(I wrote this a while ago. But since then, I have met a lot of people for a lot of assignments and find myself deliberately dressing to fit a possible, potential image. And I recently had to go through the same process and found myself wishing I was in the flip-flops and baggy clothes that are such a no-no. So it seemed moot to use this here and now...)
How to look good and impress people has always been a bestseller, be it as a book, an advice column or a television show — the latest in that series being two loud-mouthed and aggressive British women who invade people’s lives and wardrobes to give them a makeover that doesn’t always make everyone made-over happy. But the fact that shows like this work is indicative of more than just a voyeuristic tendency in audiences. It displays a consciousness of the truism that how you look matters. And the workplace is where it all comes home to roost.
A job today is not just a way of taking home the bacon, or the paneer tikka. It is about being ahead of the pack, of succeeding via increments and promotions and doing better than the person you sit next to. It speaks of efficiency, initiative and all those wonderful attributes that are so highly rated by corporate HR departments’ sales pitch to prospective employees. And what they don’t tell you is, it is also about looking good, well-shaped, well-dressed, and well presented.
While an hourglass figure for a woman may be favoured by a male boss with a chauvinistic bias and a lecherously appreciative eye, a generally ‘fit’ shape is the preferred norm, since the first impression makes more impact than an in-depth analysis that unearths talent and experience. But whether this is based on the underlying reality that obesity-related health and stress management issues can hamper performance or an instinctive discrimination against those who are not ‘beautiful people’ is not clear. Health professionals in India see weight gain as a problem that is increasing, especially in urban areas, ironically as a result of doing well at work, and sedentary lifestyles.
But fatness is not all in this context. The way a professional is dressed makes all the difference. A list compiled from a monster.com poll listed tank tops, visible innerwear and flip-flops as the fashion faux pas to end all from a professional point of view. Employers want to know how seriously a prospective employee takes herself, and where she rates herself apropos maturity, self-image, responsibility and reliability.
In a creative field there is no yardstick that one can measure up to. I, for instance went to my first job interview dressed in a — hold your breath — housecoat and spike heels. It was not a deliberate style choice, but the fact that I was on my way from a photo-shoot to my home when I was dragged willy-nilly into an interview and had to sit there answering questions, trying to look intelligent and egg-headed with pancake on my face and eyelashes that threatened to unpeel themselves from my heavily shadowed eyelids. I got the job, but for years my then-boss would look warily at me whenever we spoke. I would not do the same today, insisting on the time I needed to transform into a more work-worthy avatar.
So how does one dress for work in a non-creative environment? Obviously, a miniskirt and camisole are non grata. So are wild prints, four-inch stilettos, sequinned saris, sparkly hairbands and op-deco earrings. Men, too, have their framework to fit into — nude women on ties, knuckle-duster rings and sleeveless T-shirts being no-nos. Experts advise restraint, dignity, chic rather than outré. Let the quirks of personality, attitude and wardrobe dawn on a would-be boss gradually, it is suggested, once performance has been proved. Usually that works. Never mind the calorie count.
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