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Neckties, yay or nay?


arnold layne

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I am not very fond of the typical professional business attire for women which tends to hide their femininity.

And not in a unique or interesting way.

They all look the same and they all look like men. So sad.

I challenge everyone in the clothes and fashion industry to put an end to business women dressing as men! Make it stop! You can be a professional without trying to look like a man! You can be a professional and still be feminine!

Very few women in the fashion industry have an interest in dressing that way in a corporate environment. So it's no one in the fashion industry who will impact on that. It's the women themselves who are afraid of not being taken seriously if they don't dress 'seriously' and as a result go the 'safe' route and dress like the men except in a (boring knee length) skirt. They need some more creativity, more courage and more understanding of their identity and an understanding of what they do bring to the workplace. If they did that they would not see a problem with showing a more feminine side of themselves.

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I am not very fond of the typical professional business attire for women which tends to hide their femininity.

And not in a unique or interesting way.

They all look the same and they all look like men. So sad.

I challenge everyone in the clothes and fashion industry to put an end to business women dressing as men! Make it stop! You can be a professional without trying to look like a man! You can be a professional and still be feminine!

Very few women in the fashion industry have an interest in dressing that way in a corporate environment. So it's no one in the fashion industry who will impact on that. It's the women themselves who are afraid of not being taken seriously if they don't dress 'seriously' and as a result go the 'safe' route and dress like the men except in a (boring knee length) skirt. They need some more creativity, more courage and more understanding of their identity and an understanding of what they do bring to the workplace. If they did that they would not see a problem with showing a more feminine side of themselves.

I do believe women, and men, should express themselves in any way they want with their clothing. and it is so simple to do with clothing. But I find I have migrated my style simply for functionality. I run around all day long. A simple suit, yes cut in a more feminine way (the black suit shown in this thread is pretty much the suits I wear) allows me to run around. Skirts always just limited my movement a bit. Showing cleavage, Sure sometimes. Not in a stripper sense, but as suits the outfit. But often limits movement too. I often wear tighter tops, seldom blouses ( again movement) and fitted blazers. I guess that's how I remind people that I'm a girl. :)

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It's the women themselves who are afraid of not being taken seriously if they don't dress 'seriously'

And this is something I could never really understand. From my experience, if you want to be taken seriously, you better be good at what you are doing, and dress whatever the hell you like, no? (of course except for the places with a strict corporate dress code)

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They all look the same and they all look like men. So sad.

I challenge everyone in the clothes and fashion industry to put an end to business women dressing as men! Make it stop! You can be a professional without trying to look like a man! You can be a professional and still be feminine!

Completely agree. I have no idea why a woman would want to look like, or dress like, a man. I can only think there may be some underlying issues, either with their sexuality or self esteem. There are many options out there for the professional woman, sometimes it takes a bit of creativity, but with a little effort, it can be accomplished, and without trying to deny the fact that they are in fact a female. As the number of women entering the work force increases, and these women obtain high level executive positions, there are more of us embracing the fact that we can be a feminine professional, and be as respected as our male counterparts without having to look like them. Some women were meant to work in Fortune 500 companies, others were meant to sew their clothes. It's not surprising the fashion industry is lagging in what the real needs of their consumers actually are, but many women are smart enough to know what they want, not what is dictated to them, and they know how to get it.

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But why is it about dressing like a male/female? I wear slacks and blazers because it is most functional for me, as mentioned. Heels exhaust me by the end of the day, so flats are easier with slacks. I can take the blazer off if I'm warm. It has nothing to do with dressing like a man to me. Actually,

i find I dress in a way that lets me not have to think about it much during the day so I can spend the time thinking about the work.

P4A, I hope you're right that as numbers of women increase in boardrooms, they feel less inclined to dress like their suited colleagues and dress more as they wish. I think we are moving along nicely. I don't see many women resembling men at the senior tables where I work. And they make up half the table.

But one thing I do know, a gorgeously dressed, but ignorant person can't hide behind the clothes once his/her mouth opens.

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But why is it about dressing like a male/female? I wear slacks and blazers because it is most functional for me, as mentioned. Heels exhaust me by the end of the day, so flats are easier with slacks. I can take the blazer off if I'm warm. It has nothing to do with dressing like a man to me. Actually,

i find I dress in a way that lets me not have to think about it much during the day so I can spend the time thinking about the work.

P4A, I hope you're right that as numbers of women increase in boardrooms, they feel less inclined to dress like their suited colleagues and dress more as they wish. I think we are moving along nicely. I don't see many women resembling men at the senior tables where I work. And they make up half the table.

But one thing I do know, a gorgeously dressed, but ignorant person can't hide behind the clothes once his/her mouth opens.

Right, I'm referring more to the typical ladies suit section that you see in major department stores. Racks and racks of black, navy, grey cookie cutter suits on display. I find most of the jackets don't fit well, are too boxy, lack shape and style. I opt more for buying each piece separately as opposed to simply taking the sets they offer. Nothing wrong with trousers and a blazer, at all, especially if it's the expected dress code for your position. It's the fit, details and accessories as you mentioned earlier that can make a huge difference. You take your blazer off and you have a beautiful silk blouse underneath with an eye catching print or color instead of a starched white button down collared shirt, no one will mistake you for a man.

As for the shoes, I own flats as well, and there are lots of options now, I have more than I thought I ever would. An array of colors, material, styles and details that range from conservative to fun. Flat shoes don't mean boring shoes anymore.

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The majority of workplaces, especially in a corporate environment, are just conservative by nature. Its generally discouraged for anyone in these environments to dress outside of the culture.

When I worked in advertising it was hilarious to see the account guys all dressed in their suits and ties whilst the creative department turned up in anything they wanted, namely jeans, t shirts and trainers and they always turned up an hour or two after everyone else and kept their own hours. There were two separate cultures in existence side by side and it was tolerated because the agencies wouldn't be able to attract the quality of creative talent if they demanded otherwise.

Sometimes you can be so good at what you do that you can make your own rules. :shrugs:

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There could be a bit of the attitude of "if I have to wear a suit, so do you" at work there which is why the account guys suit up since they see the clients - who are in suits. Could also be that belief that creative people can be a bit eccentric (stereotype, of course) and so dressing "differently" is more tolerable, even expected.

I don't think I care what someone wears to a meeting with me. I don't think I care, but will pay attention next time someone comes in "out of uniform".

One thing I noticed last Friday. I came in wearing jeans and jean jacket because I was only staying an hour. No one recognized me as they walked by me, until I stopped them.

Edited by Orsys
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When I worked in advertising it was hilarious to see the account guys all dressed in their suits

Where I work, no one forces accountants wear boring suits. they are just being boring on their own free will

Could also be that belief that creative people can be a bit eccentric (stereotype, of course) and so dressing "differently" is more tolerable, even expected.

I’ve noticed when on the meetings, the weirder copywriters are dressed and the crazier they behave, the more respect they get from the clients and the more attention is paid to their ideas :lol:

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There could be a bit of the attitude of "if I have to wear a suit, so do you" at work there which is why the account guys suit up since they see the clients - who are in suits. Could also be that belief that creative people can be a bit eccentric (stereotype, of course) and so dressing "differently" is more tolerable, even expected.

I don't think I care what someone wears to a meeting with me. I don't think I care, but will pay attention next time someone comes in "out of uniform".

One thing I noticed last Friday. I came in wearing jeans and jean jacket because I was only staying an hour. No one recognized me as they walked by me, until I stopped them.

The creative guys spend a lot of time in client meetings. They'll even present pitches which are out for tender in their usual attire, except they'll maybe put on a shirt instead of a grotty t shirt and they'll make sure their jeans are washed and maybe put on some decent shoes instead of trainers.

When I worked in advertising it was hilarious to see the account guys all dressed in their suits

Where I work, no one forces accountants wear boring suits. they are just being boring on their own free will.

I didn't mean accountants. They are always boring and ultra conservative. I meant the account service guys. They develop the marketing strategies and brief the creative and media teams, so they're pretty well versed in the creative aspect of the job and play a big role in what is presented to the client. But they still have to wear a suit. Otherwise they couldn't be called 'the suits'. :lol:

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