Skirting the Line

Dress for success, not scorn. In the office, wardrobe mistakes can be disastrous.

By Louise Dobson, published on July 01, 2006 - last reviewed on November 03, 2008

What to wear? Female office workers may not suffer the confines of ties and wingtips, but they too have a narrow strait to cope with: that intangible line between looking too manly and seeming too cute. Unfair though these perceptions may be, their impact is all too real.

A Higher Standard

We are less judgmental of women who wear provocative clothing if they're doing low-status jobs, finds Peter Glick of Lawrence University. However, when people are shown a photo of a woman in sexy clothes and told she is a business manager, they say she seems less intelligent and less competent than suit-wearing execs.

Painted Lady

Women who wear excessive makeup are seen as trying too hard, says Sherry Maysonave, a career coach and author of Casual Power. But studies show people of both sexes rate women who forgo makeup as less committed to their jobs.

You Look Fabulous!

Few workers are likely to set a badly dressed colleague straight. In fact, competitive female coworkers often relish a rival's wardrobe faux pas, says Debra Benton, author of How to Think Like a CEO.

Flirt Alert

Even brainy women aren't above a little titillation. A survey of female M.B.A.'s found half had worn revealing clothing, sent risque emails or told male coworkers they look "hot" to garner favor. But such strategies tend to backfire: Studies show nonflirtatious workers earn 25 percent more and receive an average of three promotions while their brazen counterparts only earned two.

Short Hair Stereotype

Both sexes perceive women with long, straight, blond hair as being sexy and those with short, highlighted hairstyles as smart and confident, but not sexy, finds Marianne LaFrance, a Yale psychologist. "More hair equals more femininity, but also less intelligence," she says. Likewise, high-maintenance hair makes others suspicious about a woman's competence.

One of the Guys

When male executives are asked what holds top women back in the workplace, appearing too masculine is always in the top five, says Benton. Most men think women should be business-like, but should not try to join the boys' club.