You notice there is a big stain on your shirt...

Depends on the people at the meeting. If I'm trying to make a good first impression, I try to hide the stain. If they already know me, they know that clothes are not my top priority, so the heck with it.

Something similar happened once... there was a department gathering the very first day of grad school, and my sun-dress split a seam right over my abdomen. I spent the first two hours of the party with my hands clasped in front of me. Eventually we located a needle and some thread.

Fake stupidity unless someone points it out. Then I would be embarrassed.

Ms. Manners says the best thing to do is to pretend you didn't notice someone has a stain/some trouble with their attire. So I'd just try not to draw attention to it/pretend my clothes aren't stained. If someone told me I had a stain on my shirt I'd be embarrassed and make some stupid excuse, like "Sorry, I was a clutz at lunch" or something like that.

I'd commit ritual suicide in front of all my coworkers.

I would flee from the nuclear power plant where I work. Without someone attentively monitoring the reactions, the core would melt down releasing radioactive gas that would kill everyone for miles around. The contamination to the water table would spread further than expected and contaminate the food supply, effectively wiping out all life on the entire continent. Everybody dies. Oh the embarassment.

I apologize for the stain and get on w/life.

I once spilled my coffee all over my white blouse just before going into a meeting. I went into the women's room, took off the blouse, washed it in the sink, and dried it under the little automatic hand-dryer, while standing there in my bra. I was very fortunate to have the time and hand-drier available as it was an all-day meeting and my hotel room was several blocks away. If I noticed such a thing these days, with my generally very human and personable clients, I would probably either ignore it or make a joke about it.

romkey - Have you been watching The Simpsons again?

romkey - don't worry, everything will reset back to the way it was last week.

SueBee - well, yes :). actually it's based on a pattern from a Joe Haldeman story or book... I can't remember which one but it was great...

Throw my hair over it :)

I heard a story once about a woman who was wearing a white skirt and got her period right before a big presentation. I recall part of the story involving her being on stage and saying to her audience, "And you should be *proud* to have a menstruating woman up on stage in front of you..." Kinda cool!

I think I would try to find a way to cover it until I could go change.

mildly annoyed, but i'm in jeans & tshirts for all my big meetings. The most i do is shine my shoes/boots before going to a meeting at corporate HQ.

I think it was on my tie, actually.