Can the executive image be feminine?
This post is part of the Executive Image series that Daria (aka @MominManagement) began a short while ago. I am honored that she invited me to participate along with her and five other amazing women. For more about the series, visit Daria’s website, MominManagement.
Let me ask you a question. When you think of an executive or a boss or a manager, what image pops into your head? Do you picture a man or a woman?
I like to think of myself as pretty progressive when it comes to gender equality. After all, I am a woman. I am striving to make it in a world that has heretofore been dominated by men. However, even I, coming from that perspective, have to admit that when I think of the “executive image,” I think of a man.
I’m not the only one
I decided to see how ruler of the world, Google, envisions the executive image. I did an image search for “executive image.” Here is what I found:
So what do we see here? Most of the images are dominated by men. Where there are women in the picture, they seem to blend in with the men, so it’s not even easy to tell, with a quick glance, that there are women there.
What is going on here?
There’s no doubt that women have made a lot of headway in the business world. There are a lot of woman-owned companies out there. Some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs are women. And yet, when we think of an “executive” we still think either of a man or of a woman who is dressed like a man. I’ve been thinking about this issue since the 2008 presidential election. Do you remember what a huge deal was made out of Hillary Clinton and her pant suits? Regardless of your politics, you have to admit that was a bit strange. Was she being chided for not being feminine enough? Was she being chided because it was perceived she was trying to give off the same power that men give off in their power suits? I struggled with that whole affair. I’m a professional woman. Are my fashion decisions being weighed that much? If so, are men undergoing the same ordeal? It doesn’t really seem like it.
Newsflash: Women, even powerful women, are not men
It seems to me there should be a widely accepted vision of what feminine power should look like, and it seems to me like the image of the executive female should be independent and different from the male image. After all, women are different. Many women approach leadership differently from men. Do women, do female executives, need to dress like a man to get their power across?
The minefield of women’s fashion in business
The decisions a man has to make to look “professional” or “executive” are fairly simple, really. A suit of some sort, a tie, maybe cuff links, maybe a vest. The general look has been established, as that image from Google shows. For a woman wanting to evoke power and femininity, the issue becomes pretty complex. Here are some examples.
The dress: If a female executive wears a dress, what kind of dress should it be? If it’s sleeveless, she may be perceived as being too flirty or too informal. If she is wearing long sleeves or a dress with a long skirt, the perception may be that she is kind of rigid and impersonal. Maybe she appears old-fashioned.
The skirt: Similar problems exist for the woman who is an executive and yet who likes to wear skirts. What is too short? What is too long? If a woman wears a skirt that is too short, is she trying to just show off her legs?
The pant suit: Okay, let’s talk about the pant suit. There are some pant suits that are kind of nice. Others are kind of atrocious. Some try to bridge the feminine and masculine worlds while others veer more towards the feminine. People may say, “Okay, what kind of message is she trying to send, anyway?
These are just the major facets of a woman’s wardrobe. A woman gets judged by her jewelry. Her lipstick may be too red, or maybe she doesn’t wear any. A woman’s shoes are perceived of as messengers. Why does one woman wear flat shoes while another wears high heels? What is that all about?
And don’t’ even begin the conversation about hair length, style, and color.
Is this a problem of male perception, female perception, or both?
What do you think this is all about? Is this all symptomatic of the fact that women are still associated with being “soft” and not powerful? Has the glass ceiling not really been broken, but only cracked? Should we begin to analyze men in a similar fashion (pardon the pun) to make things seem more equal, or would that just confuse things all the more?
As a woman in the business world, I have tended to gravitate towards the pin stripes. But it bothers me. Why does looking professional translate in my mind to dressing in a fashion similar to men?
What is your take on all of this?
66 Comments
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
[…] of 7 fabulous women to share her thoughts about Executive Image with us! She writes about how Gender influences Executive Image and the challenges we face as women to compete with […]
[…] on December 20th – Can the Executive Image be Feminine? by Margie […]
Really great points you raise! I have noticed this too, but hadn’t really thought it through as well as you have. In our office, on casual Fridays, the men are just fine wearing Dockers and a collared polo shirt. When women wear the same exact outfit – because we have company logo shirts – they look much more casual than the men do in the same attire.
Why is that?
I also know that I will not wear a floral print to work and A-line skirts make me uncomfortable. I can get away with them, but they seem too feminine (imo) for work.
As for the ceiling? I’m not even sure it’s cracked. And I don’t think it’s just the men holding us back. Women also have attitudes and stereotypes we need to work on.
Thank you again Margie for kicking this Series off! I can’t wait to see what Jen Gresham has planned for next Monday!
Great job on this article – as usual. 🙂
Thanks, Daria.
You’re right – a short sleeved shirt, maybe a light jacket, and nice jeans doesn’t mean the same thing for women that it does for men, does it?
I also agree that I think a lot of this is imposed on women by women. I think we as a gender have a lot of preconceptions based on our very particular views and experiences, and that can confuse a lot of issues for people.
It’s a very interesting part of our culture, and I’m so glad you gave me a channel to talk about it! 🙂
Margie–Love this commentary on what women wear to look professional. Women have broader choices and more difficulty determining what’s correct for any given situation. No surprise there since decision often leads to problems.
Having lived through the “little man’s suit look” and “casual I’m not going to even iron my shirt” looks, I think that we all work better when we wear professional clothes. We think differently and we present a more professional attitude, both men and women.
Thanks for making us think (again!)
Happy marketing,
Heidi Cohen
Thanks, Heidi!
It’s interesting – when I was in college and grad school, I always applauded stores like Target for having professional clothing, but now I look at the stuff in the women’s section and it just seems to be all either pinstripes or skirts with ruffles. Nothing in between. I choose to go the pin stripes route, therefore.
This post raises a lot of good questions. Before I decided to leave the conventional job scene, I was a therapist–and I spent a lot of time thinking about my wardrobe. I was a young female working with adolescents {at least half of my clients were adolescent males} and their families. And, to top it off, I looked much younger than I actually was. Parents would often ask me how old I was, how long I’d been practicing therapy, and much more inappropriate questions.
So, I felt like I had to put a lot of thought into what I was wearing. For a while I was wearing a lot of collared shirts and dress pants–but then I started wearing stuff that fit my personality {but was still professional}–and I was treated the same by my colleagues and clients. I was good at my job, and that seemed to be all that mattered. It was me who was more uptight about what I was wearing than anybody else.
But, I can definitely see how the things you wear can influence the way that you’re perceived by others. I’ve worked in environments where people weren’t taken as seriously {male and female} due to the way they dressed.
That’s such a common theme for young therapists. I’m glad you found a way around it 🙂
As we talked about on Twitter, I can only imagine how much harder it is for someone in a “role model” scenario. Again, for a guy, it’s pretty easy to just look “professional.” People weigh what women wear so heavily – “what message is she sending?”
I’d probably go nuts trying to make sure I was dressing “appropriately” for my role. Yikes.
I’m thrilled to read this contribution to the series-and I need to go edit my contribution.
The thing that bothers me about feminine executive image is that the “line that should not be crossed” is so very, very thin for women. If your skirt is a millimeter too short, you’re perceived to be using your looks to ascend the corporate ladder. If your pantsuits are too “mannish,” you’re perceived as trying to be a bully, because you want to act like the men. I’ve even seen female executives scrutinized over briefcase choices. As an Executive Assistant, my goal is not to move up the corporate ladder-I’m quite happy with my career choices (even though I don’t like my current job) but I still see the attitude towards women in my position. I have a colleague who has my same job description, but she works in an office with no public contact, so her dress standards are different. Yet when we’re at a Board Meeting, without a doubt I am perceived as “more qualified” because I’m wearing a nice skirt or trousers and a fancy top, whereas she is wearing business casual. This doesn’t bother her, but it bugs me to no end. If anything, she’s more qualified than I am, given her background and resume. Even if I “dress down” for a Board Meeting, the perception is already there, yet the situation that caused it was created by the Board themselves, by allowing her a more relaxed dress code.
That’s really interesting. The question in my head is how does your co-worker dress assuming that the dress code is casual? Jeans? Or does “less casual” for women mean something else?
I think to some extent, it’s unavoidable to judge people how they look -what I mean by that is that if you come in to work with your hair uncombed, tattered clothing, or jeans with holes in them, you are saying something about yourself. However, if you dress “nicely,” or if you are “well-kept” but maybe not “professional,” what does that say about you? Is that less important than your choice between a skirt or pants?
I think it’s also interesting that it doesn’t bother your co-worker. Perhaps they feel like their dress code is understood by everyone and doesn’t perceive that her value is being affected.
The perception is there on her part; I think it’s that she’s in her late 50’s, her husband is retired and has a good pension-she mainly works this job for the benefits (which I don’t understand because they are crap). This is not something that will go on her resume and may be the last corporate job she ever has. Her raises have been equal with mine-she does a great job at her job-even going above and beyond. This isn’t just a “stepping stone” for her though. She’ll put in her time until she qualifies for medicare and that will be that.
She wears nice jeans, nice tops (but not “business” dressy). I would equate it with what I would wear to go run errands or visit with friends.
I think “less casual” for women DOES mean something different. A man is not perceived as less than professional if his khaki shorts are above the knee on a business casual day with 100 degree temps. A woman often is perceived that way if she wears a skirt that is too short (by whomever’s standards) or, in some parts of the US, if she doesn’t wear hosiery with her skirt. A man is not perceived as less than professional if his shirt is unbuttoned “one too many buttons”; a woman often is. And by “less than professional” I mean a word which I’m not sure Margie wants on her site. And I hate that my value can be affected that way.
I think women are often just as professional in nice pants as they are in a skirt. I’ve gone to work in jeans before, when I was doing something like archiving files or knew I had a task on the schedule that day that would involve me being in the bay that houses our fleet vehicles. I would wear a nicer blouse but one I didn’t mind getting dirty, or the one work issued polo I have for “public events”. Did it change how the public perceived me? I can’t say that for sure. Does it change how my co-workers perceive me? Without a doubt. Did it change how I sounded when I answered the phone or the attention I paid to the tasks at hand? Not at all.
I’ve been in an office where there was no dress code-these folks didn’t deal with the public at all. It was interesting-most of the men were in khakis and polos, but the women ran the gamut, from business casual to sweats with “Juicy” across the butt. I would have liked to have been more involved with the dynamics there to see how that affected promotions, perceptions, etc.
ah, we have no juicy butts here, but I was just talking to my co-worker about this – we are both dressed in dark jeans today, and we both call it business casual. Nice tops, accessories, nice shoes, but nothing stellar in terms of traditional “professional” garb. In our world, which is marketing, dress is hugely dependent on what your role is. Creative folk have a lot more leeway than Account Executives who are out there meeting with clients – and that goes for men and women.
I never shift my persona based on what I’m wearing. I always know where I am and what I’m doing (well, in the broad sense).
I love your line about powerful women are not men 😉
I try and dress according to my day. If I have meetings, I will wear a suit and heels. Working with clients is nice and professional. Adolescent clients and their families get the casual yet professional attire.
In the end, it’s more about your skill set, and knowing that women have to work harder to make that good first impression. Is it fair? No, but that’s not going to put a wrinkle in my collared shirt.
So you think it’s all about the fact that women still are not playing on a level playing field. Interesting. So, you wear heels, feminine -do you tend towards suits that play off more masculine styles, or do you wear suits that still cater to the fact that you’re a woman?
Just curious about how you approach that line.
Thank you for your comment!
Margie,
Beautiful post. To make a bold statement – I think it’s up to us to start changing the story, changing the dynameic and changing those ridiculous Google pics. I hope that women feel empowered enough to know that they bring so much to the table as women – with strengths that men don’t have that are innate and powerful and create multi-faceted business relationships.
I had a business lunch last week with an older gentleman from the “old school” and I wore a skirt, bright red top with a scoop neck, dangly earrings, my hair down long, and brought poise and confidence with me. You know what? He said at one point, “You’re so poised and powerful and you’re not afraid to be a woman. I applaud you for that.”
I couldn’t have been happier in that moment. We need to own our femininity and allow our power to come through!
Thrilled that you took on this topic,
@LisaPetrilli
Wow! Congratulations on walking that fine line of embracing your femininity and still portraying a polished, powerful presence. Any tips?
Next week’s post by Jen Gresham is about Confidence and how it affects others’ impressions. I imagine how you carry yourself goes a long way, but dress certainly is a big factor also.
I agree with Heidi that when we dress the part, we are more likely to act the part. I also agree with Mrs. B, that women can be judged on the littlest things and their competence overshadowed by impressions based upon their attire.
What a great intro to this topic, Margie!
That’s great, Lisa!
Of course, I’m sure there are some women out there who also might have taken that as patronizing. So much of how we receive compliments or criticism is about our own perception of ourselves, isn’t it?
I also try to remain myself while also looking professional. I am not a big fan of some fashion statements that are considered ultra-feminine, but I am not a person who will come into work wearing torn up jeans and an old t-shirt, either. I try to walk the fine line between looking my part while maintaining comfort.
Too bad most fashion designers don’t design to those two needs in one fell swoop. 🙂
You got it, and I hope you’ll come back for my part of the series and share that story again (or maybe you wouldn’t mind if I popped it in my post with attribution)? Confidence is the key to doing just about anything, including apparently, getting dressed in the morning.
Thanks for sharing that story!
Margie:
This is a great piece and an issue that I have dealt with often and recently. I encountered just this type of bias in regards to my book cover for The Entrepreneur Equation, where I chose to wear a sheath dress and pink heels instead of a pant suit (you can see my full rant here: http://www.carolroth.com/unsolicited-business-advice/?p=3152)
Buyers at various bookstores continue to give the feedback to my publisher that because I am dressed in a feminine manner, I am not being taken seriously as a business author.
I cannot imagine that the feedback to a man would ever be, “Hey Joe, please ugly up for your book cover. You look too good to be an author” and I think it’s frightening in this day and age that the same would be said to a successful woman.
I do believe that you attract what you put out there and there is a line between feminine and well, putting a bit TOO much out there. However, we need to have female executive, entrepreneurs and business role models that represent what it means to be a female business woman today.
I am proud of the decision to stand up and keep my sheath and pink heels and hope that by doing so, others join so that we can start changing some minds.
Are you kidding!?
Wow, that is outrageous, Carol. Really and truly.
I just saw a story on CBS Sunday Morning yesterday about the art of the book cover. Of course a fair part of it was, “Does this still matter? Everyone has the Kindle now.” But the other part was how publishers “dress” books with codes that tell us what the book is about. It is an unspoken language that apparently, based on your experience, is still rife with subtexts of sexism.
Bravo to you for holding your own. I support you all the way. Grr.
Margie,
I just love this post and how it forced me to think about my own executive perception.
I think part of the problem is that there are too few women in executive roles!
Amongst the many executive men, the sole woman “sticks out” which forces attention to the little things we aren’t used to seeing – lipstick, jewelry, femenine attire. Imagine if there was a sea of women execs on a board or in a meeting…it would be much more difficult to criticize a lipstick shade or haircut.
Thank you for the fantastic, thought-provoking post.
@LizBrenner
You raise a good point, Liz. But I would counter with this thought – if there are fewer women than men right now, shouldn’t we try to stand out rather than camouflage ourselves? If you look at some of those pictures on Google, you see that the women, what few there are, are masked back, looking like the men but maybe with slightly longer hair. Why not be bold? If you’re a successful woman in business you’re obviously doing things right. Be you. Whatever that may mean.
I love wearing skirts! Jeans and what-not are fine for casual or dressy trousers on a cold day, but I never feel so “dressed” as in a skirt. For most women, not more than about 2 or 3 inches above the top of the knee, and not much more than that below the bottom of the knee. A blouse or nice sweater and a professional jacket. The jacket could be a suit (matching the skirt) or coordinating; matching is more formal.
As for sleeveless dresses, they’re great in hot weather (no waistband lets air circulate for maximum cool), but toss on a jacket or light cardigan in the office to look more polished (assuming the air conditioning works).
I used to love wearing skirts, but once I got a job where I was sitting all day, pants just became a lot more comfortable for me. But if I am “dressing up,” I do think dress or skirt.
Fair points 🙂
Great post, Margie, and one of those topics that will never cease to raise questions and cause conversation.
As a man, I find myself imagining another man when given the prompt of “executive.” Perhaps it’s because I just associate myself and my own gender to that role. Perhaps it’s because our society ingrains in us the notion that men rule the world. Perhaps it’s because, at my current company, there are all men in executive positions. Perhaps it’s all of those and more.
One thing I like that you mentioned is the notion of what type of man we envision. Black suits, closely cropped hair, clean-shaven. At first glance at those pictures you posted from Google, all the men look relatively white — not persons of color. As a man who prefers his hair long, doesn’t like traditionally formal attire, and wears a mustache on an otherwise stubbly face, I don’t exactly fit the bill of “executive” upon first glance, either. I feel societal pressure to dress up more, shave more, trim my hair more (not that it’s unruly) — even though, that’s not really my personality.
Not to say that it’s the same type of societal pressure whatsoever as women feel, but just thought I’d throw out that perspective. It seems that “executives” conjure up a very specific group of men, that some men and women just don’t fit in traditional terms.
I think that’s a really great point! I always thought Gilette Penn’s wardrobe choice was interesting. Button down suit, always very professional looking, but his long hair and pierced ear hinted that he was not your typical business man. Kind of an understated statement there, in a way.
And you’re right – one could approach this from any number of angles. Do you picture a white person or a person of color? Do you picture Mark Zuckerberg? All of the fashionistas probably cringe whenever they see him, and yet – I think he’s doing okay for himself.
I’d love to see lots of people join in on this conversation – even though Daria and us ladies are approaching it through the prism of being women, it certainly isn’t limited to gender or anything else.
Thanks!
PRELUDE:
I had a comment all ready at 4:30am this morning, and then my computer crashed. It was all uphill from there.
COMMENT:
I take issue with the whole “looking professional” topic, but that’s mainly due to my upbringing. (Living in a rural town, it was the people who had literally the most dirt on them that you could depend on giving you a solid work ethic and result. Who would’ve known, in the professional world, that dirt would – in a way – become figurative.)
I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to be effectively led by both men and women. The way they look has never been an issue to me… but I realize I am of the (vastly) minority opinion.
I think the problem is of individual perception. Male, female… old-fashioned and new school… manager, colleague, or subordinate… etc. – it’s all part of how one person views another. As a man in the business world, I too have my own minefield. Is it a lot more navigable than a woman’s? I’d be deceitful if I said “no.” But history is on a man’s side when you consider these things. And progression is only as fast as we as individuals allow it to be. That cannot / will not be a societal thing.
After all this drivel… my take? You wear a pant suit, a dress, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, a clown’s outfit, or a Barney costume. As long as I can conceivably receive your respect, your informed direction, and your ability to converse on strategy and consequence… I’m all about working with you.
(Okay – maybe not the Barney costume. That might be too odd for me.)
Thank you for sharing, Margie. I am thankful for your perspective.
Well thank you for enduring technology issues to comment! I appreciate it!
I think your perspective is really important. Sometimes the more polished you look, the less it looks like you really work. I love to garden and am apt to have dirt under my fingernails in the Spring. Pretty sure that’s not on any of the fashion “must-haves” for women, but hey. I can still type, so it’s go go go 🙂
Thanks again!
Terrific start to the series! I whole heartedly agree: this is primarily a problem women create for themselves. In my experience, women are much more likely to negatively comment on another woman’s wardrobe than a man.
I have a lot to say about this post, but I’m going to save it for my post next week. Thanks for the thoughtful discussion here, both in the post and comments.
Can’t wait to read your post, Jen. C’mon Monday! Well, I don’t want to miss Christmas, but after that!!!
Margie,
From my (male) perspective, it boils down to what makes you feel comfortable and confident, not in a physical sense, but mental. There’s the old joke about 2 women show up to a party wearing the same outfit and feel uncomfortable. Two men show up to a party wearing the same outfit and think great, at least one other person dressed like me so I’m OK.
Yes, the decisions I need to make as to what to wear are simple. I make them based on the environment. I wear jeans and sneakers to my office. When I go out, I try to be dressed one level above the client/prospect. If they are jeans and sneakers, I wear slacks and a blazer. If they are slacks and a blazer, I wear a suit. If you show up with a suit to a jeans and sneakers work location you run the risk of alienating yourself.
What I’m curious about is I think sometimes women are more aware (and critical) of what other women wear than men are. Having worked for strong managers of both genders, my impression has always come from their level of confidence, not what they wear. How much of women’s wardrobe decisions are based on the level of emphasis our society — and particularly other women — puts on women’s looks?
Before everybody jumps on me just let me say I am looking to further the conversation and inject a subjective viewpoint. Living in a house with 3 women (my wife and two girls) makes me somewhat more aware of gender bias but concerned about the future for my girls. My favorite line in your post: Women, even powerful women, are not men. Viva le difference. Ok. Flame on…
Oh, I don’t see anything to flame in your comment – I think a lot of the women here would agree, and I think that’s why Lisa noted that women need to change our story first.
What we need to look at is why some women are so critical of other women. Is it a “for her own good” sort of thing, or is it about competition? Is it constructive or hurtful?
That gets into some pretty complex cultural analysis, methinks, but your point is a great one!
I don’t see anything to flame either. It’s the crux of my argument for next week’s post in the series. I’m here cheering. Confidence is the key for success, no matter what you wear to work.
Hm… I choose my professional wardrobe based on what I can wear while riding a bike in the middle of winter. I never really analyze it much more than that! 🙂
Certainly nothing wrong with that 🙂
This has my mind going in a few different directions. Right now I’m trying to think about the suit as it stands, why it exists and why it looks odd on a woman.
Let’s take a look in nature, the animal kingdom. Especially birds and big cats like lions. On the male side, there’s all sorts of decoration aimed at fending off competition, asserting dominance and attracting a mate. A man’s suit does the same, broadening the shoulders, providing contrast up front and creating a vertical seam with the tie to look taller and stronger. Add pins, collars, buttons, medals, frills or so on, and it becomes a mane. Since the business world is so cutthroat, men dress up to be the alpha. Someone with more visual appeal up front is obviously more important, smarter, more successful etc.
But how about the female side of things? The lioness is indisputably in charge of her pride, but the competition is much more based in action than perception. The males have to impress up front, but the females prove themselves through their deeds.
So when dressing for success, I’d suggest the women of business eschew decoration and focus on poise instead. Wear something that’s comfortable and mobile, not manlike and not cutesy either. Less contrast along the torso to keep the men’s eyes where they’re supposed to be. There’s no need to gussy up with ties and bows and cleavage. You want the focus to be on your face, especially your eyes so you can be read loud and clear. From there, work on the power of your presence and being able to speak with confidence. All the women leaders I’ve known got where they are on their strength of character, not their catwalk.
What a great comment Jay! I love the way you tied it to nature. So much of our actions are tied to instinct and we don’t realize it anymore.
That was pretty spectacular, Jay. I certainly had never thought of it that way but what you said really rings true. Thank you so much for your addition to this conversation!! 🙂
Wow Margie – the comments are nearly as good as your post! What a great group of engaged and thoughtful readers you have. I am thrilled that this topic is resonating with so many people and has spurred such great discussion.
Ryan’s point about race, clean shaven, closely cropped hair was very insightful. There is definitely a “look” for the men too.
Carol – I wish I were surprised that you have been criticized for looking like a woman on your book cover, but unfortunately I’m not. I don’t think that reaction will change until more women start to wear more feminine items rather than trying to blend with the men. It takes courage to stand out from the crowd. Good for you!
Karen – Great description of appropriate skirt length. That has been brought up more times than I can count in our office. Not about me, I stopped showing my knees years ago. 🙂
Sumner – I hadn’t thought about it before, but I definitely notice when I shake hands with someone at a meeting and they have calluses. To me I think that person is more likely to chip in and get their hands dirty (more ways than one) and is down to earth and reasonable. Not that lack of calluses mean they aren’t, but I hadn’t thought about it before.
Alan – Hear! Hear! Ultimately I’ve found that I need to choose what makes me feel good about myself and that will bolster my confidence and whomever I’m meeting with quickly forget what I’m wearing. Instead they see my posture, eye contact, and steady voice. They may not recognize the specifics of why they think I’m confident and competent, but that’s the impression they are left with.
I can’t wait to see what Jen’s article about confidence includes next week!
Thank you all for your comments and interest in this topic. I hope you’ll go ahead and follow each of our writers so you can read the rest of the Series!
I have always said I’m only as good as my community lets me be. You can see how lucky I am 🙂
But again I must thank you for opening this door to me – and to this conversation. I also can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with!!
Margie and Daria, this is a GREAT post with insightful comments. As I was reading the comments, my mind wandered to an old cliche “Clothes make the man.” Maybe I’m off-base here, but I don’t see the type of emphasis on the male wardrobe like I see on a female’s. Someone told me years ago that women dress for other women, not for men. If true, I find that an interesting commentary on how women view themselves in relation to other women. Are we self-imposing these perplexities upon ourselves as some type of societal more? It does make me wonder.
Interesting note. I think women do dress to impress men at times, but I think there is also a lot of competition in a work place where there are lots of women present. Again, I think it comes back to the attitude and tonality prevalent in any comments. Are you trying to help or hinder? Compete or compliment?
Margie
I have to admit that I was the Barney Stinson of women as it relates to suits. I suited up every single day.I had more suits than I could wear in a month. Yes, I am serious. They were skirt suits as I felt to stumpy in a pant suit. I had 1 pair of black dress pants, I think 1 pair of causal pants and 1 pair of jeans. I felt powerful in those suits and wore them well. A sale on suits was christmas all over again for me.
Now I am in jeans and have some pant suits. I still look stumpy but have accepted that as working from home is more conducive to jeans than a suit. I miss the suits.
What is very interesting about this article is when I was thinking of names for my (at the time unborn son) I was envisioned him at 50 and sitting in a board meeting. There were all men and his name to me mattered. I wanted something powerful and distinctive that when you extended your hand for a firm handshake the name exuded confidence. Being a woman I shudder at that thought where I imagined all men but that has been what has been indoctrinated into us as men have played a very strong role in the executive world. I am not buying into it as there are many women that are extremely qualified and are great leaders of companies. Men dominate many careers (think professional popular sports) but women are slowly making a dent into that.
As far as dressing, I cannot say that I disagree with your analysis here. A man puts on a suit (very much to my delight when it is a great one with a killer tie) and goes. Women have to worry about the hair, makeup, length, style, etc. We will never be able to solve or change that but we can make it better.
PS when I spent a day with Hillary Clinton when working on a campaign in NJ, I had on one heck of a power suit and she complimented me on it. Yeah, it was as awesome as awesome is. She was first lady then so it was a very stellar moment for this suit gal. Ok I admit it was the most expensive suit I ever bought and I bought it for that event. It was so very much worth it.
PSS – Carol Roth is really great; so happy for you that she came on by and commented. I met her at BWE and what a dynamite lady.
I love your comment!
There’s certainly nothing wrong with wearing or loving suits – I don’t want to come across as being anti-suit. And frankly, when it gets right down to it, I’ll very likely continue to gravitate towards dark clothes and pin stripes when in professional situations. I’m just saying – you don’t see men dressing up in heels and a skirt to get really gussied up most of the time. I think that would be an interesting quid pro quo 🙂
[…] Does that define who you are? My dear friend, Margie Clayman has written a spectacular post on the executive image, namely womens’ physical appearance through clothing choice and how it relates to being an […]
Oh, what tangled webs we weave!
This is an amazing post inspiring an equally amazing conversation. It made me wonder how the issue would be playing out if women had far fewer fashion choices. Every year the fashion “trend” is something just a bit different for women…that new skirt cut and length, blouse style and scoop, pant fit and tailoring, jewelry statements…you know. The fashion industry has us in their grip. If we don’t accept/adapt, we’re not “with it.” That raises all the office conversation, first among other women and then the men if something catches their eye. For a man’s fashion, it’s pretty much same old same old!
As women we’re often caught between a rock and a hard place. Our challenge is to read the environment we’re in. Look around: What’s working for other women, what’s the “image” that the company is marketing, who’s attention do we want or not want, how can I make my look communicate what I am about. Like it or not, there’s a game to be played and the need to figure out the smartest way to win it.
I’m really looking forward to Jen’s thoughts on confidence and later my chance to give voice to my thoughts on interpersonal skills. What we wear is the packaging that we use to attract the right perceptions. Then it’s what we say and how we say it that helps women get the credibility and platform we want to make our impact.
Thanks, Margie, for a terrific post and to all the commenters who helped blow the lid off this great topic! ~Dawn
Thanks Dawn. I know! I think this series is definitely going to continue to hit a nerve! I can’t wait to read what you and everyone else come up with.
I think your idea is interesting. Do men have new fashion trends every year? Maybe. I certainly am not aware of them though. Maybe different colors get hot or not, but it seems like things stay pretty much the same.
Very interesting point indeed. I’ll have to think about that!
Beneficial info and excellent design you got here! I want to thank you for sharing your ideas and putting the time into the stuff you publish! Great work!
Margie, let me begin by congratulating you on writing an amazing and thought provoking piece. My biggest issue with the way that women are perceived in the workplace is that our competence and level of expertise is based on our physical and outward appearance. Although I agree that your professional attire should be appropriate to the environment where you work, it is unfortunate that a large portion of our professional persona is based on the fashion decisions that we make and how our physical appearance is judged by those who work around us. At the end of the day, men are not held to this judgmental standard. Men are expected to look professional, however, they get away with being overweight or wearing suits that are not in step with the current fashion trends. Actually, men are forgiven for not being well “put together” if they are really good at what they do. We, as women, are not afforded this kind of professional courtesy. If we do not conform to physical and fashion expectations, it doesn’t even matter if we possess a level of expertise in our respective fields. This double standard imposes a tremendous amount of pressure on women to prove themselves beyond demonstrating knowledge within their careers. It also contributes to negative competition among other female colleagues. This is a perfect seque into my piece which will further address this phenomenon of competition and the executive image…
Thank you so much!!
I am really very excited about seeing where all of this conversation goes.
That’s an interesting point about men not having to be “put together.” I know many women who are SO put together that they have a set of jewelry, a purse, and shoes to go with every outfit they wear. I always notice it and it always makes me feel like I’m unkempt in comparison! I would say that perhaps young men are not afforded as much luxury as older men – talking men in their twenties versus men in their 40s and 50s. Then again, if Mark Zuckerberg was Marie Zuckerberg, I don’t think the hoodie phenomenon would be passing without comment. Instead it’s just, “Oh, what a humble guy.”
Hmph.
[…] week, Margie Clayman kicked off this series with this observation: women who want to project an executive image often […]
[…] and hold your own with executives. (If you missed last week’s post by Margie Clayman – go here to catch […]
The second post of the series is live! Go check out Jen Gresham’s post:
How to Create an Unforgettable Executive Image (without spending a dime).
[…] (If you missed the first two posts in the Series by Margie Clayman and Dr. Jennifer Gresham – go here, and here to catch […]
interested!
Good point….
Thanks
I love it.
[…] posts in the Series by Maria Castro, Margie Clayman and Dr. Jennifer Gresham – go here, here, and here to catch […]
[…] get it that executive image is hooked to our attire and our […]
[…] in the Series by Mrs. B, Maria Castro, Margie Clayman and Dr. Jennifer Gresham – go here, here, here, and here to catch […]
[…] you read the first post in this series by Margie Clayman? When she Googled for executive image, this is what came […]
[…] generation advertiser and her blog features in-depth posts such as My Advice: Don’t listen to me, Can the Executive Image be Feminine? and Your Greatest Enemy in Social […]
Our range is a broad range of all the necessary polish drugs and cosmetics products. Its gentle formula refreshes and tones the skin and body. Call for necessary polish drugs and cosmetics products!
We have read very interesting article with some good advice by Margie Clayman. This post will help me to develop my career and own-self website.
http://treasure-hearts.com
服飾雑貨 靴下…
Can the executive image be feminine?…
kipling 2wayショルダーバッグ k001934 piサイト…
Can the executive image be feminine?…