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Dressing for success – female style

1. Answer the following questions:

 

a) What are the factors that influence the clothing habits of women?

b) Are dresses or suits more appropriate for businesswomen?

c) What colours should a businesswoman wear?

d) What is the function of the handbag, women’s favourite accessory?

e) What kind of perfume, jewellery, make-up and hairstyle suits a

businesswoman best?

 

2. Read the text and compare your answers with the information given in the text:

 

UNDERLYING SYMBOLISM. Given all the historical, psychological, cultural, and social factors that impinge on the personal dress habits of women, there is as yet, no clear-cut solution to the problem ambitious women must face in investing a suitable costume for their business role. The most important consideration for women is the underlying symbolism of clothing. In business you are not dressing to express your personal taste; you are dressing in a costume which should be designed to have an impact. If your clothes don’t convey the message that you are competent, able, ambitious, self-confident, reliable, and authoritative, nothing you say or do will overcome the negative signals emanating from your apparel.

 

The most important considerations for women………………………………………..…

BE AWARE OF THE UNIFORM CONCEPT. An amazing number of women dress wholly at variance with the “uniform” of their male associates. Your first prerequisite is to study the attire of men in your department or company. For instance, if the important men wear dark, conservative suits with white shirts and rep ties, you do not ‘fit in’ if you are partial to busy prints, exuberant colours, extravagant hats, mod fashions, or lacy, frilly blouses. You may be a genius at that business but probably you will never make it far up that hierarchical ladder. On the other hand, if you work for a go-go company where hard-driving male executives have adopted high-style Italian jeans, expensive leather boots and suede jackets as a trend-setting uniform, you are an eyesore if you appear in inconspicuous navy knits with sedate pumps and a string of pearls.

 

The first prerequisite for a business woman is…………………………………………...

 

 

DRESSES VERSUS SUITS. There is a feeling of defencelessness or nakedness about dresses when all the men in the room wear jackets. When you think in terms of symbolism, it seems quite obvious that a man’s jacket is his ‘mantle of authority’. The first thing a man does when preparing for a business meeting or visiting his boss is to don his suit jacket. Many women executives unconsciously adopt this idea. Some wear dress costumes with a matching or contrasting jacket; others wear sleeveless tunics which seem to serve the same purpose. At any rate, a separate jacket or shoulder mantle of some nature (like a shirt over a T-shirt or turtleneck sweater) gives a feeling of strength and control to women’s appearance.

A woman who hopes to manage affairs and exert authority must avoid any kind of dresses which portray her as weak or indecisive. The ‘little girl’ look is anathema – pinafores, ruffles, cute prints, clinging fabric and feminine frills will contradict any effort to be viewed as forceful.



 

A shoulder mantle of some nature serves the purpose of……………………………….

The type of clothing businesswomen should not wear…………………………………..

SKIRT SUITS VERSUS PANTS SUITS. There doesn’t seem to be any difference whether a woman chooses skirts or pants to go with her jacketed costume as long as the skirt is appropriate for her daily activities. Before buying your skirt, walk around in it to make sure you can get into a car, mount the bus steps, climb stairs, or get on the commuter train without looking awkward, ungainly, or inept. A clumsy or mincing gait suggests that such a person may be clumsy or inept in other ways. Test it in a mirror and see if it rides up above your knees when you sit down. If your skirt distracts your own attention and observers’ attention from the business matter under discussion, it is not acceptable as a work uniform.

Once a woman starts wearing pants suits she finds it very difficult to go back to skirts and dresses. They give absolute freedom of motion, allow you to run or bend over without adopting all the female contortions that impede physical movement. But they must fit perfectly; you should feel as comfortable in them as in a second skin.

 

A skirt is acceptable as a work uniform only if…………………………………………..

COLOURS ARE AMBIVALENT. M ost businessmen find that dark blues, greys, pinstripes, and subtle plaids convey the symbol of authority most effectively. However, women executives can probably exert a stronger impression with their distinctive colours or patterns that men cannot get away with. No man could wear a red suit, for instance, but a woman dressed in the red colour spectrum has a definite air of confidence and assurance. Any such powerful colours must be counteracted with blending and softening and scarves.

 

Powerful colours……………………………………………………………………………

WEAR SHOES YOU CAN WALK IN. Foot-crippling shoes have long contributed to keeping women in their place. A serious business cannot be delayed just because and executive’s feel hurt. Urban businessmen do a lot of walking around, and women executives must be ready to join them and keep up with them.

BUY CLOTHES WITH POCKETS AND DUMP YOUR BURDENSOME HANDBAG. There’s no denying that women need handbags to transport keys, money, cheque books, glasses, make-up, cigarettes, credit cards, note-books, and assorted sundries between home and office. Nevertheless, there are powerful reasons not to drag encumbrance all over a business office, especially to meetings.

The typical male outfit contains an average of nine pockets, while women’s clothes usually have none or no adequate ones, thereby forcing women to carry a hampering weight in the form of exterior hand baggage.

So get rid of the physical and psychological handicap of a handbag; slip your money, papers, comb and lipstick in your pockets. To be able to do this, insist that all your clothes have functional pockets and not cheap imitation flaps. No- pockets is an inferiority symbol.

 

Do you think a handbag is functional or burdensome? Give reasons………………………………………………………………………………………..

BE CAREFUL ABOUT UNIQUELY FEMALE ACCESSRIES. There’s one cardinal rule: don’t wear anything that jingles, wiggles, clanks or glitters. Executive insignia are silent, understated and unobtrusive-never sexy.

 

JEWELLERY. Dangling earrings, charm bracelets, chain collections or garish, attention-getting items that distract listeners from what you are sayingor orderingwill dilute any woman’s authority image. Men seldom have a wardrobe of decorations; they stick to one or two favourites that look (and are) expensive, and wear them repeatedly. So women should avoid wearing junk and select with care whatever they put on.

 

PERFUME. Save if for after-work hours when in can perform its function of making you a desirable sex object. Whether cheap or expensive, perfume is overpowering and headachy in a small office or a closed conference room.

 

MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLES. Remember that your make-up and hairdo must hold up under all the exigencies of a business day without excessive attention. It goes without saying that all touch-ups, including lipstick, must be done in private. Naturalness, as opposed to painted artificiality, is the aim.

 

 

3. Decide which of the following statements are true or false:

 

TRUE FALSE

 

1) You should be aware of the underlying symbolism O O

of your clothing.

 

2) In business you dress to express personal taste. O O

 

3) It is provocative for female staff to wear trousers at O O

work.

 

4) Women should always wear feminine attire. O O

 

5) Women should avoid garish colours like red. O O

 

6) Always choose high heels to set off shape of your legs. O O

 

7) The bigger your handbag the better. O O

 

8) Have a great variety of jewellery to call attention O O

to yourself.

 

9) Always wear your boss’ favourite perfume. O O

 

10) Your make-up should not show. O O

 

 

4. Whether you agree with the author or not, compare your wardrobe and clothing habits with the one advised by the author as successful for businesswomen.

 

 


Date: 2015-12-18; view: 1226


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