A female agency president recently blogged about sexism after a male PR pro tweeted that he found a female event presenter's clothing distracting. Elsewhere, a mass demonstration marched past the suburban home of a Rhode Island man (of no previous renown) who had written a letter to the editor denigrating yoga pants.
Heather Whaling, founder and president of Geben Communication, launched a discussion after she responded to a tweet about a speaker's "distracting" apparel.
"As I mentioned at the conference, if someone can't watch a brilliant woman speaking about a highly relevant topic without wondering what's underneath her shirt, that's on him," Whaling told Ragan.com.
After all, she heard no suggestions that a speaker with a messy man-bun was unprofessional, she says. "Why the double standard?" (For the record, she considered that speaker's attire appropriate.)
The offender apologized and deleted the tweet, and judging from the "likes" he got, many women were willing to let bygones be bygones. Some, however, welcomed the discussion.
Clothing criticism is a reality
Whether it's business or politics, critiques about appearance are a reality that professionals must bear in mind, says Melissa Anderson, PR specialist at Keenability.
"Women do suffer a disadvantage, in the sense that our wardrobes tend to call for more diversity," she adds. "For instance, there are certainly men (and even women) in the PR industry and beyond who view a woman wearing pants rather than a skirt as lacking professionalism."
Such issues are bound to get more traction this election year. The presidential race pits the first major party female nominee against a brusque dealmaker whose remarks about women have fueled a heated debate over sexism in the daily colloquy.
"Hilary Clinton's pantsuits are constantly discussed by media, viewers, voters, etc.," says Erin Gleeson of 1800petmeds.com. "When has Donald Trump's clothing ever been addressed?"Respecting organizers
Some women, however, are not shy in suggesting that certain females push sexy attire too far. Karen Rowe, a best-selling ghostwriter and book strategist, recently attended an event where a female guest speaker wore a low-cut leather dress hemmed above the knee and with see-through mesh on the sides.
"When what you are wearing doesn't represent the organizer's brand, and diminishes it, then I think they have a right not to let you on stage," Rowe says. "The organizer told her prior to going up on stage, 'You're pretty much breaking all of our dress rules.' And she said, 'Good,' or, 'I don't care,' or something similar-which I think is hugely disrespectful."
When considering what to wear, two factors are at play, says Jodi McLean, director of business development for Key Person of Influence-USA. Clothing should visually represent your brand.
"If your personal brand is polarizing, shocking, abrasive, no-rules, then wearing conservative attire may be disingenuous to your brand," she says.
She says event organizers' dress codes supersede your personal brand. "It is your duty, as a paid participant, to properly fit in within the brand that has hired you to be on their stage," McLean says.
Mario Almonte, principal of Herman & Almonte PR, cites a song by The Monkees when he says workplace sexism is "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You."
"Some women do push the boundary of what is considered appropriate dress in the office because it gets results. Surveys support this," Almonte says. "The flip side, of course, is that some men are boorish and sexist all by their lonesome and will objectify women at every opportunity."
The yoga pants protest
On one topic of abiding import, speaking out can be risky. Last week 300 women marched in protest past the suburban home of a Rhode Island man who called yoga pants the "absolute worst thing" to happen to women's fashion since the advent of the miniskirt.
Death threats ensued, he said. (Really.) New York magazine warned men everywhere, "Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Told She Can't Wear Yoga Pants." The letter writer told reporters the "vicious and intimidating" voicemails he received reminded him of the hate-speak he'd experienced as a gay man.
Attire has long been debated in the flamboyant world of pop performers, but sexy outfits have spread to the gilded concert halls of classical music. Several reviewers have gasped at the clothing of musical impresario Yuja Wang.
New Yorker writer Janet Malcolm puzzled, "What is one to think of the clothes the twenty-nine-year-old pianist Yuja Wang wears when she performs—extremely short and tight dresses that ride up as she plays, so that she has to tug at them when she has a free hand, or clinging backless gowns that give an impression of near-nakedness (accompanied in all cases by four-inch-high stiletto heels)?"
As a woman, Malcolm apparently drew little pushback for her remarks. But let us observe a moment of silence in memory of Jay Nordlinger, the New Criterion critic who wrote about Wang's "stripper wear." ("A Times Square hooker, in the old days, would have said, 'For heaven's sake, put on some clothes!'") Nordlinger was last seen being stuffed into the trunk of a Cadillac by a mob of angry women in yoga pants. (Not really.)
Dressing for excess?
Kelly Mayes, vice president at Bulleit Group, says that a few years ago a female job candidate wore a very low-cut top to the interview.
"She was qualified, enthusiastic [and] intelligent, and we ultimately extended her an offer," Mayes says. "But her revealing top made me uncomfortable, even as a woman, and gave me pause with regard to her judgement."
Men, she says, have an easier time selecting what to wear in a professional setting and blending in with their peers. People are less focused on what they are wearing and more on what they are saying.
"For women, the focus often starts with the outfit, then goes into substance," Mayes says.
What's racy? Opinions vary
In the end, standards vary among men and women alike.
"One person's concept of conservative could be another's idea of racy," says Alli Williams, PR manager with Amplify Relations. "Men don't have this problem, since work/professional attire is all pretty standard for them. … I don't think men have the opportunity to be as fashion-forward as women can when selecting their clothing."
Like a number of women who responded to a Ragan query, Julia Angelen doesn't mind it when men discuss what constitutes appropriate versus revealing clothing. It's not simply a male/female issue, she says.
When she was younger, "a much smarter, more successful woman said this: 'No boobs, bra straps, belly buttons or butt cracks.' When people see those, they become confused about what it is that you are really selling."
Plumbers everywhere, are you listening?
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