Wearing skirts to work

I read an interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald (link) that I thought I would share :

This week a UK study conducted by the University of Hertfordshire found that women who wear skirts in the workplace are more likely to make a good impression and get a promotion. Professor Karen Pine, who co-led the research, said that the results contradicted previous studies that suggested women should dress more like men to succeed in business.
Scientists showed 300 people pictures of women dressed in navy blue skirt suits and pant suits. The clothing was identical in every way except for the bottoms. Within three seconds, the majority perceived that the women wearing skirts were more confident, successful and powerful than their trouser clad sisters. The results concluded that the option women have to wear such attire creates a competitive advantage within the workplace.
Now, if this is the case, I will have no end of promotions as I wear skirts all the time!!  I think business women look so much nicer in skirts (and not just the formal business suit), however if they are very wearing very short mini skirts . . . well, that is quite a different matter.  That is just simply trashy. However I don't think wearing a skirt has anything to do with "power" or "confidences", it has more to do with looking feminine and like a woman rather than looking a like a man. Why dress like a man, I don't want to be a man . . . at all (I like being girly)!

Did you know that Yves Saint Laurent invented the trouser suit in the 1960s by reworking the men’s tuxedo and from this we now have the business suit for women. Anyway, regardless of any research, I will continue to wear skirts to work as I like to look like a lady . . . whether it results in promotion or not.

Out of interest - do you get comments from people about wearing skirts?  I have worn skirts for ages and rarely ever get comments.
~oOo~


Comments

  1. I only get a comment once in a blue moon about wearing skirts. I don't like the look of the pant suit, it's quite ugly!!!! I wore skirts when I was nursing and I never got a promotion, either!! I do think that women who wear skirts probably get a little more respect though, but I have no research to prove it!! ;)

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  2. Yay for skirts! :) I don't get many comments anymore - but when I first started wearing them I did (3 years ago now). I do get compliments on the skirts themselves sometimes. Like Clara said though, I do get more respect - doors opened for me, which is nice. :)

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  3. I don't get comments ~ but then I never wear skirts either:D!

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  4. My hubby gives me the most compliments on my skirts.
    Once when I was going to a retreat with some church ladies a discussion arose in the car about what they should wear.
    They were unsure if their jeans and track-pants were the best choice lol!
    I usually wear skirts to church so I just wore my normal things.
    One very trendy woman -announced from the back seat "Oh I knew Trish would be in a skirt!"
    The thing is ..they all regretted not wearing one too.
    I found it sad that deep down they had wanted to but had hesitated :-(
    I wonder if perhaps a skirt-suit seems more authoritarian because the media often uses it to portray 'prim and proper' women in the workplace.
    Very interesting!
    blessings..Trish

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  5. My hubby likes me to look like a woman, and it has been my habit for all my life anyway - skirts are so much more comfy!

    It is funny when people ask you where you got a skirt and you have to say "eBay" or "in a second hand store in North America"! I found so many great skirts over there!

    God made me a woman - and I am super glad about that - so I don't want to mimic a man! =)

    love,

    Bets

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  6. Bets - I buy a lot of my skirts from eBay and I doubt anyone would ever guess (I'm wearing one today!). I have just recently found a second hand store nearby that sell designer clothes and they have a really good range of pretty skirts - so I am going to visit and see what I can find. The prices are very reasonable. I've also bought skirts from American too - far better range than here.

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  7. I do wear pants on occasion, but I find that I prefer skirts most of the time. When I worked full time, I think I had more skirt suits than pant suits. I like to feel feminine, plus I'm from the southern USA, and in this part of the country, looking like a lady definitely goes with the culture.

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  8. Amy - I started off only wearing skirts in summer, but decided last year to wear them in winter as well - now that I wear skirts almost all year round I feel strange if I wear trousers. For some reason I don't feel quite as ladylike as I do in a skirt or dress. And I am sure if I wore trousers to work someone would comment as I never wear them at work!!

    I was interested in your commennt about living in the southern USA - I like the idea of being a lady!!

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  9. I wear skirts or dresses almost exclusively. I started doing this maybe 4 years ago and have not looked back. The few times I do wear pants now, I feel uncomfortable and like my bottom is on display, which I don't like.
    I get lots of comments, mostly from my children's friends. Mostly they demand "Why are you always dressed up?!" or "Are you going somewhere?" (they're all teenagers, can you tell?) When I'm at church, it's usually little ones who seem to notice. Mostly little girls will come over and touch my skirt and shyly say "I like the colors!" or "Ooooh, pretty!" I always wonder what children must think about how adults dress...they only come up to our bottoms so think of what they must see!
    When I met my husband, I was almost exclusively jeans and tee shirt kind of girl, but in the 21 years of our relationship, I have changed to be more feminine. I think having children softened me.
    The only other place I seem to get comments is the grocery store! Mostly older gentlemen will compliment me on my appearance, and not in a nasty way. I hear lots of "Well don't you look lovely my dear!" and the such, from men the age of my grandfather (mid 80s.) I don't find it any more difficult to throw on a dress, or a skirt with a cute top, then it does to squeeze myself into low rider jeans or a track suit.
    Awesome post!

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  10. I wear dresses everyday - to work and on weekends. At work, one of the executives commented that I was making everyone else feel like bums because I wore dresses on casual Fridays! Outside of work, I receive a lot of compliments on my dresses and my hair, particularly at the farmers market and grocery store. And most importantly, my husband tells me I'm beautiful everyday :)

    Loved the post!

    Mary Ellen
    The Working Home Keeper

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  11. Hi Jo- I am definitely a skirt person--- I do volunteer work for the court system in our area. I represent abused and neglected children in the courts. I always dress professionally when I have a case in court- for me tgat means a knee length skirt. I definitely feel that I get more respect and am more likely to get what I want from the court ( for the children) when I wear a Skirt.

    This is an interesting post- food for thought--
    Vicki

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