I'm DONE! (partly) (well, a little)

Okay, the semester isn't over, I haven't taken any exams yet, and I still have to finish writing a seminar paper as well as finish my casenote. But my internship is FINISHED!!!!

Mind you, it was a very good experience, the people were really nice, and overall I liked it; I certainly learned a lot. (Not to be confused with alot.) But I worked two (full) days a week at it, and it is lovely to have that time freed up in my schedule. For the one week of the semester that remains before finals. Sigh. 

On a totally different note, after talking about suits in my last post, three of you lovely people alerted me to a couple of recent posts around the web about women lawyers and clothes (one post at Jezebel (mostly description) and one post at Feministe (very much commentary); there's also the original post they're responding to over at Above the Law).  It seems that the Chicago Bar Association held a meeting last week that included a session about what lawyers should and shouldn't wear. And I know you will all be shocked, SHOCKED to hear that there were a lot more "don'ts" for women than for men.

I don't remotely have the energy to go into the details of the advice that the Chicago Bar panelists gave out, and really, if you think of the most traditionally stereotyped advice for "professional" or "business" dress, you're probably pretty close to what they said. 

Now, I don't have a problem, in theory, with providing guidance about what's appropriate work wear and what's inappropriate. Especially for people who grew up in families where people weren't working professional jobs, such advice can be useful. There's a lot class privilege and gatekeeping involved in judging people on their clothing, in expecting people just to know what business-wear looks like. And NLLDH and I have noted before how some young women in college would wear ever-so-slightly inappropriately sexy clothes to, say, awards ceremonies or paper presentations. It's understandable, since students know they have to dress up for such occasions, and for many 19-21 year-old women, "dress up" clothes are what you wear to go out. There were times we really wanted to say something to these young women.

But. BUT. I DO have a problem, a HUGE problem, with telling women that they shouldn't wear clothes that are too revealing or sexy to work because they'll be working with married men and shouldn't distract them. (Yes, someone on the panel said that.) Pardon my language, but FUCK that noise. It is NOT my obligation to cater to men's apparently over-sensitive libidos. Men's sexual desire is their own, and not something that can be blamed on the women around them -- MEN own that, and MEN control it. That is NOT on me, no matter what I do (or don't) wear. 

When we've wanted to advise young women on clothes, it has NOT been because they would "distract" the men they work with. It's been because we knew, and know, that dressing "sexy" makes a young woman look younger and unprofessional, like she doesn't fit in to a professional setting, and we wanted these wonderful, smart, compassionate, enthusiastic women to succeed, and not to do anything that might help the unenlightened dismiss them in any way.

And I ALSO have a huge problem with saying that if a woman job candidate has a big engagement ring, she shouldn't wear it, because the women interviewing her will get jealous and angry. WHAT?? What? I don't even have the words to begin to say how completely wrong this is. 

So, yeah. I was going to say that this is depressing reminder of how much more conservative law is than academia, but then I remembered all the times I've read advice saying that women professors shouldn't dress too "sexy" in class because they shouldn't distract their students. Maybe not as different as I thought...

Comments

[smidgewidgen (formerly shrinkykitten)]

What particularly struck me is that the assertion that women have to cover up because men cannot control themselves is exactly the reason given for women having to cover up (or segregated) in some middle eastern countries.

[Krazy Kitty]

And then they tell you feminists hate men, but really, when someone tells you you can't show your ankles because men are immediately going to want to have sex with you... it's that person who thinks that a man is nothing more than a walking penis.

[Historiann]

Ugh. I don't know that the law is more conservative than academia when it comes to women's dress. I might say that it's equally conservative but less tolerant of eccentricities. (And at some point, tenure protects faculty from retribution, whereas litigators have to continue to appear before judges no matter how long they've been in practice.) I would say we're freer to be really poorly dressed, if not more sexxay than you law-talking ladies.

With respect to dress: here's where it's good to be your age (early 40ish?) and not 25 any more. You have a better sense of a professional wardrobe, and you'll be a thoughtful and tactful mentor of your younger female colleagues who may need a nudge in the right direction.

Congratulations on finishing up your internship, and good luck with your exams and final papers!

[Terminal Degree]

I used to work with the guy who wrote this sexist crap:
http://snipurl.com/contolthegirls

The page is gone now, but it lives on in the internet archives, so that's the link I've created. Make sure to read the section on wearing a bra to give a presentation.

[Z]

On dress, the advice you are getting is the same as what I got for academia and not following it has done me harm. If one is going to not follow it, one should go for the sex kitten look full on, as I have figured out.

What I really think is this: look at the people you seriously think are dressing well, and emulate them.

[joy]

Z, I think your advice to emulate the people you think dress well is spot on. I would also say, emulate the people who have the job you want.