Sexy dressing not good for the workplace

Most people will say that dressing up and looking your glamorous best does wonders for your confidence. But does dressing up in a sexy, revealing way suit both afterhour delights and office dress codes? According to a new study, dressing down in the workplace is the only way to go. Why? Because those who wear sexy outfits for the office are judged to be less intelligent and less competent, a study reveals.

Psychologists in the U.S. reached their conclusions after an experiment in which they showed a group of volunteers a video of an advertising firm manager. Half saw footage in which she was freshfaced and wearing sensible shoes, a plain suit and jumper. The other half were shown the same woman wearing make-up and a tight skirt and low-cut blouse. They were then asked to give their impressions of her.

The conservatively-dressed version was perceived to be more intelligent, better educated and as having gone to a more eminent university, according to the research published in the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly, Plain dressing was also equated with capability and efficiency. However, the same effect was not found when the experiment was repeated, but focused on a woman in a more junior job.

Shown a video of a receptionist, the volunteers formed fewer opinions of her based on her clothes. The researchers, from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, say the study shows that women who emphasise their sexuality in the workplace may find it hard to get on in jobs which are traditionally seen as a male preserve.However, dressing glamorously is more acceptable in positions that are more associated with women.

Lead researcher Professor Peter Glick said: 'The results have important implications for women who aspire to, or who hold, highstatus jobs. Both men and women judged a female manager more harshly when she presented herself in a sexy manner. 'Although popular women's magazines encourage women to emphasise their sex appeal, our results suggest that women in high-status occupations may have to resist this siren call to obtain the respect of their co-workers.' Research released earlier this month showed that just four per cent of all seats in executive boardrooms in the UK are occupied by women.