Fashion or Facade?

After a recent visit to a women in business and tech conference I was struck by the appearance of the female speakers giving the keynotes throughout the day.

There seems to be a sub-set of women out there at the moment all dressing in classic Chanel two pieces, with extensions down to their waist and faces thick with an entire Charlotte Tilbury counter. I couldn’t help but look around and even the audience looked the same. I was in a room of copy-paste Miranda Presley’s all dressed exactly the same. No individuality. So many questions…

Am I the odd one out?

Am I missing something?

Is this what success looks like?

Maybe this is actually a cult?

Now, I’ve always been a trousers over skirts, flats before heels kind of girl. Playing in the mud, climbing trees and generally being ‘one of the boys’. Im not going to lie, my work attire has followed the same trend. A tailored suit rather than dresses, gold brogues before nude stilettos all day everyday. So I couldn’t help but wonder to myself if I was just simply the odd one out or had I strength of character to not feel the need to meet a certain standard? Have we as women in corporate life accepted we have to portray a certain image in order to be taken serioulsy or be deemed successful?

And it’s not just us. For those of you who work in the City of London, you’ll know a city boy when you see one. Black or navy suit, smart shoes, exactly the same haircut as his colleagues and all wearing a gilet or rain jacker under their blazer. Memorable stuff but not for the right reasons.

Society in general has always found a unique way to subliminally show us images of success – nice cars, big houses, diamonds, holidays, designer bags, tailored suits…you get the idea. Remember the 80’s when women power dressing was the new sign of success? Power dressing signalled more women working in high powered jobs, stepping up, out of the home and into the boardroom. Ladies all over the corporate world were showing up in oversized suits with surplus to requirements, larger than life shoulder pads. Although we can’t get down on the fashion all together. The era that showed us Dynasty and Grace Jones rocking out and taking control perhaps set the trend for women displaying their business accruement and peacocking their success for us all through fashion.

Alas, maybe it’s time to give it up. Maybe outward notions of success are done. Maybe, just maybe ladies…we can feel confident enough on our ABILITIES that we don’t need to don a power suit anymore to have others take us serioulsy at work. And don’t we want that anyway? Aren’t we sick of being judged by men, and especially other women, based on what we look like? I flick through my social media and there is absolutely a trend encouraging us to focus on the unsung examples of what success actually means – balance, spending time outdoors, being more mindful, good mental health, setting boundaries. None of these, I’d argue, come from a Chanel suit and hair extensions. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do not dispute that having your brows done, a bit of lippy and a fresh blow dry makes you feel a million dollars. But where is the individuality? Are we afraid to stand out in case we don’t fit in? And shouldn’t showing off our individuality make us more unique, attractive to employers, one of a kind?

So let’s try it. Ditch the convention of corporate fashion. Add some of your personality into your appearance. What do you have that someone doesn’t? How can we better convey who we are as individuals in the corporate world rather than joining the cult of Chanel? So next time you’re getting ready for work ask yourself, am I dressing in my own chosen fashion or is this all a facade?