Women Judged More Severely Than Men With Their Dress

Research has shown us that women are judged much more severely than men, when it comes to how they dress. And in case we forgot that fact, it was recently proven again, in the media a week or so ago with a news piece about Duchess Kate. She and her husband, Prince William, were taking public transportation on one of the red buses in London to get a perspective of what the morning commuters deal with on their way to work every day.

However, what did the media focus on, with a long angle lens, no less? A few errant gray hairs popping up in Princess Kate’s hair. No mention of the good deeds of the day, just speculation as to whether she was letting herself go since she has become a mother. Now, there was no mention of the fact that Prince William is getting a little thin on top or whether he might be letting himself go.

Remember Hillary Clinton being criticized for stepping out without her make-up? Horrors! Who would dare do that. And then we had national news coverage of Mrs. Obama’s new bangs. Are these things worthy of being lead stories in the news? Well, I guess some people think so.

Not fair, but true and another reason women should take care in what they wear to work. It is important to choose wisely so you are taken seriously in your particular field of work.

So here are some of my tips for professional women in regard to their dress.

Follow corporate guidelines. Check out your employee manual and dress accordingly. Not following the guidelines can make you appear non compliant.

Leave sex out of it. Leave the low-cut tops, tight pants and short skirts in your closet when picking your work wardrobe. There should be no cleavage, bare midriffs or bottom cleavage, when bending over, seen at work. Dressing in a sexy manner sabotages how people feel about you as a professional.

Pay attention to details. Make sure your shoes are polished and your purse is not bulging with too much stuff in it. People do notice the little things and if you are not attentive to those things it may cause them to wonder if pay attention to little things in your work.

Err on the side of formality. When in doubt about what to wear, dress up versus down. And if you ever wonder if something is appropriate for work…it’s probably not. You never want to have to apologize for something you have on.

Be well-groomed. Take the time to dry and style your hair and put on a little make-up. You’ll probably feel better and you will look better for sure.

Keep jewelry simple. Accessories are important, but should be kept subtle for work. No noisy bracelets or too many rings. Less is more in the professional world.

Dress for the job you want. If you want to move up in the company, look at what the people above you are wearing and mimic their style.