Women should wear high heals and lipstick to be successful

Female employees at the Bank of England have been advised to "Always wear a heel and some sort of make-up, even if it’s just lipstick." And don't forget that clients like tight skirts and cleavage too...

Personal branding coach Mary Spillane, a partner in the London office of executive search firm Whitehead Mann says, "People move on in their careers because of communication, influencing skills, being able to create the impact that conveys leadership and authority, and that comes from a range of things including grooming. It diminishes the age issue: by the time you are in your late 30s and 40s your skin has discoloration and you get dark circles; make-up takes that away." Of course if you're discolored, you're no longer able to understand balance sheets, customers and logistics.

International make-up artist Bobbi Brown says, "In any situation make-up can be a great way for women to look and feel like themselves, only prettier and more confident." Perhaps some recruiters I know - men and women - should consider wearing make-up during this economic period; it sounds as if it would make up for skill deficiencies.

"People want to look feminine but not vampish," says a female co-director of one PR firm. "As a woman, you are often in the minority in a meeting, and you want to be remembered for the point you made, or for changing the course of a debate, not for the colour of your lipstick," she says. I'm at a loss for making any pithy comments after reading this quote.

Seriously RBC folks, there's science behind the above quotes. A 2006 study found that when men and women were asked to assess photographs of four women with and without make-up, women who were presented wearing make-up were perceived to be more confident, and thought to have a greater earning potential and more prestigious jobs than those without make-up.

The road is still very long and bumpy...

Read the article here

Comment by Chris Englin on February 9, 2009 at 7:09pm: Of course we know who made Obama's suit - Hart Schaffner Marx! The kevlar suit he wore to the inauguration however is not available to the general public, yet. Men fall under some of the same scrutiny with regard to appearance. A lot of hiring managers like athletic, tall, clean-cut men who look youthful. In some cases, with men I know well who have had difficulty finding a job in the tech sector, I have advised updating their glasses (Costco) and replacing the dockers and Rockports with something less old-man looking for their interviews. Guess what?? In every situation it worked within a month. It's not fair but unfortunately is a fact of life.

Comment by Michelle on February 10, 2009 at 11:58am: Yes, these attitudes apply to men as well. A few years ago, the CEO of Target was required by the board of directors to hire an image consultant and update his look. Bob had been well-known for preferring khakis and plaid shirts as his regular work attire. Apparently the board felt that this projected the wrong image when meeting with important people, like the premier of China. He had to lose weight, buy designer suits and much cooler glasses. I was told he drew the line at dying his hair though.

Comment by Josh Arnold on February 11, 2009 at 11:07am: The British get away with a lot more then would be tolerated in the United States. I worked with a British firm who were starting a division in Massachusetts and they were outrageous in their expectations, and understanding of the US staffing process on so many levels. Initially they wanted to know the age of the people we were sending them and if English was thier native language. Their idea of paying reimbursement for travel to the interview was, that if a person drove they had to produce the receipts of the gas they purchased for the trip rather then the miles times the IRS Rate. They would reimburse someone to fly into boston but not pay for the hotel. Initially they balked at paying for travel to interviews too.

As for the audacity of the company insisting on a makeover for partner, why they were not subject to a lawsuit seems like a mystery.
As for attire and make up I am wondering to what extent that is the culture of a company, but it seems far out of the mainstream for this day and age. For quite a while it seemed like women were discouraged from wearing makeup and their dress had to be very conservative. If women wore nailpolish it needed to be close to the original nail color and women were coached to be more neutral then expressing a sense of style of feminity. Moreover those who wore makeup or painted nails were seen as more on the secretarial administrative assistant track then on a professional track. Women were discouraged from wearing sweaters, vests, or anything that would draw attention to a woman's bustline. So I find this an interesting yet amazing thread of conversation. Women who have posted please explain more, I feel like this is a time wharp or something,
best regards
josh arnold