I have to admit, I like to cause a bit of a stir, but the corporate world is not always the best place for being different. Perhaps I was hoping it would be a little intimidating to men. The reactions I got in response to my tie were both positive and negative.
I am a very "feminine" dresser, look in my wardrobe and you will see it is full of bows, dresses and ribbons, with not a pair of pants in sight. I think women can wear a tie without looking like a man. I like to wear a tie with a very feminine outfit, such as under a sleeveless dress with a shirt, or under a vest or v-neck jumper with a shirt and skirt.
On this particular Friday I was wearing a tie with a long sleeve striped shirt, a black sleeveless tunic dress and heels. Here are the points of view I learnt from the experience:
The more conservative a person, the less likely they are to enjoy your tie.
Remember that whole struggle where women weren't allowed to wear pants? You might insult some men and women who still follow some of these traditional ideals. It's probably best not to wear a tie to a job interview, just in case, but in all other cases, women's equality should mean fashion equality. (I don't mind if the guys want to start wearing dresses, skirts, heels and stockings... that is there problem).
The tie can seem a little feminist.
Now I don't consider myself a feminist at all, I'm a modern woman, but after going to an all girls school for 13 years I never want to analyse anything from the feminist perspective ever again! Some might feel the tie is your attempt to assert your "girl power"
The tie comes in and out of mainstream fashion.
Masculine clothes for women come in and out of vogue like high waisted pants. Some people might not wear it out of fear it will look stupid on them, but that's what being a fashionista is about, taking risks in the name of fashion. Hopefully, risks that don't jeopardize your corporate career.
The tie can make you look butch.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but you don't want to be conveying the wrong impression to those conservative people mentioned above.
Maybe I've been scarred from wearing a tie to school (I have attached a photo of the uniform for reference), but what do you think?
I really like wearing ties, and do it quite often (compared to most women, that is). I like tulip ties the best, but a feminine "regular" tie works just fine. I don't like to look masculine while doing it, so I always wear fitted blouses, and either skirts/jumpers or skinny jeans to round out the ensemble, and never flat shoes.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on your post and loved it. I enjoy wearing ties at work quite often (at least once a week). No colleagues ever dared commenting on it though. ;) I believe how well ties are received depends a lot on your field of work. I work in an engineering firm, and I am often the only women around. I wear ties in a more masculine style, with pinstripe pants suit for example. I am blond. Ever tried wearing a tie with a skirt while you're a blond in your 20s? It just makes you look like a dirty secretary... not the look I want!
ReplyDeleteps: I wore a tie to an interview, 4 times. Got a job offer every time! ;)
i like wearing ties to work and have received positive responses fro others when i do.
ReplyDeleteI liked this article you made some good points but please revise the grammar. Their problem, not there problem.
ReplyDeleteOh, the irony.
DeleteI think ties look at least as good on women as they do on men, if not better. A shirt, properly tied tie and skirt as business wear looks smart, professional and extremely stylish. And, trust me, we men very much approve!
ReplyDelete