Thoughts on Professional Garb

Edited to Add: Check out Corporette for great professional fashion tips for women all types of professional environments.

I don't usually present wardrobe diatribes... While always happy to offer up advice when asked, ITPitB is a daily diary of personal style - an anthropological study of one individual's closet, if you will.  Pretty simply said... love it or hate it, this is what I wear.  But a little article on Above the Law made a big stir this week, and having accidentally become an ancillary part of the backlash / response, I figured I'd throw my own two cents into the fray!

Read the full article here...

And responses here, here, and here.  {Uggg, Lipstick Application Pre-Photo-Taking officially beings NOW!}

I won't rehash the article or the responses since they are linked above, but it seems readers' largest gripe (both with the original ATL article as well as official and/or unspoken office wardrobe protocol) is the seemingly endless list of rules for female professional attire (attorneys specifically, but I think the concepts easily translate).  To an extent, I agree - there are a lot more rules for women than there are for men.  Of course the flip side of the coin is that men basically have zero options when it comes to business attire, with suit + dress shirt + tie being the standard uniform.  The biggest fashion hurdle most professional men face on a daily basis is trying to remember if black or brown shoes go with charcoal suits (the answer to this riddle being black, btw).  Women, on the other hand, have lots of options... 

• Skirt or pants?
• Flats or heels?
• Button-up or blouse? 
• Is a dress appropriate?  
• Do I have to wear a jacket? 
• Do I have to wear pantyhose? 
• Hair up or down?
• And what about jewelry? 

Personally, I love options!  I'd be bored to tears if the professional uniform for women consisted solely of a pant-suit and a button-down.  Yet because our work wardrobe isn't so clearly delineated, more and more "guidelines" start cropping up to combat the desire to push the boundaries too far.  And yes, there are other  "guidelines" - more like relics of sexism - that have no real modern purpose.   As a female attorney who adores fashion and looking stylish but also wants to present a capable and professional face to coworkers and clients, these are my thoughts on today's "guidelines," as well as my personal professional fashion rubric...**

**As you might imagine, the following will be most applicable to female attorneys, obvs. 

Interviews / Court

Credo #1: Keep It Simple & Conservative 

• Now is the time for your sparkling personality to show through... not your sparkling statement necklace. Wear a suit, a button-up or a blouse, and close-toed pumps in a neutral color (black, brown, navy, nude). 

• Your suit should be dark (black, brown, gray, navy), conservatively cut, and well-tailored.  Some people will tell you that women should be in skirts... (a) I think that's sexist bollucks, and (b) if you feel more comfortable and confident in pants, you'll perform better anyway.  I happen to prefer skirts, but I've interviewed (and been offered clerkships / jobs) and appeared in court (and prevailed on hearings) in both skirts and pants - lightning did not strike me dead (although, read below at Credo #2: Recognize Your Surroundings & Office Culture).  

• If I'm wearing a skirt to appear in court or to interview, I suck it up and put on the pantyhose (please, please, please no Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders "Suntan" Style - stick with sheer black or sheer nude). Sexist "guideline"?  Yes!  However, this is not a battle I wish to pick... I prefer being "An Attorney Who Is Employed And/Or Wins Her Points In Court, rather than "An Attorney Who Stood Up To The Man And Now Folds Sweaters At The GAP."  (See also Credo #4: You Chose This Profession, Remember?).  Maybe that makes me "part of the problem," but I don't lose sleep over wearing pantyhose for a couple of hours every so often.  

• Shoes... so begins "The Red Shoe Debate."  I own red patent pumps and I love them to pieces.  They have a relatively low heel (2.5 inches - I usually wear more like 3.5 - 4 inches) and a classic round toe. I wear them to work constantly, and it's possible I've worn them to court before.  No one's ever branded me with a Scarlet S, but... BUT.  Err on the side of caution in your most formal professional settings and stick with classic colors.  Shoes should also be polished (also note that patent is easier to keep looking sharp than regular leather or suede) - the shoe-shiner is not just for men!  You can chatter all you want about flats during interviews and in court, but I'm on Team Pump.  

• Jewelry should be subdued and classic.  People who tell you to remove your wedding rings might have some ground to stand on, but like those who shout "No pants suits for the ladies!," I disregard this advice.  I'm married and I wear a ring - I'm not going to pretend otherwise. {Caveat: Jury Trials... if you have a huge diamond, you might consider wearing your wedding band alone 'lest some misinformed juror peg you as a money-grubbing attorney.}  

• Color - I'm not afraid of it in formal business settings.  I embrace jewel tones and patterns (so long as they don't distract).  I think a pop of color or a pretty patterned blouse (or... GASP!... even a well-placed ruffle) can add to your presence and make you stand out.  However, if you're unsure, just play it safe for now... you can experiment once you have the job! 

• Hair should be neat.  I don't know who thinks ponytails are the work of Satan but apparently those people are out there... I wear ponytails, hair half back, chignons, hair down and straight, hair down and curled, headbands, and French braids alike and see no problem with any of these styles so long as they are polished and do not create a distraction. 

Everyday Office Attire / General Musings

Credo #2: Recognize Your Surroundings & Office Culture

• Who do you work for?  Big Law? Small firm? Non-Profit? Corporation?  My attire at my current non-profit job is a bit more relaxed than it was at my old firm (although, I had a lot of leeway with accessories and different outfit elements there as well).  Start with the dress code laid out in the manual and then look around you.  If your office's dress code is Business Attire and every other female attorney comes dressed in a formal suit on a daily basis, follow suit (ha! pun!).  Only you can make the determination on branching out with colored shoes, larger jewelry, non-suiting dresses, etc - use your best judgment and make an educated decision (See also Credo #3: Remove Head from Ass, then Clothe Yourself). 

• Where do you work? Regional trends are important considerations as well.  In Charleston, an attorney in a seersucker suit and saddle shoes fits right in.  In San Fransisco, visible, non-ear piercings might be a-okay.  {Yes, I realize I'm stereotyping, but I think you get my drift.}  I live in Texas... some years we wear shorts on Christmas Eve and come May through September, you're going to be sweating like a whore in church if you're wearing pantyhose on a daily basis.  Thus, I've never worn pantyhose in the summer unless its for an interview / court (and then those suckers peel right off the moment I get in the car).  

• Who will you be working with? Maybe the whispers by the coffee pot indicate that The Powers That Be don't care for women in pants.  Lamesauce?  Yes.  Pig-Headed?  Yes.  But that's your current reality - you can either suck it up and buy some skirts, rebel with pants and see how far your career progresses in that particular environment, or find a new job.  I'm not saying it's right - it isn't - but life's tough and there continues to be superiors (and judges), both male and female, who prefer women in skirts, or think hose are 100% required 100% of the time (See also Credo #4: You Chose This Profession, Remember?).  

Credo #3: Remove Head from Ass, then Clothe Yourself. 

• Do we really need to be told not to wear mini-skirts, hooker boots, and deep v-necks?  From some of the comments on the articles... Apparently so, but come on!  Purchase articles of clothing in the proper size (tailor them if necessary) and made of high-quality materials (suits in wool blends, shirts in cotton or silk / steer clear of high synthetic fiber content).  No visible bra straps and no gaping buttons.  

• Clients shell out big bucks for your services.  Would you pay someone wearing thigh-high boots $400 an hour?  Um, er, scratch that... Would you pay someone wearing thigh-high boots $400 an hour FOR LEGAL SERVICES?  Hell, I don't even trust the Starbucks barista to make my latte correctly if I can see visible pantyline! 

• You can be feminine without looking like a sexpot at the office.  I adore pencil skirts... although it appears that someone at the University of Chicago equates She Who Wears Pencil Skirts to She Who Dances Topless On Bars.  I think this is Shrew Talk.  Tasteful, well-fitting clothes that show a woman's natural curves will not result in office orgies (and suggesting that male colleagues will be tempted by the sight of a woman's bare arm or calf is poppycock).  

• Use your noodle and be prepared! Are you conducting a huge document review on site today? If so, you might find yourself lugging boxes down off of shelves and bending over to inspect items.  Perhaps today isn't the day to wear the pencil skirt and the platform heels... No one wants to be "The Girl Who Flashed Her Partner" for the rest of her career.  Or, is there a chance you might get called into a client meeting or asked to run something down to the courthouse?  Be sure you have an extra suit jacket in your office that can be thrown on over your outfit if you're caught by surprise and not dressed in a suit. 

Credo #4: You Chose This Profession, Remember?

•  Hey!  Ms. Bitches-A-Lot! You are the one who chose to enter into a profession that is traditionally conservative (and traditionally male-dominated).  If you want to wear this seasons' latest jeggings and boudoir shorts to work, you should have gone into PR or opened your own wine & paper shop (sigh). As one of my very favorite film lines so eloquently lays it out... "You can't ride two horses with one ass, Butterbean."  It's called Work, not Fashion Show Fun, and while I'm a huge advocate for finding ways to present your personal style appropriately at the office, at the end of the day, your job is to get results for your clients and your employers... not to be Alley McBeal. 

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?