Not too long ago, FishbowlDC published a blog post called Females on Campaign Trail Go for Sexpot Look. The argument was that female reporters covering politics in DC and elsewhere are using über sexay pictures of themselves on Twitter. Well, actually, no. That’s not *quite* the issue. According to the post, which is complete with three allegedly disconcerting photos of female journalists, there’s the *chance* that women could start going for a “sexpot” look, and darn it all, that just might not be good for their brands.
Shortly before publishing this post, FishbowlDC published a short article with two photos of Hillary Clinton, who was wearing a “monochrome pantsuit.” You might recall that during the 2008 election Hillary’s pantsuits may have received more attention than the pending economic crisis and the war in Iraq COMBINED. What do these pantsuits mean? Is she trying to be too masculine? Is she trying to bespeak a sense of feminine power? Does she hate skirts?
Of course, politics is not the only place where the conversation about what women should wear is ongoing. Daria Giron invited me to participate in a 7-part series on the “executive image” last year because this issue is so much of an…issue. A friend of mine on Facebook recently lamented the lack of professionalism a lot of women seem to exhibit in their professional dressings. Some people complain that skirts are too short and shoes are too high. Others complain that women are looking too frumpy and old-fashioned. Are pantsuits really that bad? Should women wear pin-stripe skirts to sort of bridge the two genders? And then how do you accessorize?
AHHHHH!!
The really unfair thing about all of this, of course, is that for the most part, nobody gives a rat’s patootie about what men wear. Take Mark Zuckerberg as your case in point. The man wears hoodies nearly every day. Would a woman be able to get away with that?
Think about that for a moment.
Why does it matter?
Or maybe the better question is, Does it matter? If a woman has really good ideas, does that change because her skirt is an inch too high or an inch too short? If a woman is a passion-driven leader, does it matter that her lipstick might not be a similar shade to her nail polish? Does it matter if she doesn’t wear lipstick?
Perhaps, as women continue to excel in the business world and in other leadership positions, these roadblocks are put up as a way to question that success. If you can’t question a woman’s experience or intelligence, you can almost always find something wrong with how she looks. It’s all rather objective, right? If a woman tends to wear headbands, you can suggest that she isn’t professional enough. If a woman wears pants instead of skirts you can accuse her of trying to be too manly or not “feminine” enough. If a woman wears a lot of pink and purple, you can say she is trying to be too girly and too feminine. The list goes on and on. All of these types of criticism can achieve one simple goal – they can shed doubt on how the woman will perform in her new role.
Sadly, these kinds of roadblocks are often thrown out by women, not men. Now there’s a tidbit, huh?
What can we do to fight this pattern of behavior?
I’m sure there will always be an expectation that professional women should look professional. I think we could expect that of men and women, Zuckerberg be darned. But how can we stray away from this major emphasis on how a woman chooses to dress? Is it something we need to instill in young ladies as they grow up? Is it something we need to talk to men about? Is it just a matter of trying continuously to emphasize what really matters?
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14359321@N04/5085545292/ via Creative Commons
View Margie Clayman's profile
Hi Margie…I don’t even know where to begin…this topic creates such a visceral response in me. IMO, this message starts the minute we have our baby girls. Even if parents themselves don’t send a message of the “need” to be body-aware ( looks and dress) girls cannot escape this overt message from all that they experience around them. We can raise our girls to “believe in themselves” but the minute the step outside of their home, they are bombarded with a different kind of message….and you are right…so often it comes from our own gender! Instead of being supportive of each other, we create a sub level thrum of competitiveness that seems to vibrate around us for the rest of our lives. We need to look prettier, wear this fashion…oh wait…no…I meant THIS fashion….we become submissive just as we are trying to become assertive. It just doesn’t work. We should do things, wear things, support things because they feel right to us…not because others told us what we should do, wear and support. I still struggle with that low level thrum that seemingly only women respond to, but, finally I am of an age (good and bad I guess) where I am able to ignore it more. I wear unusual clothes, I occassionally sport purple highlights in my hair and…I do it only because I love it for me. And that’s how it should be ultimately….but it has a long long way to go….sigh…
Can you tell I’m passionate about this? Yikes…sorry for the rant….I’m done now 😉
Claudia
@SocialMediaDDS You would think it would be that simple, wouldn’t you? Dress so you are appropriate for work and so you are comfortable. Seems so easy. And yet…
Thanks for your great comment (as always) Claudia 🙂
Years ago, watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the broadcast was showing footage of past championship teams and my cousin made the comment that if you were in a position to be on TV you did yourself a favor by dressing conservatively (in this case eschewing the gaudy sports jackets). But I wonder if that comment doesn’t as easily apply to “sexy” attire. When trends get hot, off the rack options reflect those trends and clothing choices are limited. I recall a mother lamenting a few years back that it was hard to find clothes for her young daughter. She felt most of the choices were “trashy.” My preference is for more conservative style in business. As a result when I find something I like, I think about buying multiple colors in order to stock up in case trends go in a different direction in the coming years. When hip-hugger pants were popular – I was so glad that I had stocked up on pants that hit me at a more comfortable level. I know that I am comfortable in my choice. I suspect there may be instances where I’m unfairly judged by that – but one of the benefits of getting older is that you become more comfortable in your own skin. The best thing you can do is be confident – confident that the people that matter will notice what matters.
@DWesterberg Well said Dawn. Unfortunately, it seems to be more and more difficult to just be confident on the inside. Look at how much talk there is about how so and so celebrity looks! She’s too thin, then she’s blimped out. What is the ideal weight again? We’re not even TALKING about clothes in that case.
It’s all pretty crazy if you ask me. And such a waste of time when there are bigger fish to fry.
That FishbowlDC post was so full of shit!