Women V/S Work Attire: Is it really worth the effort?

An Article by Smarnika Nicole

People have been subject to stereotypical norms and ideals when it comes to ‘Work Attire’. Women especially, find themselves subject to poster-girl ideals such as the breast-fit, hip-tight, short-skirt, high-heel looks and more. But why do we subconsciously acknowledge this supposed blueprint? Why should women seek to be 200x more presentable? Is it really worth all the effort? Not everyone has 15 pairs of shoes to change 3 times a day for the sake of looking good (unless your job is modelling, of course).

Upon personal observation, 3 out of 5 women tend to remove heavy jewellery 4.5 hours after entering the office and/or starting their work. This is not only limited to bodily adornments but more frequently witnessed with footwear, specifically high-heels (yes, the same item that is considered to make you look more “professional” at the office). If you’re going to remove it then why wear it? Do women like suffering this way? Or are we confusing “work attire” with “fashion”?

Let’s break down the two terms. Fashion is ‘ the popular or latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour.’ Work Attire is ‘the clothing you wear in professional settings’. There’s a great difference between the two and some women really know how to blend them by being professional yet fashionable at the same time, without going through the excruciating pain.

After conducting a survey and interviewing a few women working in the creative industry, the majority of them surprisingly opted for comfortable attire over fashionable attire. When directly asked if any piece of clothing bothers them to the extent of removing it, their answers differed but were similar along the lines of “depending on the task or work”.

More than what you wear, at the core of all things, is being presentable & comfortable. A few pros & cons of this would be:

1. Makes you more approachable - humans are insanely judgemental whether we like it or not. When you come across someone wearing thick chains and spikes at the office, you’ll know better to stay away or avoid that particular individual (unless that’s your style). But if you see someone wearing warm neutral colours, you’d think they must be outgoing, friendly and can even remind you of your cool aunt! However, this can sometimes draw unwanted attention from others and distract you especially when you have crucial deadlines to meet.

2. Improves work functionality - if you’re looking at maximising your work efficiency, choosing comfortable clothing and accessories play a key role in how much you can get done in a day. Wearing a combination of fitted-to-loose tops and bottoms according to your schedule for the week and alternating between outfit pieces will ensure feelings of safety and security. This allows you to focus more deeply on the work. Beware of being too-casual or comfortable though, it would leave a lousy or lazy impression on your colleagues and other officials.

3. Enhances confidence - A huge part of being able to work depends on our self-esteem and work confidence. If you’re comfortable and presentable in what you’re wearing, you will be more confident in accomplishing tasks and assignments for the day apart from dealing with clientele and business partners in a positive and assured manner. Though sometimes, we can get too confident to the point where we become ‘cocky’ and ‘arrogant.’ This of course negatively affects our dealings and in turn can harm the productivity of the whole department (or organisation to a greater extent).

In conclusion, it is WORTH the effort to have a balanced, well-round work wardrobe keeping in mind the key factors but NOT worth it when your health and holistic wellbeing are jeopardised, including your ability to work. At the end of the day, presentability and comfort along with basic hygiene and a “clean” appearance is all that matters. You’re going for work so that should be the No. 1 priority. Unless of course you’re a part of the fashion industry which in that case…Oh! That’s a whole subject for another time.

Hope you enjoyed this article! Read you later ~

Smarnika Nicole

Media Direction Lead & Editorial Writer

Sources:

https://today.yougov.com/topics/society/articles-reports/2012/07/10/morning-routine-30-spend-over-week-getting-ready-e