"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman."
- Coco Chanel
Some women in today's modern era would dare to argue that a woman's presentation is no longer determined on her style or choice of clothing, but rather her intelligence and ability. To some women, the mere thought of wearing a pencil skirt or a pair of patent leather pumps would be-little her existence in the eyes of her male competition. It would tear down everything she has worked so hard to built in the way of Women's Rights. It would be compromising her abilities to perform daily tasks and would give her the appearance of (dare I say) "femininity". In this day and age, women like to think of themselves as equal. Unfortunately, this in turn, makes them think like men. They go to their closet, taking less than one minute to pull the first thing out that looks remotely ironed, tossing it onto their back like a piece of toilet tissue being tossed into a waste basket. They then wonder how, with such a strong work ethic, they cannot seem to reach that promotion? Could it be they are not using the appropriate sports jargon while trying to hob-nob with the male co-workers around the water cooler?
No, I say. Enough is enough. The reason hard working, dedicated women are not getting noticed in the workplace is not due to their lack of ability or dedication. It is due to the lack of "polished appearance". Dress shabbily: Throw on that wrinkled shirt (untucked at that), a pair of oversized trousers that were no doubt a hand-me-down from a belated uncle, and clunky soled loafers that haven't seen polish in years, and see how long it takes someone to notice your professionalism. They will pass you over each and every time a promotion is given. Why? Because if you don't care enough about your appearance, then you won't care enough about your job. A company does not want to be represented by a person that is not "put together", they want the "polished professionalism". Dress impeccably: Take the time to select your outfit for the day. Put thought and consideration into the image you want to portray. Is it feminine? Is it confident? Is it polished? Does it look "put together"? These are all incredibly important things to consider when choosing business attire that reflects your intelligence and ability. To wear a pencil skirt and patent leather pumps is not coming off too "girly". It is dressing for your gender, and for success. You are a woman - enjoy it - have fun with it! If it is not your style to wear fifteen pounds of pearls - so be it! Just keep it tailored. Keep it covered. Keep it professional!
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