Biz Chicks Rule | Who Says It's a Man's World?

A dress…or pants?

by Bridget Wright on October 17th, 2007

Which do you wear for those “important” events?

I recently competed in a speaking contest with my local speaking club, Toastmaster’s International. This contest was a vie for the World’s Greatest Speaker, as per Toastmaster’s standards, and is highly competitive in the world of professional speaking. People who compete in the contest prepare for months, some even years, to win that coveted, lusted title as the greatest speaker in the world.

I had been preparing on the club level for weeks. I had sized up my competition, tweaked my speech and confidently decided that I had this contest “in the bag.”  I had stage presence, eye contact and even humor woven into my speech to make this my chance to take this contest to a regional level. Only, I wasn’t dressed right.

As wonderful as my speech was, as powerful as I delivered it and as eloquent and articulate as I was…I lost. I came in second place to a gentlemen who was nice, but whose speech I thought was not nearly as chiseled as mine. I congratulated him, smiled and even had my photo made with him as the “runner up”. Needless to say, I am SO the sore loser. I pouted for weeks.

Weeks later, at another Toastmaster’s function, I was speaking with a fellow speaker friend of mine. I belayed to him my woes on how I had lost, how unfair the world was and how that contest should have been MINE. My friend listened carefully, nodding and graciously smiling/listening. He waited until I was finished as asked me very ‘matter-of-factly’, “what did you wear for the contest?” I thought, what does that have to do with anything? Well, being the fashionista (ha ha) that I am, I told him I wore a very smart dark olive green pantsuit with a white blouse and patent leather black pumps. I looked very corporate and business-like in my attire. Or, so I thought.

My friend replied that if I had worn a dress, perhaps I would have won.

Jim’s opinion was that females are responded to differently when they are in pants as opposed to a dress. He, being a hiring manager himself, said that all successful business-women use their femininity in business settings to work for them. He said, “Bridget, if you want to have an edge and win contests, wear a dress.”  WEAR A DRESS! At first, I was appalled at the very idea that a dress over pants make that much of a difference in the business world as far as perceived intellignece and perceptions, but it did get me thinking. Would I have in fact won that contest had I worn a dress that day?

He suggested that if my material was as good as I said and I had worn a dress, the contest would have been mine. He challenged me to try it the next time I compete for a speaking title. While I have entertained the idea, I’d like to think we’re judged on our content more than our outer appearance. And well, there is another contest coming up that I was thinking of competing in.

What you think? Does what we wear make that much of a difference?

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POSTED IN: Business Dress, Contest, Professional Development