Friday morning 2 weeks ago I went to get dressed and put on a gray tuxedo top dress. I had my black tights and heels on and, well it was just too dressy for work. None of my cardigans worked and wearing a blazer only exacerbated the problem. So knowing I didn't feel like taking off my tights or jewelry (yes, I'm just that lazy) I went to put on my white button down shirt. Well, I hadn't planned this, so my shirt wasn't ironed. It then dawned on me to just layer a cardigan over the shirt. Grabbed my gray pencil skirt and an outfit was born. But wait, was this too sexy for work? Was I playing into the "sexy secretary/librarian/legal assistant/(insert job description traditionally held by women here)" look? What does it matter?Position: And this is the one that I'm least sure of. I’m a communications coordinator. Coworker Cal - who can do sexy secretary like nobody’s business - is a development officer. We aren’t ACTUAL secretaries, we're mid-level employees. And I think people see our looks as playful and retro-kitschy when we don them. But Vanda is an office administrator and the stubbornly literal people of the world might struggle with her sexy secretary looks more than they would with mine. This look is culturally iconic, and when worn by a woman in a secretarial role, it may be harder to get out from under that ingrained image. I wonder, too, if women in positions of power in office environments may encounter problems. Most of the female execs I've worked for have erred on the side of androgyny, and I can't say as I blame them. It seems like a traditional, conservative or semi-conservative office environment would rebel against a female leader in pencil skirts and seamed hose. But I've never encountered either a secretary or an exec who sports this look, so it's all conjecture on my part. (reprinted with permission)
As I explained in this post from a long time ago, being a woman in the law can be tough. Part of that reason is because of the positions women have traditionally held in the legal profession. Up until the recent past, maybe the past 25-30 years, women in the law were generally paralegals, legal assistants, receptionists or secretaries, ie women that all worked FOR men, not WITH men. But why does this affect me, a 25 year old hispanic/latino woman who will be graduating and working in the 21st century? It's because the legal profession hasn't changed much in the 300 years its been practiced in this country. It is still mostly run by older white men. And these older white men started practicing when there were few if any women working as attorneys. So they're used to women playing a role as support staff rather than as a member of the team.
Given this background, maybe its easier to see why I would avoid a sexy secretary look, but then again not. So I'm going to flesh it out anyway. If I want to be seen as a competent attorney who just happens to be a woman then I have to make sure to dress conservatively and if not conceal then not draw attention to my womanliness. Conversely, if I don't want to be taken seriously as a female attorney, then I should dress sexily or as support staff or any number of other ways that undermine my credibility. In other words, being viewed as a secretary, not to mention a sexy secretary, isn't great for a female attorney. Once relegated to a support staff role, its very difficult to be seen as an attorney (which is REALLY not good for one's career).
So when Sal stresses that she's not "an ACTUAL secretary" but rather a mid-level employee, it means that she is someone who puts on the costume for a day. Depending on where you work, putting on the "Sexy Secretary" costume might be acceptable and work for you. But in my case, ideally I would like to be a leader in an office someday. So rather than risking being pigeon holed into a support staff role, I really have to think about what I'm wearing and what types of vibes it sends to those I'm working with, especially the men. Does it say "Take me seriously, I'm an attorney you're going to love working with for a long time" or does it say "I'm a female employee and as such you can count on me to do support work"? Essentially, I don't think I, or any young female attorney for that matter, can really risk "putting on the costume" because it could very easily turn into being viewed as support staff rather as an attorney.
By the way, this is in no way meant to disparage support staff. As someone currently in that role, I know that the legal profession would come to a dead stop without support. So I appreciate the secretaries, receptionists, paralegals and legal assistants that make the practice of law possible. At the same time, I've worked really hard and gone through a lot of school to be where I am, so being grouped in with support staff would just plain suck. I also know that there are varying experiences and that a lot depends on your type of workplace (large/mid-size/small firm or in-house counsel), region, practice area and personalities, yours and those around you. I'm lucky enough to work at a small firm where there are 8 women and 2 men, 1 of each being attorneys, and where being a woman does not automatically equal support staff. Nonetheless, chances are I won't always be working for this firm. I wish I could say that its unlikely I would ever encounter these attitudes, but I'm not so sure I can.
Do you see any differences in these two pictures in terms of authority, responsibility and professional ability? Am I simplifying this too much? Any thoughts? (Click pics to make them bigger)
The Details:
White Shirt: BR outlet
Skirt: Jones & Co.
Tights: L'Eggs
Heels: Aldo
Necklace: Consignment Store
Cardigan: Target
Blazer: Nine West Suit
So when Sal stresses that she's not "an ACTUAL secretary" but rather a mid-level employee, it means that she is someone who puts on the costume for a day. Depending on where you work, putting on the "Sexy Secretary" costume might be acceptable and work for you. But in my case, ideally I would like to be a leader in an office someday. So rather than risking being pigeon holed into a support staff role, I really have to think about what I'm wearing and what types of vibes it sends to those I'm working with, especially the men. Does it say "Take me seriously, I'm an attorney you're going to love working with for a long time" or does it say "I'm a female employee and as such you can count on me to do support work"? Essentially, I don't think I, or any young female attorney for that matter, can really risk "putting on the costume" because it could very easily turn into being viewed as support staff rather as an attorney.
By the way, this is in no way meant to disparage support staff. As someone currently in that role, I know that the legal profession would come to a dead stop without support. So I appreciate the secretaries, receptionists, paralegals and legal assistants that make the practice of law possible. At the same time, I've worked really hard and gone through a lot of school to be where I am, so being grouped in with support staff would just plain suck. I also know that there are varying experiences and that a lot depends on your type of workplace (large/mid-size/small firm or in-house counsel), region, practice area and personalities, yours and those around you. I'm lucky enough to work at a small firm where there are 8 women and 2 men, 1 of each being attorneys, and where being a woman does not automatically equal support staff. Nonetheless, chances are I won't always be working for this firm. I wish I could say that its unlikely I would ever encounter these attitudes, but I'm not so sure I can.
Do you see any differences in these two pictures in terms of authority, responsibility and professional ability? Am I simplifying this too much? Any thoughts? (Click pics to make them bigger)The Details:
White Shirt: BR outlet
Skirt: Jones & Co.
Tights: L'Eggs
Heels: Aldo
Necklace: Consignment Store
Cardigan: Target
Blazer: Nine West Suit
