Week 4: The Winter Woman

Baby, it’s cold outside.

On Tuesday morning, the frigid wind whipping through my open window was a rude wake-up call. Gone were the days of jean shorts and tank tops; this was sweater weather.

This rapid change in the weather added a new element to my foray into the fashion world. I could no longer simply focus on looking put together, but rather I needed to make sure I could stay warm on my long treks to class. My ensembles could not just be flirty and fun, they needed to be functional too.

Unfortunately, I had to learn this lesson the hard way.

I opted for a flowy pink sweater and tight black leggings.  However, as I opened the door to my dorm and stepped out into the elements, the crisp, cold air tore through my outfit. Within seconds, I was shivering. My sweater was more stylish than warm, and the cutouts along the sides of my leggings left me exposed to the cold morning breeze.

In my battle to look the feminine ideal, I had met with an unexpected enemy: the early whispers of winter.

As has happened quite frequently throughout my experiences for this blog, I was met with a question this blustery October morning while freezing on my way to class. How is a professional woman supposed to dress to impress in the cold weather? Does she change her attire, or simply bare the elements?

A woman is typically expected to don an outfit along the lines of a modest dress and tights, but at what point, or temperature, can this uniform be changed? But in changing her clothes, does a woman lose her professional reputation?

This seems to be the burning question for many women, according to the Boston Globe’s article “A steady flurry of fashion statements.”

Barbara Moran, a senior science writer at Boston University Research News, said, “Do I need to carry clothes and shoes to work every day for the next three months? Or do I just accept that I will look like a slob for the next three months?”

When asked about her winter work attire, Lauren Beckham Falcone, an on-air personality for the Loren and Wally Show, said, “I’m wondering how little I can get away with before I am ‘spoken to.’”

Ellie Foster, a student and employee at the Berklee College of Music, summed up the feelings of all women debating their winter clothing when she said simply, “I want to be taken seriously.”

Foster highlights one of the biggest hurtles women face in the workplace. Many women already struggle to feel equal to their male counterparts, and having to wear clothes that do not match the caliber of their positions may make women feel even less valued. If they appear to others to be a “slob” or like they need to be “spoken to,” how will they garner the respect of their peers?

What’s a girl to do in the winter? Wear her puffy L.L. Bean coat and snow boats, only to be perceived as unprofessional? Or nearly freeze to death in her subtle pea coat and sky-high stilettos?

It’s not just the cold outside a woman has to dress for, but the frigid judgement of the workplace as well.

Week 3: The Tired Truth

“Ladies tell ‘em ‘I woke up like this’ we flawless.” -Beyoncé

If only this were true every day.

When I woke up this morning, I was anything but flawless. A disheveled mess, I slept through my alarm three times, only rolling out of bed with mere minutes to spare before my 8 a.m. math class. While I had been planning on attempting a unique hairstyle this morning to compliment my new fashion and make-up choices, the lack of time dictated that dressing up was out of the question. On went the yoga pants, dirty sneakers, and mundane t-shirt. Forget the cute hairstyle; I donned quite possibly the messiest ponytail in existence. But as the saying goes, when one door closes another door opens, and I was not going to lose this opportunity to gain some new insight for my blog.

As I trudged to all my classes that day, my outward appearance mirrored my internal feelings of sheer and utter exhaustion. I typically try to maintain a collected façade, but today I simply could not do it. As my composure continued to deteriorate throughout the day, my groggy mind began to develop some questions. I am only a freshman in college, with a workload much less significant than that of a woman in the workforce. If I can barely keep it together after a few nights of minimal sleep, how can a female professional be expected to look like poised perfection on a daily basis?

According to Radhika Snaghani’s article “It’s sexist to tell a woman she looks ‘tired at work-and here’s why,” “Chances are if a woman has a totally bare face, she’ll be told by both her male and female colleagues that she looks exhausted, hungover, or ill…People are so used to seeing made-up women at work that an au natural face seems anything but natural.”

Snaghani continued, writing that women feel “there’s an unspoken pressure to ‘look good’ – something they think men don’t experience. While the most that can be expected of a man is to be clean-shaven and wearing a tie, women often feel they have to pluck their brows, wear high heels, and perfect the ‘natural’ make-up look.”

Why is looking tired a crime? And how can women be expected to live up to these standards on a daily basis? I could barely hold myself together while I was in my classes for 4 hours… I cannot even image how fatigued women can be expected to stay serene and confident during an eight-hour work day.

This experience today changed my perspective. Just as I was becoming more comfortable in my coordinated, pristine outfits and made-up complexion, this day reminded me that every once and while we all need a break. A woman is expected to be composed at all times, and if her physical appearance is lacking in any area it is assumed she is unprepared or unprofessional. But why can’t we all just listen to Beyoncé? She reminds us that we all wake up flawless, and I am starting to think she is on to something.