posted by teresa on
July 31, 2008
at work: does dressing feminine hurt you?
One of my favorite style reporters, Christina Binkley from the WSJ, always hits on various wardrobe controversies in the workplace from wearing hose to the latest: the shifting of the power dress code for female executives.
Image by: Brian Harkin/WSJ
The financial services and healthcare industries certainly have stricter dress codes and most female executives wear dark neutral suits, hose and heels. Nothing to show that they are feminine. Maybe a scarf. But, that has been changing over the last ten years and more and more women are agreeing with the women featured in Binkley’s article, “Do not be afraid to be a woman.”
In fact, we live in what I call a “double-edged sword world” when it comes to workplace fashion. Research has shown that dressing too feminine can make a woman less credible in the workplace but on the contrary, if women dress too masculinely, research shows that they are held back. Discouraged?
Don’t be. Women are making in-roads here and it is slowly changing. I have lots of clients who are doctors and financial executives who used to wear the simple and understated suit because they didn’t want to be seen as the secretary. My advice is that a jacket or well-structured cardigan is always going to be necessary but add some color, wear separates and add one bit of fun that shows your personal style.
Some of my clients literally gasp when I separate their suits and show them that they can wear the skirt separately with another jacket or structured cardigan. But every single one of them who has ventured out and started wearing color (OMG!) and separates, finds that their credibility is still in tact and that somehow, the “playing field has been leveled.”
What do you wear to work? If you dress a little more feminine, do you think it hurts your chances for promotion?
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July 31st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
It’s not the clothes–to my eye they look polished and appropriate. But the hair? Not so much. It sends a message somewhere between “high school” and “beauty pageant”; it says “I get up at 4 a.m. so I can manage my high-maintenance locks.” It says, “My hair is much, much more important than any of your trivial problems.”
This isn’t “feminine”; it’s a caricature of femininity. It’s Barbie-dom.
When you want people to respect what’s inside your head, you need to be more mature and self-critical about what’s outside your head. Cut it off, ladies. Grow up!
August 7th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Right on Nancy! Studies even prove that women who have long (blond) hair are not taken seriously compared to their shorter styled, highlighted counterparts. If they had no-nonsense hairstyles (and yes, it can be stylish), what they wear to the office would be a non-issue.