Cramming that big butt into that tiny outfit…
Come on all you wonder women out there, admit you have worn a tight skirt to work and were unable to easily move around. How productive were you really? You looked good, but feeling uncomfortable and probably a bit self conscious, your productivity was surely diminished.
There’s a funny story in the Wall Street Journal’s Style section today that talks about how young attorneys are breaking all the rules when it comes to their attire, and the old legal guard is getting sick and tired of it.
A decade after the dot-come boom made casual Friday a week-long event, many people under 30 have never witnessed a suits-only office.
And when they wear suits, the article goes onto say, it’s the tiny, sexy kind:
Winston & Strawn brought in a personal shopper from a local department store last year to address associates on how to shop and dress for work. Mr. Mills says that when some associates do make an effort to dress up, they seem to base their look on Hollywood. “You get the TV-woman lawyer look with skirts 12 inches above the knee and very tight blouses,” he says. “They have trouble sitting and getting into taxis.”
I can cast stones because I am guilty of this type of attire. The sexy, butt gripping, uncomfortable kind. Looking back now, I realize how it may have derailed my work success on those particular days, when I poured myself into that chic, though impractical, suit.
Can it really impede your career?
This from Diversityjobs.com:
According to a recent sexism study conducted by Lawrence University professor Peter Glick, dressing sexy for work can have very negative effects for women as they climb up the corporate ladder.
Glick’s study found that while dressing provocatively on the job is viewed as inappropriate for women on all levels of responsibility, female managers who chose to dress sexy for work were perceived to be less competent and less intelligent. On the other hand, women in lower level positions who chose to wear racy attire were not perceived as less intelligent or less competent.
Also suggested by Glick’s study was that women who wear sexy outfits are perceived as using their sexuality to move up in the professional ranks.
The study actually contradicts the myriad of print, television, and Internet advertisements that encourage women to emphasize their sex appeal in all arenas and professional levels. In reality, the study suggests, women in higher level and high power jobs may need to dress more modestly and conservatively to win the respect of their colleagues and coworkers.
And unfortunately, dressing provocatively is not a protected category:
Dressing sexy at work can even result in being fired. But even if you are fired or denied promotion for dressing sexy at work, you might not even be able to legally seek any damages.
Hey, I’m all for freedom of expression of yourselves in the workplace. But why do we women sabotage ourselves? Why do we try so hard to fight sexism but still fall prey to society’s desire to keep us down by squeezing our big buttocks into little outfits?
Can you look hot but still keep up the heat on work? Or should work be the priority?
January 31st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Ladies, if you want to look your best, don’t focus on clothes that flaunt your erogenous zones. Pick clothing you love–for the colors, patterns, textures, style, and the fit. Pick things that, when looking in the mirror, you say “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!”, not “Will *he* notice?” Wearing those clothes, you’ll let your personality shine through, you’ll feel better about yourself, and you’ll avoid most of the office barbs that are flung around.
[Unfortunately, those of us with taste and discretion cannot control the small minority of cretins who will spout off at the mouth in any case. As a man, I apologize on their behalf. They have no clue as to what they are doing.]
January 31st, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Oh HikingStick, what a nice post for all the women in the world. LISTEN TO THIS GUY!
February 1st, 2008 at 8:00 am
I have a 17 year old daughter who looks like a model. We homeschooled her and she started attending college when she was 15. Never, not once, did she wear something that shows her mid-riff, has a low neckline, wore jeans that she had to sqeeze into, or in anyway take those kinds of actions. She was there to focus on education.
However, she has the most engaging personality, talkative, fun, intelligent, etc. She understands her character is what makes her a beautiful young woman.
The fact is, as a woman, if you are wearing something to work that is “distracting” don’t expect to be taken seriously. FYI: The same is true for guys or gals sporting tons of tattoos, piercings, etc. We’d like to think we don’t judge a book by its cover but if I were faced with two candidates for a position - one looks like biker man/woman, the other a modest (not prude), professional - I know who we are all hiring. Unless it is a tattoo parlor or Harley dealership..
February 1st, 2008 at 11:28 am
There is a woman in my office that is highly educated and pretty damn smart, but also extremely well endowed and inclined to show it off. I think it works to her disadvantage, initially. Once you have worked with her, however, her intelligence shines through, and her choice of tight and revealing attire fades into the background. Makes you ask, hey, why shouldn’t women be able to express themselves in the office? Isn’t this a way forward? Break the molds that society has created regarding being professional and intelligent yet sexy and beautiful? Or are we not there yet? Interestingly enough, it is the women that are more judgemental of our colleague’s choice of clothes…But alas, she has had one too many wardrobe malfuctions…has tripped us all of our extra safety pins and double sided tape, and has had one very close call when a key button popped. Is it worth it?
February 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
As a corporate image consultant, I’d like to point out that we need to make a distinction between sexy attire and provocative or cheesecake attire. A classy, polished professional can wear a great-fitting business suit and look very sexy. It doesn’t have to be tight or show cleaveage. That’s overkill. In reality, men fantasize more about seducing “debutante” types than hookers. It’s the thrill of the chase and of winning the biggest prize. That’s why Onassis wanted Jackie.
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
So what’s a non-hooker, non-debutant to do?
If dressing in a polished, professional manner means nabbing Onassis, then I’d rather be a whore.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I’m currently fortunate enough to be working in a totally casual environment, which is great. On the other hand, if I had to wear suits to work, I’d definitely stick with the rule they gave us over and over in college - the hem of the skirt shouldn’t be more than a dollar bill’s width away from the knee while seated. It’s fun to be cute and stylish, but the office definitely isn’t the place.