Congress has some series requirements for female attire

The Speaker's lobby, a room adjacent to the front of the House chamber, is a go-to location for reporters wanting to grab lawmakers for brief interviews, and there are allegedly rules about what you can wear inside. Even as denizens of Capitol Hill wipe away sweat from Washington, D.C.'s swamp-like weather outside, men are expected to wear suit jackets and ties in the House chamber and Speaker's lobby. Women, on the other hand, have been told they're not allowed to wear sleeveless blouses or dresses, sneakers or open-toed shoes.

These rules are far from clear cut and there are no visible signs defining them. They are also not enforced on the Senate side of the Capitol.

Some lawmakers have loosely interpreted these rules, which prompted Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, to recently reiterate an announcement made to House lawmakers over the years: "Members should periodically rededicate themselves to the core principles of proper parliamentary practice that are so essential to maintaining order and deliberacy here in the House."