In honor of International Women’s Day, we should bring back the power suits of the 1980s. I know, they were hideous, but it turns out they may have actually given gals magical powers.
A study by researchers at Kellogg University found that what we wear impacts how we feel about ourselves and how we perform in our jobs.
“Clothes can have profound and systematic psychological and behavioral consequences for their wearers,” according to a study on the effects of clothing on employees by professors at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
The research found that work garb associated with “attentiveness and carefulness” actually makes workers more attentive and careful.
In testing the theory, the researchers used a lab coat on their subjects and looked at how wearing the coat impacted their work. It turned out, the study found, that “physically wearing a lab coat increased selective attention compared to not wearing a lab coat.”
A lab coat makes people feel important and smart, and that translates into how they perform. That’s why I’m proposing a redux of the shoulder pads. Gals back then were onto something. They wanted to look like men because we’ve all been brainwashed for years to think men should be the only holders of power. The guys wear suits and have big shoulders. So, if we look like them we’ll feel we have more power and the ability to become leaders.
OK, maybe I’m being a little tongue and cheek, but something’s got to give folks. Little has changed for women and power since the 1980s. Women held only about 16 percent of board seats and 14 percent of executive officer positions at Fortune 500 companies last year, according to a study by Catalyst, a research firm.
Here’s a telling quote from the Kellogg study:
“Although the saying goes that clothes do not make the man, our results suggest that they do hold a strange power over their wearers.”
When will the river run power our way?
And speaking about fashion, Paris Fashion week just ended and based on the research above, most of what designers displayed probably won’t do much to build up your confidence gals. Here’s one of my favorites. Would this one from a New York Times recap of fashion week today make you feel powerful?
And everyone was showing these ridiculously high heels. If you don’t fall over the height will definitely make you feel powerful.
March 8th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
I think it’s important to recognize that, like you said, in wearing the big-shoulder-padded power suits of the ’80s, we are indeed giving ourselves a power-bearing masculine quality. What is problematic is not that we (women) aren’t wearing those clothes, and therefore are losing our edge - no, it’s the notion that through masculinity (in the form of broad shoulders via padded suits, in this case) is the only way women can obtain “equal” power. I believe the set of values surrounding power (masculinity) is the real issue we should be aware of. The question we all need to ask is, Why can’t I wear my little flowy floral dress, with ribbons in my hair, and dainty high heels and still be CEO of my company? And even a step further, why are flowy, floral, dainty, ribbon-y things the ideal of femininity anyway?
March 8th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
You ask some important questions Elizabeth. I would be great if we could wear what ever the heck we want and still be able to get power.
What I found interesting about the Kellogg study was how the clothing made the individuals themselves feel and act. A lab coat made them more attentive. So, it might not be how we are perceived in what we wear, but how we perceive ourselves in what we wear. If we think power suits are powerful, then do we feel more powerful.
You just made me think about Lady Gaga. That broad appears to feel powerful.
Here’s a great wrap up of powerful women who are also fashionable. They’re definitely not wearing power suits:
http://www.thebettermousetrap.me/personalities/most-powerful-women-of-fashion-2011/
March 12th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
This is a very timely article, as just last week I teamed up with an image consultant to present a workshop combining dress style and image with career personal branding (http://substance-style.eventbrite.com). We talked with the participants a lot about defining your brand, aligning who you are with where you want to be, and then finding ways to express yourself that promote your success.
One of the major messages is that when you change your brand, it changes how people perceive you, but it also changes how you feel about yourself. Really fun, interesting stuff, and essential to career success.