A new dress code for the Montana House of Representatives that bans jeans and warns women to watch skirt lengths and necklines has drawn1 the ire of female lawmakers, who say it suggests they cannot independently decide what attire2 is appropriate.
美国蒙大拿州众议院新颁布了一份着装规范，禁止议员穿牛仔裤，并警告女议员注意裙子长度和领口高度，这引起了女议员的不满。她们称这干涉了她们自主选择合适着装的权力。
The wardrobe code was
enacted3 by male leaders of the Republican-controlled House in advance of a
legislative4 session that begins on Jan. 5. Most members of the chamber's Democratic minority are women, who say they were not consulted about new rules that target them for apparel infractions.
The code
endorsed6 by incoming House Speaker Austin Knudsen advises male lawmakers to wear such clothing as suits and dress boots in a style termed "business formal."
It prohibits female legislators from wearing items like leggings and open-toed sandals, and cautions them to "be sensitive to skirt lengths and necklines."
House Minority Whip Jenny Eck said the
sartorial7 standards sought to
curb8 women's clothing choices, raising questions about their
judgment9 and seeking to limit their independence.
"The code crosses a line. It singles women out for
admonishment10 and suggests they can't be trusted to get up in the morning and dress appropriately," said the
Democrat5 from the state capital, Helena.
Knudsen denied the code sought to
curtail11 women's fashion or other freedoms. He said the rules, taken almost intact from a code used by the Wyoming Legislature, were designed to ensure that an air of professionalism and decorum prevailed.
He said a female staffer approached him about establishing the dress standards and that he agreed they would be helpful for the dozens of newly elected Montana House members.
"This was not directed at women," Knudsen said.
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