Question reprise: If a woman dresses in a way to accentuate her sexiness, can she be powerful, successful, and be taken seriously?
Seeking fresh input on an old question, if a woman dresses in a way to accentuate her sexiness, in a classic sense; her curves, bosom, legs, etc. if she showed up to a business meeting or a client’s home or business to do an estimate, make a presentation, etc. would she be taken seriously? Would people believe she is as knowledgeable as she speaks? Would she be perceived as having gotten where she is because she was attractive and sexy and not because she earned it, or knew her stuff? If she sounded like she knew what she was doing would how she was dressed play no difference in if she got the job or was believed?
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I would not take your third example seriously if that’s what showed up at my door for a roofing estimate.
This is where fashion comes into play. A well dressed fashionable woman can dress for business in a professional manner and still look damn hot. And, she will be taken seriously.
It’s when a man has her dress like a streetwalker for a business office that it all falls apart.
The first two look like normal work clothes.
The third outfit is quite obviously a Halloween costume. Miss Thing isn’t looking to be taken seriously in that moment. As for the other outfits, the answer is yes.
This question reeks of double standard. It depends,... is the man looking at her a proper asshole? or just a real superficial dickhead?
Even in a “classic sense” I don’t think sexiness can be so easily defined.
As should always be the case, for men as well as women, I would consider the entire package, not just the “sexiness” of the outfit.
If I were the boss I would take other factors into account: What is the person’s position? Does the individual deport with genuine confidence or is the outfit being used to attempt to mask insecurity? Is the outfit’s fit correct? Is it well made? What are the other facets of the employee like?
If the person’s outfit is “sexy” but falls inside other criteria I’m going to have much less of a problem with this person than let’s say, someone who repeatedly demonstrates that they think Casual Friday is license to wear jeans with holes or misshapen sweaters with sleeves that drag on the floor.
It’s not what they wear, it’s how they comport themselves.
I have been in business strategy sessions with women who are “classically” dressed, and with woman in t-shirts and shorts.
The question is: do they know what they are talking about? At least in my profession (software) that’s what matters.
(note: the same is true for men.)
Of course she can be. In order to be successful, a person must accentuate all their talents. Clothing needs to send the message you wish to convey. A woman who pays attention to her aesthetic charms subconsciously conveys the idea that she pays an equal amount of attention to her other pursuits. Successful men have to have tailored suits and designer watches to create an impression of their success in business engagements. Successful women also need to present as classy and well groomed, and therefore sexy.
Yes. If she doesn’t smile too much or too big for one thing. I’ve taken notice of the blonde host on Fox News whose smile looks like she’s nauseated. It cuts into her sexiness I think. Allow her to smile really big and laugh like a bar maid and see how long she’s respected and taken seriously. The guys try; I know they do. But with some women wearing skirts as far up as they can go without getting arrested I feel they should act like a nun so to speak. And cursing , that is, not cursing helps too. Lastly, not playing with your hair or re-crossing your legs helps. Who said it’s fair? Did I say it’s fair? If she must re=cross her legs, play with her hair, curse, laugh her head off and smile really big at the office hunk then wear skirts to the ankle and she’ll probably be fine.
Yes, assuming her focus is not on how good she looks.
60 Minutes used to have a commentator that I just didn’t like, Lara Logan. During her interviews she just seemed so focused on how cute she was that it distracted from the piece. She ended up getting fired for some inaccurate reporting.
@cazzie When is it not two pronged? If a guy showed up in the conference room for a multimillion dollar deal looking like this, how eager do you think the other suits in the room will want to deal with him, unless he has clout like Zuckerberg? If a woman is dressed in a way that is eye pleasing to men, she will often get more leeway or favor over a woman that isn’t. Just as the suits would be nervous putting their money in a venture with some dude who looks like he skateboard his way through college.
When one listens with one’s ears and makes fewer judgments with one’s eyes, that is when one truly has one’s head out of one’s ass.
@jonsblond I would not take your third example seriously if that’s what showed up at my door for a roofing estimate.
I though on this, and thought some more, would you not take her seriously off face value, or even if she opened her mouth and started talking? What if you needed a deck and a Jacuzzi built, (taking in mind you cannot do so yourself), and you call a business and speak to a woman and she says she can do it for a good price. The day of the estimate appointment comes and she shows up to the door with her truck and gear ready to take the measurements. You are going to tell her to get back in her truck, you changed your mind? If you gave her the opportunity to speak, and she seemed to know what she was talking about even if you did not know all of the carpentry jargon, you would still tell her ”no thanks”? If so, why?
@Hypocrisy_Central Neither are dressed appropriately for construction jobs. Certain precautions need to be taken. Among other things, you don’t want loose clothing flopping about (referring to the third picture) You don’t want long hair hanging down (referring to both pictures) . Plus I wouldn’t want to pay her by the hour when she’s she’s struggling to get her boobs back in her shirt (referring to the 3rd picture). Also, construction workers always wear jeans, not shorts (referring to both pictures.)
@Hypocrisy_Central What Dutchess said. I can’t take a person seriously if they don’t know how to dress for the work they need to do.
@Dutchess_III Neither are dressed appropriately for construction jobs.
I guess when you own the business, you have more leeway on what you wear when you are doing your work.
You don’t want long hair hanging down (referring to both pictures) . Plus I wouldn’t want to pay her by the hour when she’s she’s struggling to get her boobs back in her shirt (referring to the 3rd picture)
Some people, not me, would use that as a claim to cry sexist. I have known male construction workers to have hair longer, and I guess if she were flat-chested or near so, she would be better? If she were between job and taking an estimate I would suspect she would let her hair down, air it out, be more comfortable same as any guy.
Also, construction workers always wear jeans, not shorts (referring to both pictures.)
I do not know if anyone who does fences, decks, and pools, etc. are considered construction workers, but back in the day when I worked in the salon one of the gals had a client (female) who installed decks and hot tubs and she would come in straight off work in a tank and Daisy Dukes, but her boyfriend owned the business, I guess that played into it.
The things I mentioned are for safety reasons.
Long hair and loose clothes can get caught up in drills and stuff. If a construction worker has long hair, they tie it back.
If she wore a bra and a t-shirt, I wouldn’t have to be paying for the time spent keeping her boobs in place.
I’ve just got to say that the girl in the second picture is rocking that outfit. There’s nothing “too sexy” or “inappropriate” about that and I could easily wear that to the law firm I work at without people being appalled by it, though I wouldn’t look nearly as good in it as she does. I just noticed it’s the link for “bosom,” but there’s no cleavage to be seen. I actually think she looks a bit intimidating, and I’d absolutely take her seriously. What exactly would be the issue you imagined with that outfit?
@ivelaughlove21 I just noticed it’s the link for “bosom,” but there’s no cleavage to be seen.
She is not poppin’ them like that; you don’t see cleavage or nipple, you don’t always need that. For me it was more that she showed a lot of chest, enough that one can muse at what they almost can see but don’t actually see. Though her dress is not that short really, her whole outfit shows her curves, and that she was not sitting in front of Oprah eating bonbons every day.
@Hypocrisy_Central So it’s her having a nice body that makes it inappropriate? If the average-sized American woman was wearing the same thing, she’d have no problem being taken seriously?
@livelaughlove21 So it’s her having a nice body that makes it inappropriate?
Who said anything about inappropriate? I think if a woman has a nice body there is nothing wrong with her using it. Better to use what Mother nature gave you before Father Time takes it away, when he takes he very rarely gives back.
@Hypocrisy_Central Well, your question is, “could these women be taken seriously,” implying that there’s some reason this woman wouldn’t be taken seriously because of what she’s wearing. My question is what do you think someone (not you) might see in that outfit that would cause them to not take her seriously? The reason I made the distinction between her an a heavier gal is because you said,
“Though her dress is not that short really, her whole outfit shows her curves, and that she was not sitting in front of Oprah eating bonbons every day.”
Not really sure what you’re getting at.
@livelaughlove21 Well, your question is, “could these women be taken seriously,” implying that there’s some reason this woman wouldn’t be taken seriously because of what she’s wearing.
Unfortunately here in the US (maybe other places) people are expected to look a certain way depending on what they are supposed to be doing. What do you think the average person is going to think if they called a person to advise them on investing a windfall, and when they get to the office they are told from the back room to have a seat, they will be right out, and when he comes out, he looks like this. Do you think they are going to say ”Oh boy, this guy is gonna make me rich”, or are they going to find a way gracefully to beg off his help?
My question is what do you think someone (not you) might see in that outfit that would cause them to not take her seriously?
Because she could seem too young, seem like she got where she got off her looks and has no brains, just about anything someone wanted to invent.
@Hypocrisy_Central Okay, that second part answered my question. I still don’t think that would happen to her very often, but we’ll go with it.
I’m not sure it’s such a horrible thing that we’re judged by our appearance. Not all the time, anyway. Typically, how we present ourselves on the outside is some reflection of who we are on the inside. I might not think that dude would make me rich, but I’d be stoked to find out he was going to do my next tattoo or piercing. If I was at the tattoo place and some stiff in a suit with no body mods came out, I’d question if he knew what he was doing.
When we pick out our clothes, hair, etc., we’re expressing ourselves, right? Sure, sometimes we’re wrong in our assumptions, and people shouldn’t have to dress just to appease others, but I think our presentation of ourselves is more often accurate as to who we are and what we do.
Now, that’s different than judging someone for being unattractive, because the looks we were born with were not chosen by us and don’t reflect anything about our personalities.
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