Fashion House Ladies Fashion and Mens Fashion

Feminine or Sexy?

Written on July 24, 2008 – 7:30 am | by dodo

Too often women shoot themselves in the career foot by taking liberties with their image at work. Young, unattached women in their twenties, in particular, often confuse the workplace with the disco or wine bar and come to work dressed as if they are ready for a ‘hot date’.

Public Relations is dominated by women professionals. It is a fast- paced business that requires lateral thinking and good communication skills — both of which many talented women possess. But several PR companies have despaired about their female staff looking unprofessional and sending all the wrong signals to both clients and the media.

One such company asked us to make over their entire staff — from the receptionists to the Managing Director. Without exception, all the staff looked attractive and trendy in the latest fashions. With an average age of 27, most were trim and wore short Lycra skirts; there were also plunging necklines, flowing hairstyles, dangling earrings, and knockout perfume. I told them that a lot of the effort they were putting into their accounts was being discounted and undervalued because they looked too sexy. If their clients were men, many would be wondering how high the skirt would rise by the end of the meeting, rather than concentrating on a business deal. If their clients were women, they would probably be resented. As for the company itself, busy professionals want people working for them to look as if their priorities are with the company, not with maintaining a fashionable, sexy image. There is a huge difference between looking professionally attractive — pleasant and respected by both sexes — and looking downright sexy and distracting.

The women were advised to concentrate on better fit and quality clothes. Fewer items in their wardrobe, of better quality and style, would be far more effective than a lot of trendy separates. All their skirts should have at least one inch ‘give’ so they didn’t cling or rise so much when the women walked or were seated. Body suits should have necklines no lower than the top of the armpit, and always be covered with a jacket for client meetings. Light denier hosiery, previously abandoned by all in the summertime, was decreed a must. Finally, they were advised that high-heels, trendy platforms or Doc Martens should be replaced by stylish court-shoes or medium-heeled pumps.

When we had a review some months later, all reported how much easier it was to get down to business, negotiate fees and gain agreement on account plans now that they were so conspicuously ‘professional’.

Differentiating the Management

In the hotel industry, many staff are uniformed. The job of selecting the best styles and colour combinations to suit the myriad of staff and the different positions is very challenging, so CMB are often asked to advise on colours that are flattering to most people, and project friendliness as opposed to projecting authority, as well as which styles are generally becoming.

One international hotel group prides itself on the wholesome values and strong ethical culture of its American founders. Despite being one of the world’s largest hotel operators, the company’s philosophy is based on quality, service and friendliness. ‘The staff are there to take care of customers and to have fun doing it,’ explained the Chairman. I was asked to deliver a seminar on personal image for the managers of the group’s European, African and Middle East Hotels at a sales conference in Vienna.

After my presentation, it struck several of the managers that some of their key people didn’t look as good as the front desk staff, who all wore smart uniforms. Some wore the same uniforms as junior staff and regularly ran into difficulty with business clients who insisted on seeing ‘the top person’ only to be told that they were already doing just that.

The London and Amsterdam hotels then booked seminars for their management teams, each presenting different challenges. In London, the managers looked too severe and boring. They had to be reminded that they were in the hospitality business and based in a large metropolis, entertaining business people from around the world. More colour was required from the women’s suits and make-up, to the men’s ties. The everso-comfy rubber-soled shoes needed to be replaced by smart court shoes to do the women’s suits justice. And the penchant for dresses worn by most of the female managers required ‘pulling together’ with a classic jacket. The men needed to appreciate that a crumpled linen jacket was especially bad mid-winter.

In Amsterdam, the staff were all expensively dressed but too casual considering that their clients, again, were mainly businesspeople. They needed to look more professional — which you can only achieve with a suit. The women holding management positions were horrified by the suggestion that they polish-up their act. Few wore suits and most wore no make-up. They looked more as if they were having an afternoon off to go shopping rather than actually running the hotel. They received very similar advice to that given to their London-based colleagues.

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