The return of the feminine business attire uniform

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The dress Pelosi wears in a multitude of colors is fine for a woman her age, but I think would be too revealing for anyone younger. I don't need my work attire to show my curves in that way, even if they're flattering. My attractiveness should be out of the picture altogether in the workplace. That's why I believe in a 10 or 12 outfits wardrobe of pantsuits, skirtsuits, or matching jacket+dress suit. I'll take off my jacket for the quarterly happy hour, or we we have to move around tables for an event, but otherwise, I just make slight adaptations to men's dress code.
I do this out of feminism.

I feel like this is such a weird take. Pelosi’s outfit isn’t a problem because since she’s old, it’s inherently not sexy, but if she were young, it would be too sexy for work. Either an outfit isn’t work appropriate or it is. How easy it is to sexualize the person in it shouldn’t be a factor.

Here is AOC in a dress that is nearly identical to Pelosi's. Despite being fifty years younger than Pelosi, this dress doesn't appear revealing at all and that's mostly because there isn't really anything for it to hug. It looks different on Pelosi (in part because it's better tailored) because she has curves and presumably did when she was thirty as well. It's still the exact same dress cut. This is the same attitude we see in schools that apply the dress code disproportionally towards developed teens. We need to stop seeing clothes this way because it makes it impossible for women with some semblance of a body to find chic clothes that aren't considered by some to be NSFW.

This. I would like to wear clothes that don't make me look like a tablecloth but when I do, people (other women almost always) consider it too sexualized when it's basically the same thing they wear but with hips and boobs added (something I can't do anything about).

[Anonymous]

I don’t see Pelosi or AOC’s clothing as at all sexual. They are tailored sheath dresses. They look like professional women to me and I’ll admit, this is exactly what I and many women in my office wear.

Are Warren and Clinton supposed to be the standard here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see Pelosi or AOC’s clothing as at all sexual. They are tailored sheath dresses. They look like professional women to me and I’ll admit, this is exactly what I and many women in my office wear.

Are Warren and Clinton supposed to be the standard here?

I think Clinton in the early 2000s (less so now) and Warren today are the best examples of the uniform that intends to simplify fashion into a non-factor for female leaders. Pelosi is an interesting topic because she also wears the same cut daily but it isn't really a simplification because of all the thought that goes into her appearance as well as high fashion sensibility of her wardrobe so I don't think it serves the purpose of making clothes a non-factor.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sorry I have boobs, hips, or a butt. Sorrynotsorry.

[Anonymous]

If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

I'm not sure what workplace you're a part of, but here in Washington the standard is definitely to be as boring and non-sexual as possible. Women who dress with personality are a rarity. You're not special because you think you're too good to pay attention to clothes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

Normally I would say "you do you," but you come across as exceptionally condescending and judgmental.

[Anonymous]

I work with kids, and it’s been cool to see Elizabeth Warren wear a more polished version of my longtime uniform. I usually wear black jeans (often NYDJ ), a nice sweater or top (Eileen Fisher, Talbots, Ralph Lauren), usually dark or bright colors, and a nice jacket or blazer (Brooks Bothers, Talbots, Lafayette, vintage Dana Buchman). Pretty much any top will go with any jacket. Black short boots or loafers. My jewelry ranges from classic to startling. Jacket on for meetings, comfortable pants for sitting scrunched in pre-school sized chairs. I’ve done variations of this throughout my professional life.

[Anonymous]

The only thing about these that make them sexy are that the woman have boobs and hips. Because women have boobs and hips. Some, more than others.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sheath+dresses+for+work&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjrt9KokqXqAhXCIN8KHTUyC68Q2-cCegQIABAA&oq=sheath+dresses+for+work&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAA6BAgAEB46BggAEAUQHjoECAAQGFDxgAFYgIcBYN-IAWgAcAB4AIABTogBvASSAQE5mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=6OH4XuujGcLB_Aa15Kz4Cg&bih=821&biw=1440

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

I'm not sure what workplace you're a part of, but here in Washington the standard is definitely to be as boring and non-sexual as possible. Women who dress with personality are a rarity. You're not special because you think you're too good to pay attention to clothes.

I'm "here in Washington" too. I dress with personality, just not an overtly sexual one. But yes, I am special! For all the worky work things I do and valuable innovative things I say that men get to he-peat away or mansplain back to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see Pelosi or AOC’s clothing as at all sexual. They are tailored sheath dresses. They look like professional women to me and I’ll admit, this is exactly what I and many women in my office wear.

Are Warren and Clinton supposed to be the standard here?

If Warren and Clinton are they standard then I will forever be the outlier. I am a fat black woman so I am not dressing for the male gaze because men are not looking at me. I dress like Pelosi because I like it. I prefer a feminine look over a utilitarian one. I am not a mule. I love — and have always loved — dresses. Perhaps if I were built like Kamala I might hew to pantsuits but I am 5ft tall so doubt the effect would be the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

I'm not sure what workplace you're a part of, but here in Washington the standard is definitely to be as boring and non-sexual as possible. Women who dress with personality are a rarity. You're not special because you think you're too good to pay attention to clothes.

I'm "here in Washington" too. I dress with personality, just not an overtly sexual one. But yes, I am special! For all the worky work things I do and valuable innovative things I say that men get to he-peat away or mansplain back to me!

I have a feeling you would be more comfortable with all of us women with curves wearing these. https://www.etsy.com/listing/507732556/black-full-niqab-traditional-niqabblack?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_halloween_Accessories&utm_custom1=0b81c45b-79ae-4d43-add3-fd6c9e678c32&utm_content=go_1707961854_69268682609_331635230346_pla-294930372950_c__507732556&utm_custom2=1707961854&gclid=CjwKCAjw_-D3BRBIEiwAjVMy7GwfD5g8EyQDhyBvSVUt225hcC3kTwmMca3ImgeY55KeA6mBOY_pPRoCvboQAvD_BwE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see Pelosi or AOC’s clothing as at all sexual. They are tailored sheath dresses. They look like professional women to me and I’ll admit, this is exactly what I and many women in my office wear.

Are Warren and Clinton supposed to be the standard here?

I think Clinton in the early 2000s (less so now) and Warren today are the best examples of the uniform that intends to simplify fashion into a non-factor for female leaders. Pelosi is an interesting topic because she also wears the same cut daily but it isn't really a simplification because of all the thought that goes into her appearance as well as high fashion sensibility of her wardrobe so I don't think it serves the purpose of making clothes a non-factor.

PP. Great points. The challenge is that I read Warren and Clinton as women who don’t like clothes very much in the first place. They don’t see clothes as an expression of personality, but as functional items to cover their bodies. I could never be happy like that - I like my work clothes to convey competence, authority, and femininity. The Black Halo Jackie O (fitted appropriately) is the perfect embodiment of this to me. (Im a lawyer and it was a staple of female lawyers at my old firm.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

Normally I would say "you do you," but you come across as exceptionally condescending and judgmental.

That's funny, because I though the poster who told me "here in Washington" and "you're not special" was giving us peak condescending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If AOC's dress is your standard for the idea of a sheath dress, sure. The sheath dresses I see are always more sexy.

I don't think it's fair to equate the dress codes for teens at school and women in the workplace. My choice to not "take advantage of my looks" in the workplace is a choice, and it's a rebellious one against the pressure felt that women in the workplace need to be eye candy.

I'm not sure what workplace you're a part of, but here in Washington the standard is definitely to be as boring and non-sexual as possible. Women who dress with personality are a rarity. You're not special because you think you're too good to pay attention to clothes.

I'm "here in Washington" too. I dress with personality, just not an overtly sexual one. But yes, I am special! For all the worky work things I do and valuable innovative things I say that men get to he-peat away or mansplain back to me!

So clearly your jacket over the sheath dress isn't working either.