There was an excellent column, again by Lucy Kellaway, in the FT this morning, Raunch culture is raising the temperature in the workplace.
“Successful women used to dress up as ersatz men. Those days are gone and some choose to show ample cleavage in the office. However, the new dress code is not clear,” writes Lucy Kellaway.
Long story short, where does professionalism in the workplace begin and end? When it comes to wardrobe, what is edgy, what is sexy, what is couture, and what is tacky, and what is the empowering breaking of old stereotypes of professional businesswomen as “dressing like men.”?
To Ms, Kellaway,
“replacing [the old stereotype] with the new one of woman as tacky footballer’s wife is no improvement.”
What do you, my gentle readers, think?
Comments (10)
I enjoy looking sexy and intend to continue to do so in the workplace. Sounds to me like this author simply doesn’t like the aesthetic, and is masking the distaste by making it into a feminist issue.
I try and go for a “polished sexy” look, meaning if a little cleavage is showing in a tasteful button up and professional blouse, so be it. I think sexy in the office is ok, if it stays professional. I would tend to stray away from outwardly “provocative”. Since I cannot access this article, I can’t read it. I don’t think it should be a big issue, but the only thing I try and keep in mind is that, whether it should be or not, you will still have people judging you, people you hope to do business with, whether they’re 70 year old chairmen, 40 year old conservative males and fathers of 3, or traditional whatever age women. I don’t go out of my way to show more than I should, I think if you are, you’re bordering provocative.
I think a little edge is fine, but borderline unprofessional is not. Fashion has changed over the years - it’s only natural that in the age of “business casual” we spice things up a bit.
The industry/company vibe that you’re in definitely influences how you dress and at sets the tone for what is and is not appropriate in the workplace. I work in the marketing industry and our company is much more lax about dress than a lobbying firm, for instance.
I think that anything and everything is okay by me. I like fashion-forwardness. That said, being attractive or fashionable is much different than being provocative.
And you’re right, Kate, we’re all being judged and everybody really does notice everything.
And to see it around the office, men are certainly feeling much more comfortable being “sexy” and “fashion forward.”
What is tacky?
I can name several matrimonial lawyers, all female, who use cleavage and leg to great advantage. By appearing as the sexy ones, they’ve often reduced their well paid adversaries lawyers to drooling idiots. Unfair advantage? Maybe. Or maybe men need to come to grips with the fact that women are sexy and that we can’t turn off our genetic coding.
i work with several perverts, so i prefer not to dress sexy. the few times i have i have been very uncomfortable, though i also received genuine compliments.
i have been described as “cute” many times in my professional life, and i’d rather have people in the office look at me that way, even at 27 years old, than with creepy old man eyes.
Are old man eyes based on age or tone?
i should clarify that “creepy old man eyes” is in reference to tone, not age.
Ehl,
If you got it flaunt it. Don’t be shy about your sexiness, knock people out with it. If they give you lip, rip their tongues out. Life is too shot to be just cute. Be ravishing. Besides, we future all-star husbands of America are looking for wives with self-confidence in their sexuality, not demuring waifs. Show them your cleavage, stare them down, then prove them wrong in front of the boss. If they really are creepy, they’re probably also idiots. Speaking for myself, when women dress sexy at work, I’m more motivated. I dress better, work harder, and am more respectful.
I think there’s nothing wrong with classy-sexy at work. I worked in PR a long time, and it’s used to great advantage by many in the business.
And Dave - leave the demuring waifs for us all-star non-husbands of America.