Why Meteorologists Wear the Same Dress

Sartorial conspiracy, anyone? An Imgur user has revealed the fact that many female meteorologists are wearing the same $23 dress—which, it turns out, says a lot about their job and the attitudes of fans. Described on Amazon as a "Stretch Tunic Pencil Sheath Dress," it's a poly/cotton/spandex blend with sleeves, a solid color, and a bold black line down the front. That meets strict dress codes that some work under: "Many stations even have consultants that come in and tell you colors you should and shouldn't wear," KOCO meteorologist Shelby Hays tells Tech Insider (white is bad and green would vanish with the green screen). And solid colors are helpful for avoiding a "Moiré effect" created by busy patterns on camera, another meteorologist tells Fox 2 Illinois.

As Dallas FOX 4 meteorologist Jennifer Myers reveals on Reddit, she's also not allowed to have short hemlines, lace, or cleavage, Refinery 29 reports. "Cleavage angers viewers over 40 something fierce, so we stay away from that," writes Myers. "There's no length rule on skirts/dresses but if you wouldn't wear it to a family event, you probably shouldn't wear it on TV." Myers adds that meteorologists don't have their own stylists or money for pricey clothes—which is partly why the dress caught on when a colleague posted it on a Facebook group page for women in their line of work. "Everyone saw how great it looked," says Hays. "At $23 we could buy a handful of these dresses for what we normally pay for just one." (Another dress "broke the Internet" earlier this year.)