Posted on 03/10/2008 8:04:15 AM PDT by flowerplough
Trappings: Stories of Women, Power and Clothing is a study of women and their clothing choices. It's the result of asking nearly 600 women in 15 states one simple question: "What do you wear that makes you feel powerful?"
The pair started working on the project in 2001, when they decided to take a serious look at the state of feminism. But how to talk about a "hot-button topic" like feminism, Ludwig says, without devolving into black and white generalities? "Clothing," she says, "is an entry into a power-charged conversation." After all, everyone has to get dressed in the morning, Ludwig says. For the book, interview sessions were modeled after classic Tupperware parties. "It's not a secret confession," Tiffany says.
Ludwig and Piechocki say that a surprising number of women were immediately revealing, even though in 90 percent of the interview sessions, they were talking to people they'd never met. One memorable response was a "yes dress," a slinky number that got a businesswoman the answers she wanted. But Ludwig and Piechocki also heard from women that their power item was a lab coat, a head wrap or a tattoo.
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
We had an upwardly-mobile factory girl who used the company's diversity/sensitivity money-pit as a stepping stone to an office job. She became a "facilitator" for a while and bared her soul monthly in the plant manager's large, semi-private, off-site, three-day seminars. Actually mentioned enjoying the personal distinction that the large, colorful, "tramp stamp" tatoo on her lower back and higher buttocks gave her. The stamp did seem to act as a counterweight to the stretch marks that often peeked out from under the front of her designer tee shirts, so maybe that was part of why.
Is the Lewinsky method for promotion still in vogue?
A woman dresses for success by focusing on how to look POWERFUL or perhaps AUTHORITATIVE or even SEXY.
I guess I'm just biased, but I think "professional and polished" is a superior way forward.
CAR-15?
NO!
But power suit dressing is real. Watch the politicians and newsmen. Dark suits usually. Used to be dark suit, white shirt, red tie.
How about my large metal button that says “Of course I own a gun! Don’t you?” LOL!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The power suit versus the miniskirt and BJ? Hmmmm
Power dressing? Well, there WERE a few I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.
Margaret Thatcher
Actually a woman is never more powerful than with nothing on. {:-)
I thought this was going to be an article about Old Crusty.
I love it when my wife has to go to an important meeting with vendors and would be customers.
She let’s me lay out her attire. [winky-winky}
l o l
>> “What do you wear that makes you feel powerful?”
I can’t speak for wimmin folk.
But when I pick that ol’ tee shirt up off the floor and pull it on for the third or fourth day straight, Mrs. Tick swears it makes me “powerful”.
She says that when she gets close to me it about makes her swoon!
(...well, she says “pass out”, not “swoon”. But same difference.)
LOL, that would do it for me!
“Why yes, I DO feel qualified for the job. Any more questions?”
Oh, so she doesn’t howl like Kim Cattrall did in the boys locker room in “Porky’s”?
Chest hair.
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