an ENTIRE chapter on how to “dress for success” in my book “The magic Touch: How to Make $100,000 per year as a Massage Therapist” and I’ve been shocked how much positive feedback I get from that chapter daily.
You are so right when you say that “If we don’t behave, and that includes our clothing choices, in a professional manner, we have no one to blame but ourselves when we are portrayed poorly in the media, politics and health care systems.” You are dead right, and according to my clients, many who can afford to get a tremendous amount of regular massage, with poor clothing choices and/ or poor hygiene- you’ll never see them again after the first appointment.
It’s just good business to dress like a professional. While our appearance has nothing to do with our hands-on-ability, I guarantee that if an MT is disheveled they will rarely get to prove their skills in the latter.
Regarding the blue thong, at least you could only see the thong! There has been several occasions where I wondered if MT’s were getting their dress code from plumbers if you know what I mean.
Blue thongs, no bras and barefeet. *Sigh. (Shakes head)
This was a deliciously snarky post. I loved it! It’s funny because the other day, I was sitting in my favourite cafe, working on a website… wearing a BCBG tunic, leggings, and super cute boots. People kept asking me if I was in PR.
“Nope! Just a web geek!”
My web geek. And I love you.
Great post Allissa! Love your writing. This post should be required reading for all massage students.
Eric
P.S. There’s something wrong with green velour track suits? How about a green valour pantsuit?
Just found your blog and I’m very glad I did. I used to teach the business and ethics classes at the local massage school and it seemed I had to have the same debate with every class: Shoes are a must, I don’t want to see your cleavage, gluteal or otherwise, and for god’s sake, wash your cloths! No, you can’t get a second day out of them and I don’t care if you’re trying to save the environment! And if your clothes are so tight I can tell if you have freckles, you need to either lose a lot of weight or buy something bigger. Just sayin’. Me, I wear polo shirts because they’re cotton, inexpensive, fit loosely, and wash well. After 26 years in the engineering world, khaki makes me want to throw up in my mouth, a little, so I’m usually wearing black pants. They have the benefit of being slimming, too.
I wear a scrub top, usually navy blue or print, and white pants when I’m working. I brand myself as a medical massage therapist and this “uniform” conveys that message. When I’m out there promoting myself I either add a lab coat with my company name embroidered over the pocket or go with business casual, depending upon the setting. Shoes, however, are a different story. Although I feel we should wear sneakers, they hurt my feet so I am usually in Birkenstocks or casual business flats.
Ahhh… scrubs. I understand the practicality, but hate the look. So often it’s sloppy. BUT, the newer fitted, tailored styles are a HUGE improvement.
In the office, I understand the scrubs, but a lab coat in public? It’s a useful, functional garment. IN A LAB. or even in a pharmacy. But what could you be doing in public that would require the use of a protection layer? And one traditionally worn by practitioners with upwards of 4-8 years of graduate education in a health care field? I think it can be misleading. And unnecessary.
Public=Business Casual.
I am that barefoot MT. Guilty as charged. I never work with shoes on. When I was in school we were not allowed to wear shoes in the hands on class room and has been a habit that has stuck with me ever since.
I work barefoot sometimes, too. In my office. But I’m whining about people going barefoot at professional functions. And, really? Not allowed to wear shoes in the classroom? Huge health code violation there. Huge. And kinda yucky considering how many people must have been in and out of that classroom. Ick.
I will start by saying great post… and I am guilty of a couple of things. Now to just fix them
. I too was taught in a school with no shoes allowed in the classroom. I love working barefoot but would never do it in a public setting. I also slip my shoes off right before entering my room and put them back on when I leave. If my clients see my bare feet while they are face down on the table, they will only see cutely painted toenails 
I have to say the biggest thing is using your best judgment on what you wear and do. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable receiving from someone having a certain look, then don’t expect others to. I also think a lot of what is “right/wrong” for attire is up to ones on perception and morals. For example, while in school, I needed to be “dressed up” for work (skirt, heels) I forgot a pair of pants so I worked in my skirt and was told not to… For me, I was comfortable, the skirt was loose and around mid-calf. I was able to move as freely as if i were wearing pants and wasn’t worried of anything “showing”. The teacher, however, was not and proceeded to “suggest” the girls in class never come in a skirt because it could give the “wrong impression”. Hmm, I still wonder what that impression might be 
.
The ‘no shoes’ on a carpet used by SO MANY people thing is freaking me out. But I hear you on the barefoot in the treatment room deal. I’ve been wearing skirts lately (mostly because I, ummm, grew out of my work pants. Too much writing and snacking). Your instructor was out of line. And a bit yucky, huh? Skirts that come below the knee are no more risque than capri pants. Unless you’re doing intense work that involves wacky stuff, like every so often I put my knee on the table to balance during a hamstring stretch or something. I’m guilty of some of these things, too. That tends to be how I learn. By screwing up epically, then reflecting and ranting…
Love this post! I work at a school that has a dress code to avoid this pitfalls and yet the creativity of the students amaze me. I am especially bothered by the pajama thing. Why do you want to look like you just rolled out of bed?
The cleavage….oh the cleavage. I am constantly pulling up the front of shirts on girls who have it all hanging out.
Perfume and smoking were mentioned in one of the comments. Can you pleeeeassseeee write a snarky article about THAT?
But really….the conventions. I think I go more for the people watching then the content. I will never ceased to be amazed what people wear to a business networking event. I often wonder what outsiders would think of MT’s if visiting a conference. We all have our jaw-dropping moments….my had to do with UNDERwear. One MT decided to drop her pants for the sake of palpating the muscles the speaker was referring to. Yep. Dropped ‘em. She also had on a short shirt. Bonus. Her underwear was lacy and see-through and we had no need to question if the carpet matched the drapes. She walked around that way for the entire seminar. So you speak of appropriate attire but it is only relevant if the attire stays on.
Next time, get photos. This could be bigger that the ‘People of Walmart’ sites…
Thank you Allissa! Great post!
I agree with all that you said, and I am passing this to my students too, so they will hear the same things I tell them from another source.
About bare feet: I agree with you that there is a time and place for that. There is, indeed, according to the place and situation. And it is important to act accordingly.
In certain cultures, (like in Japan and India for example, just to mention two) bare foot is a sign of high respect. Especially if one enters a temple or a sacred space or a house or someone’s space . It is considered very disrespectful to enter a temple or someone’s house with shoes. And gross, and uncouth.
Saying “we” (Americans I guess) wear shoes because “There are things we do because we are a somewhat civilized society”… mmmh not very nice. Not nice. Some may think it’s a quite offensive statement. It implies that the ‘other’ societies are not civilized (in your opinion). Being foreigner and having being exposed to many different cultures, I felt the social obligation to shed a light on this one.
I do shiatsu (modality from Japan) and work on a cotton mat on the floor, my clients are invited to take their shoes off before entering the treatment room, (which they find quite relaxing) and I offer them clean socks (if they forgot, generally they bring their own). I wear clean socks when I start the treatment that I take off when the treatment is over. The carpet in my room is new and always kept clean, and other practitioners (and their clients) also do not enter the room with shoes so not to soil the space.
New shoes, used only in that space (and not outdoors) are ok.
So, the rule is the same, be clean and professional and respect the hygiene of self and the space for others.
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. Thanks!
Good point, Sara. My bad. I should have been more clear, and it wasn’t my intent to talk smack about other cultures.
Footwear in public areas is a hygienic practice and social norm, here. In this particular civilized country. I believe it is important that we, as massage therapists, adhere to that practice.
Thanks for calling me on that.
Love your writing style!
You nailed it- this is a link to an article I wrote for our members on the same What To Wear/Not Wear topic with a slightly different angle…
http://www.successfulmassagetherapist.org/public/Professional_Appearance_for_Therapist_Really_Counts.cfm
Cannot stand sloppy clothes and bare feet or sox!
~Irene Diamond
Oh how I adore your comment about boring khakis and polos! UGH. My first job that’s what I had to wear. I will say though, that I am a yoga pant, Massage therapist t-shirt and flip flop kind of girl. I wear yoga pants because I do Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy and I have to be able to bend and get on and off the table easily. Cafepress has some really cute Massage Therapist shirts…and flip flops are easy to slip on and off. I’m a clean freak though…I leave 30-45 minutes inbetween each client so I can clean because we have dark hardwood floors. Oh and blue hair, LOVE IT! Mine’s pink.
I’m wearing yoga pants more often lately, with solid color t-shirts from Old Navy. I’m getting more casual. Or lazy. We’ll see.