When Tennessee-based TV meteorologist Julya Johnson received an unsolicited and unappreciated letter from a viewer criticizing her fashion choices, the veteran forecaster saw it as an opportunity to speak out about judging people based on their appearance.
While previously "weather girls" were known for their plunging necklines and figure-flattering frocks, Johnson's attire is hardly skimpy. Still, the author of the letter -- "A WATE TV Friend" -- found fault with her "high bodice" dresses.
The handwritten letter, which begins with a compliment to Johnson's professional skills, ends with a question: "Do you have any dress or dresses that don't fit snugly under your [bust]? Please!" Yikes.
If you're doing your job well, just how much should what you're wearing matter?
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See the letter below:
This leaves us with so many questions. As more companies adopt "business casual" attire policies and fashion trends tend toward revealing more and more skin, the fact is clothing really shouldn't indicate how seriously a person is taken. Of course, there is the odd profession -- law, banking, or sales come to mind -- where clothing is the be all, end all, but meteorology certainly isn't one them, right? I mean no one wants a meteorologist who looks like she is on her way to a nightclub, but that hardly shoots her credibility. And besides, that's not at all how Johnson looked anyway. And while it might be a little strange to receive a physical from a doctor wearing an old Mötley Crüe t-shirt, in the end, the thing that matters should be how well people do their job. In Johnson's case, it was the forecasting the weather. She delivered it well. The end.
If an "elderly person" doesn't like her clothing, so what?
Because the letter Johnson received bore no return address, she posted it to her Facebook page along with her response. She noted that if making it on a "Best Dressed" list mattered more than an accurate forecast, she could've saved herself "a ton of money on that meteorology degree."
Johnson also shared some hard-won insight that almost everyone should take to heart:
I have 'changed my appearance' to please people before. It never works. So, I please myself.
Good for you, Julya! We think you look great exactly as you are!
How much do other people's opinions matter when you're choosing work attire?
Image via Julya Johnson/Facebook