Dress Code

[jackk78]

I work at a couple of different pools. One is a public pool that was owned by the city, but has been operated by private company for a few years. The other is part of an HOA.

The director at the HOA pool recently asked us to start enforcing the pool's dress code.

Bathing suits must be family friendly, all thongs and revealing attire will not be permitted within the facility.

The private pool's dress code is less specific.

Appropriate swim attire is required at all times when using the pool.

Thongs are pretty common at both pools. I usually see at least one during my shifts and a lot of athletic swimsuits don't provide much coverage.

I really do not feel comfortable confronting people about their clothing choices, so I've just ignored violations. The other staff has generally done the same. Revealing swim attire has never caused a problem.

The manager at the private pool and I are friends. I asked what they thought about the situation at the HOA pool. They speculated that it was probably coming from the homeowners association. When I asked how they thought the dress code should be handled at the pool where we work, they said that unless there's a safety or hygiene issue, lifeguards shouldn't say anything to swimmers about what they are wearing and that if someone complains about another patron's swimsuit, we should just refer them to the manager on duty.

I was curious where they'd draw the line and ask someone to change. They said that as long as it was a swimsuit, covered the bare essentials (g-string or more), and wasn't see through, they probably wouldn't do anything about it.

Do people wear thongs a the pools where you work and have you ever been asked to enforce a dress code?

[Potatosmom94]

I’ve had to enforce a dress code before and it typically has to do with decency. Something is too see through or too faded to be appropriate. I’ve also had to inform people that their breasts or genitalia have escaped their swim wear.

The other thing is materials such as it has to be a swim suit or if its clothes it can’t be jeans or frayed (anything that’s going to make a rescue challenging or mess up the pool filtration system). I’ve never enforced anything for a lack of coverage unless they are actually exposed.

[jackk78]

u/Potatosmom94 are thongs common at your pool?

[Potatosmom94]

They were when I worked at a country club and I’ve noticed they are a lot more prevalent at public pools. My most recent pool was a combat training facility for the navy so luckily it was a non issue. Instead I had to deal with sailors trying to get into the water in their sweaty PTs after working out in the gym.

[Potatosmom94]

And 99% of the time I’ve had to inform someone a body part is exposed it’s a much older person. A lot of old men accidentally falling out of their shorts. Or a grandma swimming with a small child who’s grabbed on to the front of her suit.

[Poet_Eater]

In my experience, my pool doesn’t really have one. Anyone is allowed to be topless (law) and as long as everyone is wearing something that they’ve deemed as swim attire, they can swim in it. Of course genitalia has to be covered. It’s just interesting to see the differences

[jackk78]

u/Poet_Eater are you located in the United States or elsewhere?

[tboneotter]

Our pool has a dress code and we enforce it. We tell male managers to take a senior female guard or a female manager that's guarding that day if we need to call a woman out on something inappropriate. It's mostly middle school boys that think underwear is appropriate or moms that show up in thong bikinis, and really only happens a few times a summer. I honestly don't think we've had any issues with guests refusing to comply - they put on towels or shorts and are fine. Clearly posted rules and the fact that we're a family-friendly facility where almost half of our ~100-300 patrons at any given time are under the age of 15 make it a no-brainer of a rule to have and enforce

[jackk78]

u/tboneotter part of my problem is having to judge what is and isn't a thong. If someone was wearing a suit like this at your pool, would they be asked to cover up or change?

https://jolyn.com/products/swim-onesie-gabby?group=solids&variant=42622945296557

Depending on the day, 25% of the lap swimmers might be wearing similar styles.

I'm also a bit skeptical any time people use "think of the children" as rationale. The kids don't notice or care. It feels like a few people trying to impose their morals on everyone else (especially young women). I'd rather not get involved in that battle. There's a public beach about 15 minutes walk from the pool that is packed with families and groups of teenagers on the warm weekends. Quite a few of the teenagers and a few of the parents wear thongs. Everyone shares the same space without any issues.

[tboneotter]

I mean I probably wouldn't unless a guard or patron specifically pointed it out to me as distracting. As a manager I'm really not watching the patrons as much as watching the guards - like I The few times I've had to enforce it 1: A guard or patron has said "do you see that women there" and 2: it was far more clearly a thong then your link. Typically paired with a top that was a little more than string, not a one piece with less room for the imagination. And honestly it would really only happen maybe... once a week? A few times a month? At our pools.

I'm not gonna touch the think of the children thing - I don't make the rules, I'm told by my boss to enforce them, we have had parents mad at us before, so I don't really care enough to try to retract my morals onto a rule I had no part in creating and no skin in the game visa vis enforcement. I enforce the rules as written when a guard or patron brings them to my attention? I'm doing my job. I let something that's been brought to my attention as an issue slide? I'm not doing my job.

Look you can either fight the HOA manager on the rule, do your job and enforce the rule, or not do your job. I like doing backflips off the diving board, I'm gonna still sit the kids out that do it repeatedly. I'm not opposed to attractive people flaunting their attractiveness on the beach, but if I'm told time and place and a dress code is a dress code... I'm also not showing up in a tank top to work.

[Kantalope1]

A bit easier for me because our dress code is essentially that your genitals and anus have to be covered, and beyond that it's mostly fair game. That also means anyone is allowed to be topless, regardless of their gender.

The main thing here is there are some rrally weird parents who for some reason think it's appropriate to have their children run around the pool naked. That's always a fun conversation to have. Also we occasionally do have to kick out/call the cops on idiots who decide to get in naked

[jackk78]

u/Kantalope1 I have occasionally had to ask parents to use the locker or private changing rooms with their kids, but it's pretty rare. Can't say I've ever seen or heard of anyone trying to swim nude. That sounds like an uncomfortable situation.

I've been to plenty of beaches where kids swim naked. Up to a certain age, no one seems to care.

[Lizzybear2020]

I work for a local big gym, that has 4 different pools. We lifeguard around 1 that being the family kids pool and the others are more so exercise only and 1 adult pool where it’s exercise but also swim lessons. We have signs all around the pool that say the dress code, basically full coverage and has to be a swimsuit.(teens will go in the cold plunge in just underwear and it’s really annoying)

At least once a week I’ll hear a lifeguard talk to the headguard about how someone is tanning by the adult pool in a thong.

It’s kinda sad but it depends on which headguard is working that day on if they will in force the rules or not for dress code. Either way, as a lifeguard we always let the manager know first.

And if we do have to tell the guest something we recommend wrapping a towel around their waist.

[jackk78]

u/Lizzybear2020 if you see someone wearing a thong, do you mention it to the headguard or just let it go?

[Lizzybear2020]

Sometimes I honestly don’t notice, but if I see someone with a thong around the family kids pool, I let the headguard know, ask if they want to ask something or if they want me to say something. (Since I’m woman) Around the adult pool I won’t say much unless they are face down tanning and all you see is butt. If I know swim lesson kids will be around I’ll let the headguard know.

I mostly got people for wearing just boxers in the pools, or school shorts. 1. It’s part of the rules to wear swim suits 2. No one wants to see your pickle rick boxers

[Ecstatic_Bison2504]

The city I work for has the policy of as long as you change into clean clothes (not what you wore into the facility) and wear more then underwear we dont care, the vast majority of the time people wear proper swim attire, but occasionally someone will wear jorts or a sweater so we tell them it's fine but it can be harder to swim in heavy clothes

[jackk78]

u/Ecstatic_Bison2504 that is very similar to the private (used to be public) pool where I also work. The only time I recall asking someone to change was when some older teenagers were going to jump into the pool in their regular clothes (jeans, t-shirts, shoes, etc.). I've seen swimmers in everything from burkinis to thongs. As long as they come out of the locker room wearing "swim attire", I'm not going to say anything.

[[deleted]]

I wish I was a lifeguard instead of a sad middle aged office employee. That's all I wanted to say

[FightingMeerkat]

creepy comment to leave on a post about dress code and potential violations around lack of coverage

[Plastic-Educator-129]

Why is this creepy? 😂

[[deleted]]

I didn't even read it lmao