Women in pants

[swissmiss04]

One of my friends is really active in pageants and during a prelim for Miss Alabama (some forum weeks before the pageant) someone told the contestants that people view women in skirt suits as being somehow less intelligent. I don't know if this is true or if it came from a scientific poll, but that is sort of disturbing. Especially in this day and age.

[lovelyivy84]

The very first of the Southern Truths for Daily Living from What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should) :

Femininity is a plus in the business and social worlds.

Which means, wearing a skirt just reminds everyone that you're a woman. And that ain't a bad thing Men are naturally drawn to women, and I think it's a good idea to play that up as much as you can.

THis is only true up to a certain point. At a certain corporate level, men are not going to take you seriously if they see you as their little sister or someone they want to have sex with. One headhunter I know talked about how women who used their femininty like this were complaining because they weren't being taken seriously and she had to tell them to cut it with the little girl lost act.

Skirts are necessary at interviews and depending on the formality of the office, formal business settings. In business casual and on an everyday level there is nothing wrong with wearing pants.

[Tom Earp]

Sorry, Prefer Women out of Pants!

But, if worst comes to worst, dress like a man and try to be successful!

Is it the Clothing that makes you what you are?

[Rudey]

Yeah I'm going to call BS on this. Once again, dinosis made up a story on GC to pretend she's cool and you all respond.

-Rudey
--I'm sure people look up your skirt all the time you retard.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by Rudey
Yeah I'm going to call BS on this. Once again, dinosis made up a story on GC to pretend she's cool and you all respond.

-Rudey
--I'm sure people look up your skirt all the time you retard.

At least you're good at one thing, you're good at lying.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Dionysus
At least you're good at one thing, you're good at lying.

You make no sense corky.

-Rudey

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by Rudey
You make no sense corky.

-Rudey

Keep it on, that gap between your teeth is going to get bigger and bigger...

[sugar and spice]

I think this is one of those things where you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. If you always wear pants, you're going to be seen as "too masculine" and intimidating . . . if you always wear skirts you're not going to be taken seriously and you'll be seen as an airhead.

[DeltAlum]

Impressions only with no provable basis in fact:

1. As a hiring manager, I prefer women to be wearing skirts. It strikes me as more formal -- and the job interview is a formal occassion.

2. As much as I love great legs, short skirts really strike the wrong cord in a professional environment.

3. In the workplace (as opposed to the interview), slacks, pants are OK. It's nice to see a mixture.

4. If TV really does "mirror" what we think life should be (I'm not saying it does, by the way, but some have), I think that "professional" women generally are portrayed wearing skirt suits in situations like lawyers in court, etc.

5. You generally can't go wrong with some degree of conservativism in the way you look on the job, and I think that means skirts.

Most of the above are simple opinions, but have grown out of a lot of years in the professional world.

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally posted by valkyrie
Even if I thought anybody would take me more seriously if I wore a skirt, I wouldn't wear one for that reason because that's just me changing my behavior to fit someone else's outdated stereotype of what a woman should wear. I think it's about damn time we stopped letting our fashion choices (or any choices for that matter) be dictated by others.

Here's to being your own person.

I don't understand why men would take a woman more seriously if she's in a skirt. My gut reaction would be that he'd take you less seriously because if anything, he's going to be staring at your legs.

I can totally see that. When we play to a man's desire to see a feminine woman, we backhandedly enforce the stereotype that women are weaker and less competent than men.

Originally posted by Shine
The reason is that men are intimidated by women that look assured and powerful and don't play up their femininity as a qualifying factor.

AMEN! I mean, hell, look what happened to Hillary Rodham Clinton. I'm not saying that I agree with her politics or life choices or anything like that, but HRC is definitely a woman who knows what she wants and will fight to get it. Instead, she was seen as a man-eating you-know-what and was derided for not "staying in her place." Granted, it wasn't because she was wearing pants suits-- though she does sometimes wear pants suits-- but because she is a strong woman.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

I like pant suits because they are easier than skirts. I think that a skirt suit is better for an interview.

[FeeFee]

Originally posted by Cream
I like pant suits because they are easier than skirts. I think that a skirt suit is better for an interview.

What she said.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by KappaKittyCat
I can totally see that. When we play to a man's desire to see a feminine woman, we backhandedly enforce the stereotype that women are weaker and less competent than men.

Just so I understand your point, are you saying that a strong woman can't be feminine? Or Vice Versa?

I don't buy that.

[justamom]

Delt Alum-Just so I understand your point, are you saying that a strong woman can't be feminine? Or Vice Versa?

I don't buy that.

THANK YOU!
I see myself as BRILLIANT, STRONG, CREATIVE and SUCCESSFUL!
When I talk to men, in most situations, I hold my own and then some. I am feminine. I dress feminine...actually, I dress to the occasion, but it is ALWAYS feminine. (Unless I'm pushing dirt around)

[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by lovelyivy84
THis is only true up to a certain point. At a certain corporate level, men are not going to take you seriously if they see you as their little sister or someone they want to have sex with. One headhunter I know talked about how women who used their femininty like this were complaining because they weren't being taken seriously and she had to tell them to cut it with the little girl lost act.

Skirts are necessary at interviews and depending on the formality of the office, formal business settings. In business casual and on an everyday level there is nothing wrong with wearing pants.

Good points. In the nearly 15 years I've been a journo, I always wore skirt suits when on job interviews and in formal settings. But if it's informal, I wear pants or pant suits. In fact, today, I am wearing pants although I have an interview.

As an aside, I loathe seeing women in the professional environment with bare midriffs. There are more than a few women who work in my building who do this. Time and place, people.