German bosses can now order women to wear bras to work

German bosses can now order women to wear bras to work, after a court ruling in North Rhine-Westphalia on Wednesday.

But they should be flesh or white coloured only as bright colours may ‘shine through'. The State Labour Court in North Rhine-Westphalia made the ruling during a case involving the dress and grooming habits of airport security personnel, but its decisions will apply to all workplaces in the most populous German state.The ruling wasn’t a complete victory for bosses though – while the length of a female employee’s fingernails can be determined by her immediate superiors, companies do not have the right to ban certain shades of nail polish. And while they can ensure hair is clean and groomed and order male employees to keep their beard in check, wigs – banned under the airport security personnel’s rulebook – can still be worn. But for German ladies who like to go sans-bra, the ruling isn’t all bad. The court also ruled that females can go bra-less if they are wearing an undershirt.