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What is the new "power suit?"

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

I've been meaning to ask about the "power suit" for a while, and two things triggered it to bring up now. First, Greenjeans' excellent thread about not looking "nice" and all the comments there. Second, I have been watching far more tv news than I have in literally decades. What's with the sheath dresses on all the anchorwomen?

Backstory: I am of the generation who watched their mothers enter the workforce in the 1970s and struggle to be taken seriously. Mom put on her power suit each morning and charged off to fight for recognition against all odds to feed her family. The book "Dress for Success" was required reading, and if you wanted to be taken seriously, you toed the line.

I worked in academia, where matching shoes are pretty much expected, but beyond that, not much. But I always, always wore a blazer as my mantle of authority (I was pretty young for some of the positions I had). And it worked. Every dang time. Even a denim jacket worked with that crowd, LOL.

On tv, I see these anchorwomen wearing sheath dresses, no jacket, side by side with men in suits and ties and I don't get it. To me, they don't look like they have the same authority. Why the disadvantage? Or are they communicating a different generation's sense of power and I'm just getting old? I look at the senior women in tech business and government and it certainly looks like there are more options for women (pants, hooray!) now than for men, who are still stuck in suits and ties, with the obligatory flag pin (have you noticed the women politicians don't tend to wear them?)

So I ask you who are in the workforce, fighting the good fight: what is the modern power suit(s)? How has it softened for you over time? What's your superpower garment? (Sorry about the long explanation/rant.)

General

58 replies

Latest reply was from Stagiaire Fash

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

In large law firms it's still pretty much meet the new boss, same as the old boss -- suits. Luckily I only do this a couple times a year when I show up at the firm for a visit.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

UmmLila, would you feel like you would be taken as seriously in a sleeveless dress? Truly curious.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Jacket is needed to be taken seriously

Runcarla

Veteran

Yes, the jacket is still key for the interview, and important meetings, IMHO.
Worker bees may not be required to keep up appearances in the day-to-day.

FWIW, I have a jacket hanging in my cubicle 24/7. I don't wear it most days, however if there is a last minute meeting, or someone from the 24th floor decides to make the rounds, I can slip it on.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I think I've been very blessed in my career to not have to do any "power" stuff, ever. I'm now at a level where in some positions I'm interacting with high level people at the health board, but health seems a bit different somehow to law, management etc. It may just be that I'm old now and at this stage I can just get authority in my voice from experience even if my clothes are not powerful. I do try to dress smartly for interviews etc, if being interviewed ( rare now, last in 2014) or conversely interviewing. That does not mean a structured tailored blazer for me- I hate them! I do have some soft tailored jackets and would not wear a sleeveless dress.
Women are still not taken as seriously though, overall- numbers of women Directors not nearly reaching 50 % yet in our country. I don't know how much our clothes have to do with it! I guess in my field I have found my voice and seem to be respected so just have an authority that comes from that?

Echo

Veteran

I work in an extraordinarily casual field (education), and IMO a jacket and pencil skirt are still required for an interview. I interviewed for the position I have now over a year ago in the heat of the summer. Because it IS a casual field, other applicants showed up in capri pants and various other summer staples. I wore lighter colours than I typically do, but I wore the obligatory skirt, top and "blazer" (less structured than a typical blazer). I knew upon walking in that they would offer me the position (in case anyone ever doubted the power of clothes!).

IMO, the women on morning programs know they have their position locked up, and the public likes to see them in more "feminine" gear - thus the sleeveless dresses. However, I do not take a female newscaster as seriously if she does not wear a top layer of some sort. The "rules" can be hazy sometimes, but for law, news an other "serious" positions, I still feel that a top layer of some sort is necessary.

Then again, when I was s child, my mum was a teacher in a public school and wore pencil skirts and heels daily. Indeed, the special ed teacher in her building had to fight for the right to wear pants to school because she was on the floor working with her students. So it isn't that long ago that the "uniform" was expected, which might still be throwing some of us off. It is hard to change our perceptions about what is necessary once they are set in childhood/early adulthood.

rachylou

Veteran

My mother was an economist, I guess that would have been 1960 to sometime in the 2000s. She wore suits with collarless jackets and court shoes. Very smart looking in her suits.

I worked in tech from the '90s until maybe a year ago. When I started, the matched suit was being replaced at the big companies while the tech bubble companies were all flip flops and shorts. Re. the replacement of the suit ... well, things were still basically a suit, gabardine trousers and skirts, but more blazer style jackets and twin sets. The last giganto company I was at, management women were all in jeans. At least the American women were. What I really noticed was the plainness they maintained. Even the one with the good hair and stilettos... the clothing was plain. Jeans and a solid sweater.

As a contractor, going from client to client...you know, no wonder my style was so unstable and my closet such a mishmash...

...And then every industry had its own idiosyncrasies...

Anonymous

I am as confused as you are.

Anonymous

To me, the sheath dressed women convey just as much power.

Sometimes, women will wear things that are overly stylish on TV and I think it takes away some power because you're paying attention to what they're wearing instead of their words. It's distracting.

I think generally, the older you are, the more power you convey.

An older woman in the workplace, wearing a cardigan, and a floral skirt who knows her stuff, is going to be more powerful than the younger man in a suit.

Jennib12

I've worked in the corporate world for just over 20 years and have seen a really big shift over that time. When I started, the power suit was definitely the way to go. In fact, my first firm dictated that women could not wear pants. In 1996! Imagine! Hose was also a must and open toes a BIG no!

I was thrilled to see that relax over the years, but I now work in a "business casual" environment, and that seems to be the corporate norm these days. The term clearly leaves a lot to the imagination, as some of the outfits I see are, well, let's just say I wouldn't even consider them weekend wear! In fact, there was an anonymous email circulating the company a couple of years ago with the subject line "leggings are not pants."

So, Ann, back to your original question. A sleeveless sheath dress, while not my personal choice (arm issues!), would be perfectly acceptable in our environment, even in the c-suite. I think if it's styled appropriately, with proper fit and a modest length, there's no reason the wearer wouldn't be taken seriously.

kkards

Veteran

i too am bothered by the sheath dresses next to the full suits....but not becuase i think it doesn't look professional, but becuase i'm wondering if those women are cold---i can't stand to be cold...or if the men are over heating (i dont watch much TV news, but in my city at least, the men are generally in shirtsleeves, not suits)

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

So many interesting takes on this. I wonder if it's a regional thing as well. This article in Slate has a couple ideas that better explain my dis-ease with the look.

1) "Bare arms read as a kind of smart-sexy, a look that women in positions of authority can pull off. Michelle Obama is responsible for this, as are socialites of the Manhattan cocktail circuit, for whom bare arms long ago became a currency of wealth and fitness.

But 2) "It does, after all, matter when female voices of authority disrobe. Baring one’s skin, whether it’s décolletage or arms, remains an indicator of seriousness—are you going to look at me, or are you going to listen to what I’m saying? Because, as the Washington Post pointed out last year in a story about the blazer disappearing from newswomen’s wardrobes, male viewers appear unable to do both. A 2010 study found that the sexier the female anchor, the less men retain of what she says. They literally see instead of hear her."

That last bit is what bothers me. After such a long struggle to be taken seriously, why are women purposely wearing clothes that diminish their authority? Pressure from the networks to be sexy? Why not put a male anchor in a tux?

And what would I wear today as my mantle of authority? I'm not old enough for Hilary Clinton's pantsuits. Elizabeth Warren looked suited up for prime time when she got kicked off the Senate floor. Carly Fliorini wore something interesting but not a suit at CPAC. (Yes I am watching way too much tv.) I thought greyscale's interview outfit was smashing, but that's academia. This all makes me so glad I am not in my 20s and trying to make it in the big city today.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Echo - teaching in heels is heroic

Rachylou and Jennib12 - it is so industry specific as far as culture for sure.

kkards - I suspect it's not so bad under those studio lights, although the new LED lights aren't so hot as the old ones used to be. Maybe the obligatory Spanks help. But I'd be freezing to death in an office environment.

Jennib12

Lol...good point about temperature. I have yet to work in an office where I don't need to bundle up in the summer to counter the blasting AC!

rachylou

Veteran

I'm back about the sheath dresses... because last week I flipped through the tv news shows, including morning shows, and I was struck by the ubiquitousness of the sheath dresses. It may be my age and California culture, but I do consider the sheath dresses as an effective power uniform. The bare arms don't bother me, but that I know that tv studios are freezing cold.

What struck me tho - and what I objected to - was how universally plain they were and the fact that, well, they struck me as saccharine. There are sheath dresses and there are sheath dresses.

How to put it - I found them in your face, provocatively innocuous, if this is not an oxymoron. An unending masquerade. A 'you will take me for an electric SUV driving, middle American, flat accented, capital M Mom, with a granite topped kitchen island and a bad Saran Wrap vice, whether or not this mythical Stepford woman exists $@;#*%!!!'

Something forced about it. I don't believe it, even if I am in possession of chevron canvas hampers.

Admittedly, I may be confused in my rationalisations. It may all be connected with my rage at seeing the same sheath dress from Ross to Neiman's...

Anonymous

I too find the sleeveless fitted sheath on tv women fascinating. To me, it immediately puts them in the position of being looked at instead of listened to. Let's face it, it's not done unless one has incredibly toned and tanned arms, and I don't see that as a badge of honour when working a news program on tv. You don't see the women on CBC (Canada) evening news programs dressed like this - fitted dresses, yes, but not this bare look. Wendy Mesley is always in a blazer , for example. If I can ponder aloud without fear of being bashed on the head - I honestly see this way of dressing as some perverse idea of showing your power : power over your body and subscribing to what these women think shows control. Men on tv or in positions of power can be overweight and out of shape and any size they want - but women can't or they appear not in control of themselves.

Anyways, I know this wasn't your point, and I apologize for heading off the track, but this toned and tanned business on tv really makes me nuts. We discussed this on another thread about the dresses the female characters on the tv show Suits wear.

MsMary

Veteran

One of the reasons the sleeveless sheath dresses bother me is that they effectively limit the availability of those jobs to young or young-looking, thin, fit women. As lisap noted, men don't have to meet those same stringent standards of appearance because a suit and tie is much more forgiving.

I have always worn a jacket at work, even after I stopped wearing full suits. Lately I have been wearing dresses without jackets occasionally, after someone told me "a dress is a complete outfit and we don't need to wear jackets just because men to!" But I still feel more powerful in a "third layer."

lyn67

Veteran

I agree with Lisa: I, too "see this way of dressing as some perverse idea of showing your power : power over your body and subscribing to what these women think shows control. Men on tv or in positions of power can be overweight and out of shape and any size they want - but women can't or they appear not in control of themselves".

In my neck of the woods (central EU& now rural for me-but it was same in the big city as well) the 3rd piece aka a jacket of any kind (not need to be suited head to toe) is showing enough of authority for being taken a bit more seriously.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

I'm hoping Angie will tell us how some of her executive clients address this aspect in their lives.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Oh totally agree Lisa! It's beauty "work" to get arms like that, or at least as you get into say your 30s. I think my 26 y old daughter has arms like that naturally at this stage without working out, she is slim anyway and has slightly olive skin, rocks a sleeveless dress with the best of em. But I wonder how much it is their choice to wear those outfits or if they are made to? In NZ some of our male news anchors are much older and frankly not eye candy, but most of the women are eye candy. My family laughs at me sometimes for being a feminist ( let's not get into if I'm a "good" feminist or not) but stuff like this makes me feel women have such a long way to go to be equal. Still!

jenanded

Veteran

Yes I wou.d love some insights from Angie as well. On top of the toned tanned arms on tv are the long hair and heels. There must be other ways to do the power thing. Great post and comments by the way xx

krishnidoux

Veteran

Re: the sheath dress as power suit. Absolutely! Have you watched Netflix serie Sense8? This character sports the ultimate power sheath dress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdzHQe4gUMw

jill58

Veteran

I'm extremely troubled by the amount of skin shown by female anchors, juxtaposed against men in buttoned up suits. The women look to me as if they're dressed for a cocktail party. I agree with Lisap that "it immediately puts them in the position of being looked at instead of listened to" .... and seems to reflect a "perverse idea" of demonstrating power. FOX news is the worst offender in this area. I'm not sure if it's the networks or the women who make the choices about make-up and clothing but in many cases the women look like they're primarily on display and only secondarily worth listening to.

Gaylene

Veteran

OK, I was debating whether or not to jump in on this discussion but, after Lisap's totally on-the-mark comment, I can't help myself.

Do these blonde beauties (and why does that hair color seem to be almost mandatory) look professional in their sheath dresses? Yes, but when the ability to wear such a garment becomes a primary job qualification for a female news anchor, I start cringing. Smart women come in all shapes and sizes--with and without blonde locks--but the eye candy appeal inherent in this "uniform" negates the serious qualifications many of these women bring to their jobs.

A "power suit" that 80% of the female population can't wear isn't a uniform as much as it is a straitjacket used to ensure women keep playing their decorative role. And, with all respect, citing outfits worn by fictional characters in movies and television as representing the new "standard" reinforces the notion that these news women are closer to entertainers than journalists.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Lisap - you said it better than I could, this: "Men on tv or in positions of power can be overweight and out of shape and any size they want - but women can't or they appear not in control of themselves."

I need to think more. And do look in on L'Abeille's excellent thread for more solutions on what is replacing the power suit.

LaPed

Veteran

Yes, what lisap and Gaylene said.

Also, now I'm imagining a news program featuring male anchors in sleeveless tops. How terribly awkward that would be.

Sal

Veteran

I have also noticed this becoming more of a feature although it is not quite as obvious here as it was on my recent Australian trip or watching US news.

Like many others I am watching less television news, and getting media from other sources (in my case radio, podcasts, online and one print newspaper per week). The news has less substance, and the presentation style is more about personality and chemistry between the presenters.

Interestingly, the weather, which used to be the domain of attractive younger women presenters is moving to a more diverse group of presenters and the information provided is becoming more complex and detailed.

I would like to see the return of the tailored suit, cut in a flattering but classic way, in a skirt or trouser version. I know it is still there but I believe it does have a valid place in many professional settings.

minimalist

Veteran

I've rarely watched news, and am only aware of attire from YouTube clips. So, Megyn Kelly, sleeveless dress. Bill Maher, not sleeveless dress? But also not suit, I guess?

How would newswomen dress, if not as packaged for male consumption?

Why not switch it up and have Rachylou dress everyone in tv news (yes, globally!) for a week? Gucci would get so much product placement. Which would only encourage knock-offs, I suppose.

WitchyD

Hmmm.... A good question. I do have matched suits, though I only wear them that way rarely, such as for an interview, big meeting or formal occasion. I tend to break them up, wearing a blazer with dark jeans, ponte pants, etc., or the trousers with a informal top or cardigan.

What I see a lot of the executive woman wearing is pencil skirts, blouse, and a button cardigan (less stuffy than a blazer I guess) and in many variations. I think that may just be the new "everyday" power suit.

I also see many more flats and tall boots over heels in the office for all levels. Sheath dresses are also popular, though I pass on those.
I'm a manager, but not executive level.

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