This morning reading my Time Magazine (the old fashioned tree-killing version, a link to the digital one below) I found 3 pages devoted to Michelle Obama’s HAIR. Yup. So it got me thinking.
How much does a woman’s appearance matter in her professional world? Think for a second. You meet a man in a professional setting, office, conference, meeting, etc. As long as he doesn’t smell awful, you wait to let his talking (or in some cases reputation) decide for you his level of intelligence. In my professional world, there are few suits, so seriously even the rumpled guys can be a genius and we tend to give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.
Now for us women in technology out there… we have a fine line to walk. Look too good then people assume there is nothing in the noggin or we want to use our looks to get more attention than our brains deserve. Look sloppy, then not taken seriously either. To wear make-up or not wear make-up, then how much to wear. Does my butt look huge in this skirt/pants/jeans? Um, is that cleavage showing? What is the view from a man’s height looking DOWN into the shirt? Should I wear heels and kill myself all day so I am the same height as the guys, they look me in the eye. What if those shoes make me taller then the guys, will they shy away, intentionally or not?
Lucky for us there are more and more brainy chicks out there. More and more high profile women around, worthy of our attention based on their smarts and accomplishments, not just their curves and smiles (the collective, men and women in the professional world). To say there is not a double standard is either arrogant or ignorant, or a bit of both. People may not INTEND it that way, but it certainly exists. It is getting better, thanks in large part to the women before us and around us that don’t let that get in their way of success and admit (and sometimes cave) to the society expectations of us, visually speaking.
For the record, my appearance is based 90% for me and my comfort (both literally and comfort in whatever environment I happen to be in) and 10% for you. I realize that you (the collective) will judge me based on my appearance, so you get a little head start before my brain kicks in and influences your opinion of me. Then you either love me or hate me, listen to me or ignore me.
If you ask a Mary Kay lady they will tell you make-up is vital for your professional success. I think you have a good balance but it is hard to find a good balance.
Posted by: Adie | September 12, 2009 at 02:37 PM