Skirt, high heels, jacket, earrings, shining hair and immaculate make up. Everything seems perfectly in order and applied well. Time to take off to that business meeting I have with one of my clients today. I’m dressed up flawlessly for the occasion. I like dressing up.
But then maybe I don’t.
Although I enjoy dressing up for a fancy dinner, I’m not so good with dressing up for a business meeting. I know I have to look representative and classy, not too sexy, although still feminine enough. This usually results in something pretty but way too difficult to wear. Consequently, I don’t really feel comfortable in my outfit. I’m pretty sure that I’d say a lot more intelligent things during a meeting when I’d just be dressed in my jeans and t-shirt.
These days I work from home and I don’t need to dress up for anybody. Occasionally I even sit behind my laptop in my dressing gown or jogging suit. This luxury of being your own boss and company makes the days I actually do have to dress up even harder and weirder.
But, hey, that’s how the business world works.
However, I simply can’t believe I belong to a minority with these feelings about dress codes and business suits. I know Maia always feels a bit uncomfortable wearing stiff clothing and therefore puts a real effort in creating an outfit that is both professional and pleasant to wear. Matt has a tougher time. Although he’s a manager at his company, he always comes to work in jeans, a t-shirt or shirt and sneakers. Somewhat once a month, when he has to meet with clients, he happily grabs his suit out of the closet. But if he had to wear his suit every day? I’m pretty sure he’d resign and look for a different job. And there must be many more of us.
So if so many of us dislike dressing up for business, then why do we still?
Of course there are many good reasons to do so. A work floor dress code is like a uniform, especially for men. Just like school uniforms, a suit disguises certain differences in class and wealth. It makes you an equal to the others in the meeting or conversation. Furthermore, it makes sure your clothing doesn’t distract your client, boss or business partner. Or offend. But it’s not all about others. It’s also about yourself. Dressing up for work makes it easier to switch mentally between a private and a professional situation. Plus spare time really feels like spare time because you are not in you work clothes. Also, looking pretty and cool in a business suit: it sure does give a sense of power.
Nevertheless, despite all these reasons, the fact that I think I’d be a more creative and intelligent person to talk with when I was in my comfy clothes doesn’t change. It’s the burden of being a professional I guess…
A few hours later I take my seat at the business meeting with two of my male clients. I wonder what it would be like sitting here in jogging pants and a hoodie. Would it really make such a difference? Are these men, my clients, so superficial that they are incapable of seeing beyond the looks?
“Cecile, what a surprise you’re here today,” Male Client 1 begins, “As our meeting was scheduled tomorrow…”
Oh my God… This can’t be happening… How utterly unprofessional of me… I’d been so preoccupied with so many things in the past period, I must have simply been mistaken… What should I do, what should I do?
Then I do what only comes natural. I lean over a bit, giving away a tad more of my cleavage than appropriate, bat my eyes and display the sweetest and cheeriest smile possible.
“I’m so sorry, this has never happened to me before…,” I say, pouting slightly.
“Oh, well, never mind,” Male Client 2 replies calmly, “Now that you are here anyway, we’d better get down to business…”
And that’s when I remember: this is what dressing up for business is good for.
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