Friday, January 23, 2009

What Not to Wear


Are you a working woman reading this? Then congratulations - there's a considerable chance that you might be a brazen hussy, dedicated to using your physical charms and womanly wiles to claw your way with those Rouge Noir-adorned talons right to the top - clambering all over those poor men who really deserve it in your stiletto Jimmy Choos! Or something.

According to a study either reported by or carried out by Grazia magazine, at least one third of women have dressed "provocatively" in order to get ahead at work. The definition of provocative isn't given, but I assume they're talking about short skirts and low necklines, the usual arbitrary wardrobe signifiers of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

In response to the Grazia study, Amy Odell of New York magazine writes:

Yes, men should be more decorous, but since they're incapable, chicks may as well cover up and avoid being the hot topic in the break room for the next six weeks. It wouldn't kill them.

They're incapable? Well, that's one word for it. Forgive me for being old-fashioned, but if you can't keep your eyes (and hands) to yourself, perhaps you shouldn't be allowed to leave the house without an escort. The article itself, by the way, is titled More Women Than We Thought Think Dressing Slutty Will Advance Their Careers. Silly women! Don't they know you can only get fairly promoted with a penis?

In a similar article, the Wall Street Journal cites a case where the female head of a law firm was invited for a threesome by a male client and his wife - all because she was wearing a revealing dress, supposedly. That's not 'misinterpreting the signals' that's sexual harassment. But the WSJ clearly doesn't see it that way:

"Once a CEO is startled by seeing your cleavage, an image is set in his mind that is not going to disappear," says Ms. Royalty, who recently retired as an
executive at the company. "I never wore that type of dress again."


I don't understand how the fact that *gasp* most women have breasts (i.e, unless they're pre-op transwomen, had a double mastectomy, etc) has shocked a guy who has made it to Chief Executive. Someone fell asleep in sex-ed class. And biology. And, um, life.

So - are YOU dressing sluttily to the office? I, for example, am currently wearing jeans, slightly scuffed black motorcycle boots and a black top with a scoop neck, no make-up. I suppose the top is technically clingy, but the only thing that doesn't cling to certain parts of my uppermost anatomy would be a tent. On the Slut-O-Meter, I think I'm probably a 1, 2 if I put apply the lipgloss I'm currently using as a paperweight. But then I'd really be asking for it.


Labels: ,

posted by Kaite @ 4:15 PM

3 Comments:

At 9:30 PM, Blogger ToonCat said...

My idea of dressing sluttily (nice word btw!) is wearing the black blouse I know Wifey likes. Maybe that's just a bonus of working for the same company though.

I'll admit to being more obvious on days when we both work from home ;-)

 
At 9:41 PM, Blogger Kaite said...

Working for the same company must be nice! My gf and I barely work the same shifts - she's a Tube driver and I work for a charity. She akways complains if I look too nice because she won't get to see it ;)

....when I work from home, I do so in my pyjamas. Clearly, I fail at slutty. Must try harder.

 
At 5:17 PM, Blogger tenderhooligan said...

Oh FFS! And, as usual, because men have absolutely no agency at all, their actions are the responsibility and the fault of women who 'made them do it'.

Oh, and...

I suppose the top is technically clingy, but the only thing that doesn't cling to certain parts of my uppermost anatomy would be a tent.

I have the same problem. I HAVE to wear a top that clings to the breastal area or I, too, will look like I've donned a tent.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

free stats