The Clothes That Say You're Serious

You know, sometimes you just gotta wonder why some people seem to have so much time on their hands. That was the thought that came to mind when I read a scathing report about Ziyi Zhang, the beautiful Chinese actress from "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," who was being roundly criticized for wearing the same dress to a premier at the Venice Film Festival this week as some other actress wore to another premier two months ago.

Obviously, Miss Zhang has more pressing items on her agenda than leafing through catalogs of celebrity photos to make sure she doesn't duplicate an outfit.

Yes, this is one of my pet peeves, because it turns fashion into a consumable like food or news paper. Buy, consume, discard. That's what the media tell us to do, which is why so many women have closets full of trendy clothes they only wear once or twice. It's an expensive, wasteful way to go about it. There are much smarter ways to build a wardrobe, even if every outfit you wear is catalogued by an army of reporters.

So what's the secret? Make it your own. Few women can afford to have clothes custom-made for every event, which means that if they have to buy ready-made, there's a good chance that someone else will have the same clothes. If that's the case, it's up to the wearer to make it her own with unique accessories, interesting embellishments, or pairing it with an unexpected piece. Can't get an original? Present it in an original way. You'll be hailed for your cleverness.

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Not long ago I happened to catch a network news interview in which two women were debating the economy. One of the women was dressed similarly to the interviewer in an attractive business suit with current hair and makeup; the other was dressed in a bright pink t-shirt and floral overalls with a 1980's hairstyle and no makeup.

Yep, "the suit" got the spotlight - and Ms. Overalls wasn't happy about it. Actually, it was rather fascinating to watch. Since both the reporter and the camera kept most of their attention on the woman in the suit, the woman in the floral overalls ended up shouting and making caustic remarks in order to draw attention to herself. In both dress and manner she reminded me of a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum, and I just rolled my eyes and shook my head as the segment drew to a close. My husband looked at me, brow furrowed, and said, "Were we supposed to take her seriously?"

The reporter had introduced her as "an expert" in her field at the start of the piece, but she didn't look like an expert, particularly one well-versed in economic matters. The reporter and news director must have thought the same thing, which is why the other woman ended up with most of the airtime. Ms. Overalls not only made herself look foolish with her attire, she made the news program look foolish for having her on. Not good.

The thing is, this sort of incident isn't so unusual. You see these kinds of dressing faux pas all the time, though usually not in front of so large an audience. From boardrooms to classrooms, association meetings to PTA meetings, you get people showing up in inappropriate attire all the time who nonetheless expect to be treated as if they know it all. But if they don't even know how to dress appropriately . . . just how much can they REALLY know?

It's the million-dollar question that has stalled or stopped many a career in its tracks.

Or, as Carolyn Kepcher, the former right-hand gal on Donald Trump's "Apprentice" series once remarked when asked why she wore such ultra-conservative clothing on the show when the female apprentice wanna-bes opted for sexier pieces, "Somebody in the boardroom had to wear business attire."

Unfortunately, it's true. "The Power Suit" is so named because it evokes a sense of power and makes those who wear it feel powerful. No, it's not appropriate for every work place or every situation, but there's no denying the respect a classically-styled, well-fitting suit commands.

Well, think of some qualities that describe a good leader. Your list might include:

Some of the clothes that spring to mind with these descriptions include:

Suit

Jacket

Oxford Shirt

Polo Shirt

Vest

Straight-legged trousers

Pencil Skirt

Strong lines = strong will
Chadwicks.com

The strong, decisive lines of structured clothing echo those qualities we seek in a leader - which is precisely why those who regularly command large groups of people (countries, big companies) often wear structured clothes.

So it would reason that if you're seeking a leadership position, like shift foreman or top sales person at work, or liturgical reader or PTA president in your community, for example, you'll reach your goals more quickly wearing clothes or clothing elements (collars, firm fabrics, dark colors) that echo your objectives. Strong clothes echo your strong abilities and allow you to be taken more seriously.

So what kinds of clothes will DERAIL your leadership aspirations? Juvenile styles or elements that say you're more innocent than experienced, like:

Pinafores

Jumpers

Overalls

Smocking

Large Bows

Large Flowers

Cartoon Characters

These are great for little girls or when dealing with innocents, but not so good when competing for a leadership position.

Cute, not commanding
Chadwicks.com

If you want to lead or be perceived as a leader, whether you're trying to sway public opinion on national television or teach a group of three-year-olds how to clap to a beat, you need to dress like a leader. Match your attire to the formality of the situation, of course, but also incorporate clothing elements that match the strong, firm, perception of the person in charge.

Yes, it takes a little thought initially, but once you see how effective it can be, you'll find it's well worth the effort. At the very least, as the gal in the overalls learned in that interview I saw, it will keep you from being ignored.

Or, as a mentor of mine once said, "If you want to be recognized as the Queen Bee, don't dress like you're one of the workers."

Need some other tips on how to dress appropriately for different types of businesses? Download a copy of BUSINESS WEAR MAGIC:

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Need some guidelines on levels of formality and what to wear when? Grab a copy of OCCASION MAGIC for some help:

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