At an event hosted by
Ann Taylor and Marie Claire, Features Editor Lea Goldman discussed
the power of executive presence—a force that shows people we are capable of
being leaders. The three components that make up executive presence are
communication, gravitas, and appearance.
That last one is a big
one. According to Goldman, executives say appearance counts for 60 percent of
your executive presence. With Goldman’s tips and a couple of our own ideas, we
came up with a list of fashion sins that should
never make it into the office.
Wet Hair
Ashley Olsen recently
made headlines when she headed to work with long, wet locks. First of all,
it’s a really great way to catch a cold. But more importantly, no matter how
rushed we are in the morning, not taking the time to dry your hair shows that you
don’t care enough to do so. According to Susannah Gonzalez of
NaturallyCurly.com, “The bottom line is that wet hair is viewed by many as unprofessional because several people equate wet hair with unfinished hair.
Going into work with wet hair might give off the impression that you are not
ready for work, or that you did not have time in the morning to dry your hair.
Employers, therefore, might assume that you put little effort into getting
ready for work. However, most agreed that it is perfectly acceptable to go out
with wet hair if you are going to class (if you’re a student) or if you are
simply running errands.”
Too Much Cleavage
“The single biggest
mistake women make [in work attire] is dressing too sexy,” said
Goldman. According to a recent survey commissioned
by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones, women who
display too much cleavage at work could end up sabotaging their
careers. The survey of 3,000 managers found that almost half of bosses had
overlooked a woman for promotion if she had regularly worn low-cut tops to
attract attention.
According to fashion
expert Lauren Conrad, you should “never show
more than one inch of cleavage or wear a skirt that skims your bum. For most
offices, skirts that hit more than 3 or 4 inches above the knee are considered
inappropriate. (If you want to wear shorter skirts, or even dress shorts, pair
them with opaque tights to temper the higher hemline.) Also, no tank tops
unless you have something layered over it to cover your shoulders.”
This also applies to any
overly exposed area of skin. Maybe you don’t have cleavage, but you think
showing off your breast bone will work in the office. Even with professional
black tie events outside the office you have to be careful. Kat Griffin,
founder of Corporette, told me, “When shopping for
your dress, think ‘classic beauty,’ not sexy. To this end, avoid skin in
unexpected places. No side-boob, no under-boob, and no dresses with the low-low back.”
Visible Lingerie/Panty Line
Oh, the VPL. It’s considered
one of the worst fashion blunders ever, and yet people just keep doing it.
Conversely, this does
not mean you should go to work sans bra or underwear even if you really don’t
need a bra or just don’t like to wear them.
Heavy Makeup
Goldman said you
absolutely have to wear makeup, even if you have the features of Snow White.
“Not wearing makeup to
work says you don’t take it seriously,” she said. The trick is to look like
you’re not wearing makeup. A study found that wearing
makeup at work can actually help you appear more confident, but the line
between confident and looking like all you do is put on makeup is a very thin
one. Researchers say it “may have to do with the negative stereotypes
associated with an ‘overly groomed’ woman in the workplace.” Sparkles
should never come into your place of work.
High High Heels
“Context is everything
[in the office]. If you are wearing the highest pair of heels in your office,
then you’re wearing the wrong shoes,” says Goldman. If you work in an industry
like fashion, wearing three inch heels may be the norm. If you work in
accounting, a kitten heel may be all you need.
Ill-fitting Clothing
Too-tight clothing is a
major problem, but so is too-loose clothing. Investing in a good tailor is part
of a professional wardrobe.
Dressing Too Casually
Casual Fridays sound
great. Friday is the day where you don’t have to don the suit or conservative
dress and heels. But dressing casually and still conveying power can be tough
for women.
“Casual Fridays were
designed by men, for men,” says Goldman. According to Christina
Binkley of The Wall Street Journal, women can’t convey as much power as men when they dress
casually. It seems that dressing casually, in certain industries, may be even
trickier than dressing professionally. But unfortunately, your clothes are the first
things people see when they meet you, and they can send very strong messages.
Binkley writes:
“Clearly, clothes and
accessories are powerful symbols in the workplace. They are seen before our
words are heard in a board meeting, and they are remembered long after, like
perfume that hangs in a room.
Collars on a shirt or
jacket convey authority. Flat shoes can suggest a girlish lack of authority; if
you wear them, choose flats with some hardware and avoid the ballet look. As
for stockings, the debate rages on, but if your primary audience is over 50,
they may feel more comfortable with them.”
What fashion faux pas have you learned to stay away from? Tell us
in the comments!
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