Projecting Authority: The Great Jacket Debate

“The right to bare arms—Michelle Obama does it, but so what? It just seems wrong to wear sleeveless to the office or to take off one’s jacket if a sleeveless top is underneath.”

What a smart observation from one of our professional women readers! (She also suggested a lot of other fun topics for us to discuss.) Jackets are pretty much the norm for senior management women, but that doesn’t mean that the norm isn’t regularly challenged. The great jacket debate has been going on for decades. Is a jacket always essential? When is it appropriate to take it off? And are there situations (plant visits, casual outings) when a jacket is a liability to your image?

Ms Incognita always likes to weigh in on this debate by first citing a study that was done in the mid-90s when the popularity of casual workplaces was so great that more formally attired workplaces were the subject of ridicule.

In the study, a mixed population of men and women were shown a man and a woman — both wearing jackets – and asked to guess which one was the boss. Approximately 50% of the women and 50% of the men said the woman was the boss. In other words, when both were wearing jackets and nothing else was known about them, the woman was equal to the man in perceived authority.

The study participants were then shown a picture of another man and woman. This time, both were dressed in appropriate business casual clothing. The participants were asked the same question: Which person do you think is the boss? Almost all participants replied that the man was the boss. In other words, without a visible symbol, the unknown woman was perceived as lacking authority. A disturbing conclusion, but an important reminder that for both men and women power is conveyed not just by titles or business actions but also an array of other impressions.

At the time this study first came out, Ms Incognita was in her first senior executive role in a company with an otherwise all male management team and a casual workplace environment. She was often good-naturedly teased by her female colleagues for consistently wearing jackets. Just like our reader observes, however, it just didn’t feel right to ditch the jacket. Ms Incognita had set her sights on even larger roles, and that meant ensuring she was always perceived as leadership material. Sure, a jacket is only a symbol and doesn’t say anything about your actual abilities. But with the many challenges we face as women executives to be taken seriously, why not simply create the right overall impression so you can then move on to the more challenging and substantive stuff? Who wants to be wasting valuable time having to assert repeatedly, “Yes, I actually am your peer (or boss).”

Is this study still valid today? Ms Incognita can only offer some anecdotal evidence based on her current experience in working with senior leadership teams. The women who are seen as on the fast track consistently wear jackets. The women who are performing well but spend most of their time in the workplace dressed casually are subject to subtle questions. You know the kind—“She’s doing great, but does she really have what it takes to play a larger role? I’m not so sure yet.” Attire is seldom mentioned, but the coincidence is striking.

Now are there some exceptions to this rule? Yes, but Ms Incognita suspects they are fewer than you might expect. Here are some situations where women executives are sometimes urged to go jacket-less.

1. A normal day at a normal workplace. Because quite a few men remove their jackets for comfort at the office, some women believe they should be able to as well, so long as they don’t have an important meeting. I suppose if you feel absolutely confident that your authority is already clear, then removing your jacket is OK. However, my personal experience is that you never know when your CEO, a board member, or a key client may be onsite and run into you. I’ve had too many surprise visits to take that risk. If you do want to make a practice of taking off your jacket, be sure to wear a long or ¾ sleeved top underneath. Sleeveless or even short-sleeved is too casual and will impact the credibility of your image.
2. A normal day at a casual workplace. The argument here is that if a woman’s image will be negatively affected by wearing a jacket. You especially hear this in the tech companies. I think the mistake here is to equate teasing with negative impact. Yes, you will definitely be teased, but I’ve never seen a negative impact so long as you yourself respond with humor. Instead, no matter what the company itself says, the same rule seems to apply—women who are dressed more authoritatively tend to be viewed as more authoritative. The trick in a casual workplace is to wear more informal jackets. See below for some suggestions as how to handle this.
3. A casual offsite meeting or a fun company outing. Unless an offsite meeting is taking place in a wilderness setting, I think the casual jacket suggestions below are the appropriate way to go. A company picnic or other fun outing is another story. There you have more freedom to appear casual. However, you don’t want to go too far down that road. A light cardigan or a polo shirt conveys a relaxed approachability but still looks business appropriate.
4. A plant or remote location visit.  The best approach here is to do a little research in advance and decide what impression you want to create.  If it’s important to seem approachable and to connect, follow the dress code of the location.  If it’s important to signal authority, then consider some of the casual jacket options below.
5. A fashion or design workplace. This is about the only setting where Ms Incognita thinks women executives can get away without wearing a jacket or jacket substitute regularly. In these workplaces, it’s just as important to convey your design credibility in your attire as it is to convey your authority. However, even if a jacket isn’t necessary, the general principle behind a jacket probably still applies. In other words, when you want to project authority in your image, dress more formally or conservatively.

For those times when you want to look more casual but still need to look authoritative, consider some of the following options:

• Rolling up your jacket sleeves. This can actually look pretty chic.
• Wearing a knit jacket. This can be much more comfortable than a structured jacket, and it’s easier to push up the sleeves to look even more casual.
• Wearing a cardigan. Just make sure it’s not too lightweight or shapeless. Good bets include those in heavier knits, a more structured shape (such as double-breasted), or with embellishments such as formal buttons.
• Wearing a leather, suede, or even denim jacket. For those workplaces where it helps to be casual but also stylish, these jackets work well. They now come in a variety of styles, colors, and sleeve lengths, and many of these options can add to the overall casual effect.

And finally, I haven’t forgotten how our intrepid reader kicked off this conversation. What about Michelle Obama? She looks great in those sleeveless sheaths (a design which, by the way, I think is a fantastic option in the executive woman’s wardrobe) and is often photographed without a jacket. Nothing wrong with that from my point of view, but let’s think why we might be reacting positively to that.  I suspect it’s because she is looking to balance the natural leadership and authority of her role with something else entirely—stylish accessibility and warmth. There’s a lot of evidence that that is what the general public wants from First Ladies. In contrast, consider the reaction to Hillary Clinton in her first term as First Lady.  It was pretty clear that she wanted to make a statement about her authority and leadership, something that didn’t go over well with the general public And what did she wear while doing this? Jackets! The moral of the story? Jackets and women authority figures are inextricably linked.

Regardless of my personal opinion, however, I’m sure the great jacket debate will continue to wage on, however! I’d love to hear your opinions–anyone have a different point of view?