I came across another interesting article in the NY Times that struck me as odd. The title of this article is “How Women Use Fashion to Assert Their Power”, and my first reaction was that this was a joke. Fashion is something I feel very strongly towards, and I simply believe that this should be a way for a person to express themselves in a world where we are easily able to hide under a rock and watch the rest of the world pass us by. Although it does play a big role in our everyday lives today, I don’t think that women should have to use fashion to assert their power through what they wear, but rather through their qualifications and abilities just like any man. I know that the feminist movement has kicked in and women are now considered equal to men, however this article proves that we are still stuck in the past, and instead taking steps back towards where women used to be in terms of careers and stature.

“Clothes have the power to define a person and a position, and though they are often seen as handicapping women in positions of authority, acting as a distraction from their achievements and substance, they can also be a strategic communication tool. One that is, ironically, more accessible to women than to men, who are stuck in a never-ending generic suit loop, forced to rely on the distinguishing characteristics of hair and tie color” (Friedman).

This quotation taken straight from the article itself honestly shocked me. I agree with the phrase “dress to impress”, however I do not think that this should have anything to do with how someone is regarded for his or her substance or achievements. Proper presentation is a good idea, however when I kept reading I became aware of women dressing like men in order to be taken as seriously as men are in their fields. Women are still battling anti-feminist actions and situations everyday, especially in the work force, however I think that this article and its connections to the way a woman dresses with her assertion of power is absurd. This is the opposite of what we should be doing and paying attention to if we ever want to fully move into equality of both men and women. Clothing should be a form of expression and not a considerable factor for whether or not a woman is qualified for a role or position.

Read the article here: