Parliament will debate a ban on companies requiring women to wear high heels to work after a petition reached 125,000 signatures.
The campaign began after London receptionist Nicola Thorp, 27, said she was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels.
The company said it did not have a written requirement for women to wear heels, but her story prompted other women to say they had also felt pressured into dressing in a certain way for work.
By Friday 125,000 people had signed Ms Thorp’s petition online, meaning Parliament must consider it for debate.
Women in Nottingham have also been sharing their personal experiences with work dress codes – and debating if some uniforms are sexist.
Katherine Conboyhall is Manager of the Karen Millen store in the Exchange Arcade in Nottingham.
She said: “Our dress code changed two years ago when the brand was updated, it used to include heels, dresses and make-up.
“It’s definitely changed for the better in that women have more choice – but we found that girls actually liked wearing heels, especially on Saturdays when everyone would get dressed up.”
In the UK it is legal for employers to dismiss staff who fail to live up to contractual dress code demands – which in some cases require women to wear heels.
Others will ask women to simply dress appropriately given the job – which is open to interpretation.
The Bowery Club on Fletcher Gate hosts an event called Aces on Saturdays.
Abbe Firmage, 21, a student from Nottingham Trent University, regularly goes to the events.
She says that she has noticed that the women working table service will all wear heels – and believes there’s nothing wrong with a certain standard of footwear.
She said:”It’s good to see the table girls dressed up and looking glamorous, because they are in a club so they fit in with everyone around them.”
She said: “They appear more presentable, however it may have an adverse effect because it is often men who pay for the tables and there’s always the risk that some men will behave inappropriately to women dressed in certain clothing.”
Jay Smedley, who is the director of the event said: “The girls are not forced to wear high heels, they can wear boots or smart trainers but as it is a dressy event, many of them will choose to wear high heels while working.”
The debate has also brought out strong opinions on the Notts TV Facebook page.
Nottingham woman Carol Bevitt wrote: “As long as the shoes are smart it shouldn’t matter if they are flat or have heels.
“If an employer insists a woman wears heels, then the male employees should have to wear the same type of shoes, if they don’t it’s discrimination.”
And David Nightingale said: “If a company require you to wear a particular type of footwear they should be prepared to supply it or pay for it.”
