Very interesting. A suit tends to make the best of a man's look, whereas a woman has to fit herself into the blonde haired, sleeveless dress. In Israel only lawyers where suits. Sometimes. I rarely watch the local news - perhaps I should do some field investigation.

Hehe. Let me dress newscasters the world over!!!!

Oh one thing, I can only think of one blonde news lady in the SF Bay Area. When I go to LA and watch the news, I laugh. The sets are really different too. Can't really tell the difference between the news and Entertainment Tonight! (TM).

Ok ok. Just being a No Cal snob I like the Jon Tesh / Connie Selleca show. I do, I really do.

While I don't consider a sleeveless sheath the new power suit, I also don't consider it a "ding" to a woman's authority if she wears it. Must there be a "power suit" anymore anyway? The conservative skirt suit with serious blouse or modest shell at the traditional end of the spectrum lives on in certain industries, but clearly biz casual continues to expand and remains a challenge.

I had a similar experience to one of the commenters above. Started in the investment industry in 1998, at a firm that had just recently allowed pants for women. Casual Fridays only happened on holiday weekends. Ten years later it was fully biz casual. Some of the senior women wore sleeveless dresses. At the next firm I worked at, sleeveless was not allowed. In both places, women with ability were in positions of authority, but rarely wore polished power suits - mostly separates, sometimes dresses.

Anyway, specifically regarding news personalities, I live in the Los Angeles area, where local women wear - STOP. I should only criticize the job they do - only fair, right? Most evenings they do a good solid job, especially one or two of the on-the-scene reporters. Yet, without fail, my husband and I have a good laugh at both the men and women mispronouncing or misreading. On the national side, I live in awe of the well-spoken women, with to-the-point questions and in-depth knowledge. When Dana Bash is mixing it up in the halls of Congress (and all of the other (male) eporters are listening in and recording her interviews) I'm not looking at her arms. And if a boring sheath sets a man's heart (or something else) so aflutter that he can't follow a topic - good. More opps for others to leverage the information.

Ummm, Binkle are you concerned by us (on a fashion forum) looking at what someone wears? Sure you're right, we should be listening to what they have to say... but they "say" something by what they wear, and so do the men in their suits, and the difference is one of the points being made. Many years ago, before I was bullied out of the church, I remembered and quoted to my daughters and my son when they were young, this quote that supposedly the prophet Samuel said about the sons of Jesse, before David appeared from minding the sheep. "Man looks on the outward apprearance, but God looks on the heart". I've changed how I feel about that quote. At that time I took it that what is in your heart is most important, not how you look, and of course I still think what's in your heart is really important. But I've realised since that "man" ( humankind)- very patriarchal, the Bible- DOES look on the outward appearance, all the time. So it can't be ignored. It makes such a huge difference to how people feel, eg teenagers with acne who can get quite bad psychological issues from that. The anchormen and women are making a non-verbal statement with their clothing, and Rambling Ann and all of us who are commenting on this thread, are wondering what that is, I think.
I'm amused by Rachylou's "NoCal" ( versus SoCal I presume) snobbery! All countries have this snobbery ha ha. I'm a JAFA ( just another #*^! Aucklander!) Us Aucklanders ( it's our biggest city by far and I'm one born and bred) kind of embrace it sometimes!

I think what you're seeing is a result of a broader shift in management strategies and what authority even means. People often reference the hoody and flip flop wearing tech companies. These folks aren't wearing hoodies and flip flops just to be comfortable, it is a signal to those "above and below" that they are all equal in their ideas and "power" is attained by what you bring to the table, not the kind of outwear you wear. That's also why you see such a strong response sometimes in these casual companies when someone steps up their wardrobe game. Dressing casually in those settings is sort of a social contract that says we don't play the power game here.

Carrying that over to newscasters, there has been a shift in the last several years in what we look for in our news. I'm not sure that authority is at the top of the list of qualities that people look for in a news presenter anymore. News has become entertainment first, information second, and as such, news presenters have become pleasant first, with powerful coming way down the line.

I also remember a decade or more ago hearing a train of thought that women of power shouldn't necessarily turn to power suits. The line of reasoning was that suits were a symbol of male power and instead of mimicking male power, women don't need to mimic men to project authority. Just recently there's been a turn in viewing the pantsuit as a symbol of feminine power that came about during the election, as people noted the way Clinton presented herself.

I am a fan of jackets and heels for the professional power look, as I've mentioned before, and I do not care for the double standard of sleeveless dresses for women and full suits for men on TV.

In my own day to day life, I like to work on my deltoid muscles and show them off a bit when the weather is warm for a couple of months. So that's a bit of a power trip, but not a work power trip.

There's a certain tasty man who might be the prime minister of Canada, often photographed in rolled up shirt sleeves, and with well fitting pants. I think he gets to play the double power look.

Jenni, my concern was more about how my own train of thought was running. I was more self-correcting in my "stop" interjection above. I've been bullied (teased, picked-on, whatever) too, about many aspects of my appearance (acne, among other things) and my actions/emotions/personality. As a result, I am often very knee-jerk defensive and judgemental and suspicious in my thought processes. It is too easy for me to make sweeping assumptions about people that I don't know. This is not a productive way for me to live and I am trying to overcome it. In my comment above, I realized I was about to "go there" in having a few cheap chuckles at the expense of the wardrobe choices of some local broadcasters. I agree that outward appearance can't be ignored, I just am trying to pull myself slowly, incrementally, and painfully out of the skewed tarpit I've been stewing in for 50 years.

As a healthcare lawyer working at an international firm, I think a large range of options can project authority for women, although my preference is wearing a dark blazer and heels with a neutral sheath dress (e.g., black, grey, or navy), if not a suit, to important events or meetings. I like feeling feminine yet subdued, polished, and serious for those types of events, to keep the focus on the content.

Sex appeal and getting viewers. I don't think it's more than that. Coiffed hair, bright lips, tight dresses, dyed hair (always blonde if Fox) and cleavage. Young to young-looking middle-aged. Pumps and stilettos.

It's interesting you mention the sheath dresses for the news because I've noticed the same thing. And I guess I'm old fashioned but I don't really want to see bare arms every single day, which seems to be the case for most news stations. For myself I prefer a suit with a blazer for formal situations, interviews, client meetings, etc. While I personally enjoy trouser suits, a skirt suit or a dress with a blazer works for my eye too. I am noticing less and less suits for interviews though. The trend these past few years when I interview candidates has been more casual dress. Maybe a cardigan and a skirt, or just a sheath dress, or a blouse and trousers, instead of an actual suit or even an outfit with a blazer. I personally think it's too casual for interviews, but I anticipate this trend continuing as people seem to dress more and more casual for all areas of life.

My daughter works in a corporate environment (Toronto) and they have just switched from business casual (jackets, no jeans, etc.) to a more relaxed "dress for your day". Basically, if it's just an in your office kind of day they are wearing dressed up jeans. If it's a big meeting sort of day...meeting with franchisee owners, etc., it's business casual.

She was a bit annoyed because of the time and money spent on building a business wardrobe. However, she says it's cut back her dry cleaning and made doing laundry easier.

I've noticed that the clothing/hair of NorCal female newscasters is much more conservative than SoCal's. On the stations I watch, most meteorologists are male. The one female usually wears sleeved sheath dresses that fall below her knees. She is slender and they aren't a tight fit. The women usually wear sleeves and not sheath dresses; definitely nothing overtly sexy.

In San Diego, I've noticed the heels and short skirts on the weather casters because it's such a contrast to what I've grown accustomed to up here.

When I started my career as a CPA in the 80s, we wore skirt suits, with blouses. I never ever wore pants. My husband's office has people from an international CPA firm come visit every year. I see the women who are partners in the firm, and they wear black. They wear pants with matching jackets, and some kind of blouse or top underneath. That's the power suit for women.

Re news anchors, in our area, I think they are either told or strongly suggested that they should look sexy. I think this for men. For women viewers, who cares about them. The women dress in very tight dresses. It's very unattractive IMO, so unflattering.

Re meteorologists, did anyone hear about this dress:
http://nypost.com/2015/11/24/e.....his-dress/

That is hilarious, JAileen!

And that's true, Donna. The sleeveless and short sleeves that I see aren't local news. I didn't think about that. And the hair is just not as big. Also, sometimes you get a shot of below the desk in the morning... or see them filming on the street... totalling different story going on there... flats, jeans, etc. The top half is costume!

I remember I was visiting family in SoCal during the 1994 earthquake and we watched a lot of news that morning as we got accustomed to the fact we didn't die ourselves. Anyway, the male politicians were gathered around a microphone bank, trying to give reporters non-answers to questions and it sounded chaotic. All of them were in the requisite male politician suit and tie (except the sheriff, in uniform). Up strolls Sen. Diane Feinstein in a pastel suit (can't remember if it was a skirt or pants), takes the microphone and immediately starts saying in a calm voice all these reassuring things about federal disaster aid, blah blah. The lady took charge and the clothes fit the moment.

We have had a woman as superintendent of "our" national park until very recently. I live in a very conservative county in Utah with lots of local political opposition to federal control of land. She worked hard to develop a good relationship with our county commissioners, and every time she spoke to their sessions, she came in full uniform from polished shoes to campaign hat, everything but the sidearm. There was no questioning her authority.

La P, thanks for the laugh

This article is on makeup on Fox but I found the insights relevant.

" Mundy suggests that “the best explanation for Fox glam may be the channel’s largely conservative audience.”

... the Fox News audience skews old. (Ed. note: do old conservatives like pretty women more than old liberals?)

... the audience skews female. (Ed. note: do women like looking at pretty women more than men?)

... “conservative women are typically less squeamish than progressive ones about... using your looks to get ahead.”

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1824659

ETA: I see Jaileen talked about it upthread.

That seems about right to me, elpgal. I do think it's funny that hippies don't like face paint and conservatives do these days. What happened to make up marking you as 'an actress'?

I must annoy a lot of you with my sleeveless dresses and pencil skirts huh? I remember shopping for my medical school interview suit with my MIL. She had an MBA and worked as an executive for a large corporation. We purchased a navy skirt and blazer. They functioned like a suit, but in design they were not conservative, and might have been more modern classic. I would never wear something like that now unless I had to go to a courtroom with a judge that required it (we have some like that in our community). For my residency interviews I wore a mismatched but coordinated skirt and top. For my job interviews, I have been in jeans.

At work, I wear what makes me happy, and that means sleeveless sheath dresses, and pencil skirts. They just work for me better than almost any other type of clothing. I haven't thought once about whether the men I work with are distracted by my arms, etc. I personally think there is no reason for a woman to avoid showing off her arms. I don't think arms need to be toned to wear and enjoy a sleeveless dress. Why should I have to worry about being objectified? Isn't that an issue too? I don't want to go to the opposite extreme of avoiding certain types of clothes because they carry negative political complications with the message they send. I project authority regardless of what I am wearing. I have an authoritative personality and presence.

I'm kind of with Staysfit on this one. I work in a professional services environment and it has been fine to wear a sleeveless sheaths (and other dresses) at least since I started in 1999. The antipathy I see towards bare arms and armpits sometimes in this thread and more commonly on places like Corporette, just doesn't ring true to my experience in Australia.

I also agree with Staysfit's thoughts on arms!

Staysfit, I have no doubt that you project authority. You don't need the armour of a power suit. Others are not as lucky.

I agree with you about arms. I have them and wear sleeveless clothes in summer. Not in winter, though, because I get cold.

I have one more point to make. The anchorwomen on television are just that. Women on television! That was so rare when I was a kid, and now it's commonplace. Women make up 50% or more of medical school classes, they are in engineering, law, etc. I think we no longer have to dress like men to play the traditional roles of men. I would like to think it's possible to chose to dress how we want, and if that means making a feminine choice and wearing dresses, than bravo. If that means a power suit, than also bravo! In my world, Power and authority is about confidence, posture and personality first and what you chose to wear is secondary.

If we're talking power, I think we have to look to female politicians since they are in a mostly male field. They wear solid colored suits, but often brighter colors like red (or white!) for the camera. I think Kamala Harris, our newly elected junior senator in California, may have a gray pin-striped suit.

Sheath dresses can look very va-va-va-voom on very curvy body types who have a greater challenge to look more powerful than sexy.

Staysfit, I agree with everything you just said! But I also wonder how it is that almost every anchor woman on certain networks is able to wear a sleeveless sheath dress with grace and authority while, in the non-TV world, such a garment works in that way for only a segment of the female population. For many women, wearing a sleeveless sheath dress is more the stuff of nightmares than of grace and authority.

Men, on the other hand, wear suits which can be tailored to look good both on network news shows AND on the majority of males in the population. Finding a comparable "uniform" for women might give more women the chance to dispel the notion that only a slim, toned, long-haired female is fit to be seen every night on network newscasts.

That's my issue. The "uniform" limits the number of women who can hold that job to those who have a certain body type.

I have been finding this topic extremely interesting.
I have mixed feelings about the sleeveless sheath dress as a 'power suit'.
Personally I don't find my sense of authority diminished by a sleeveless sheath dress although I have a very curvy bottom half and average looking arms. In fact I found out that a women dressed in a more feminine way and knowing that she has as much right to exert authority as any man is much more intimidating for the other gender.
However, this has a lot to do with my background/education/stubbornness.
I do not find it fair that women have to 'showcase' themselves to be taken serious. As someone has said men can have any body type and age and hide comfortably under a well tailored suit, women on the other hand ( and no matter how well tailored a sheath dress might be) have nowhere to hide and have to be worried about how their body looks on top of everything else.

This is such an interesting topic! I just recently moved from a very conservative office to a slightly less conservative one. After many years at the old office, I just go conservative because it's habit. After a few comments, my co-workers got used to it.

I'll be honest with you, I also like the effect of the authority that dressing conservatively conveys. My office is associated with legal and social services and we have a fair number of clients visiting at the office who like to push boundaries, break rules, raise their voices, and in some cases become verbally abusive in attempts to get their way. When I am dressed more formally than they are, I receive markedly more respect.

And on this thread goes! It is such a great one. I'm interested in celia's and puppycat's comments. Age has got a lot to do with my sense of authority feeling greater and feeling more confident in meetings where I have to hold my own and represent others in my field. It may well be right that authority can be shown by skewing more conservative in one's dress. Despite my love for boho I don't dress very boho for meetings.

Staysfit, I love you in your sheath dresses. Like Anne, I live in Australia and it gets hot, so sheath dresses work so well in our climate. I work in a formal office environment and happily wear sheath dresses, often with a jacket, but that is because our air con is cold.

Such an interesting thread! Sorry I missed it. So many comments in it are from people I don’t see in the forum now. Is that because of turn-over or did this topic bring them out?

I’ve used up my YLF time for now, so will come back to this later, but first a quick story of my one experience with power suiting:

I wasn’t required to take classes after my diss research, but I did sit in on a couple interesting seminars. While I’d been gone, the dept had admitted many more women than previously. One evening, two of them were discussing (during seminar break) their interview, conference, and maybe teaching attire. It made me nervous, because I had never thought about that before, so I told them I knew nothing about power suits. “Oh yes you do” one of them said. No, really, I didn’t. They pointed to what I was wearing and insisted it was the ultimate power play, because I was clearly insisting to be engaged with intellectually. I was wearing cutoff shorts with some paint on them from when I did my living room a couple years earlier and probably a T-shirt. Most of the men in the room were dressed similarly; although probably didn’t have paint on their pants/shorts.

I’ve thought of that conversation over the years whenever the topic of “power suits” comes up. Now, as I plan to reenter the workforce, I am carefully considering my wardrobe and self-presentation for the first time ever. As she pointed out, I am not doing this because I have such power, but because I am afraid I will be seen as lacking, because of my age.