....Of course, the complexities of sexism go well beyond how women dress. But many women seem to be unaware that liberation comes from actual power, not the power to wear bold clothes.
After a recent column on sexy evening clothes at business events, I received an outpouring of emails about smart, well-educated women wearing the kind of clothing inspired by "Sex and the City" to work. One California man complained in an email about his psychologist's bared cleavage during their sessions.
Richard Billion, legal director for credit-score developer Fair Isaac Corp., wrote that distracting clothes reduce a saleswoman's credibility. "I become very suspicious of the product or service being sold if a woman representing the seller in any capacity is not conservatively dressed," Mr. Billion wrote.
I suspect that many women are sabotaging their own career advancement without realizing it. Dressing suitably is a social skill -- and social skills are necessary to advance up the corporate ladder.
Is a double standard at work? Undoubtedly. Men who dress inappropriately can also get sidelined, but it's harder for them to fail. The male wardrobe is an armor that disguises vulnerable body parts while sending subtle signals. A gray suit suggests hidden power, a blue Oxford button-down is hard-working, and French cuffs rule a Wall Street board. Women don't have an easily deciphered fashion code, which just makes it easier to make a big mistake.
Powerful real-world women like Erin Callan, chief financial officer of Lehman Brothers dress conservatively, with just a few bold accessories such as necklaces.
Clothes can determine whether you land a job commanding the head of the conference table. Nancyjane Goldston, founder and CEO of the UXB, an advertising and branding agency in Los Angeles, told me recently that she sees too many job applicants who arrive in overexposing clothes. To these young people, "I think it's freedom of expression -- 'Take me for what I am or it's your loss,'" she said. She doesn't hire them: She says she doesn't have time to teach employees what to wear. "It subliminally says that you're not serious," Ms. Goldston says.
