New Disney dress code no longer requires pantyhose for female theme park workers in skirts

No stockings, now no problem at Disney theme parks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Female workers at Disney theme parks have been granted the right to bare legs.

Walt Disney Co. adopted a new dress code that absolves women working at the company’s theme parks from having to wear pantyhose when dressing in skirts, said Disneyland spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez.

The change, which was announced within the company on May 28, came after a review of clothing guidelines and a comparison with dress codes at other Fortune 500 companies, she said.

Women are now also permitted to wear sleeveless tops, as long as the shoulder straps are at least 3 inches wide, and open-toed shoes. Men can now wear casual, untucked shirts.

David Koenig, author of “Mouse Tales: A Behind-The-Ears Look at Disneyland,” said the seemingly trivial changes take on greater significance in the context of company founder Walt Disney’s insistence on conservative, modest clothing for employees before his death in 1966.

“That clean-cut look never went out of style as far as Walt Disney was concerned,” Koenig said.

Sanchez said the new changes apply mostly to behind-the-scenes workers in resort offices, not costumed characters.

Information from: Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com