ABC News has an article about a report that assesses how the way a woman is dressed affected other people’s perceptions of her in high status jobs. The study basically found that if a woman is dressed provocatively, she is generally perceived more negatively (less intelligent, etc.) -- if she is manager, supervisor, or executive. But if she’s dressed provocatively but works as a receptionist, people are more likely to have a neutral or even positive perception of her:

Glick said the reasons for the negative response to the sexy female managers in his study were probably tied to traditional office mores and gender roles. Because high-powered jobs have traditionally been held by men, managerial positions became associated with masculine personalities. The challenge to that stereotype is likely what caused a negative emotional reaction, Glick said.

And, of course, there is the age-old “bimbo” or “dumb-blond” stereotype that often plagues attractive women. Though obviously not politically correct, Glick said women with aspirations of career advancement might be wise to recognize that these emotions exist.

“If you’re really trying to demonstrate your abilities, looking sexy might not be the best way of going about it,” he said. At least one image consultant took that sentiment a step further. “The first thing I tell clients is that [dressing too provocatively is] the kiss of death,” said Sandy Dumont, president of the Image Architect, a consulting firm. “If you have to flaunt it, it tells people that you’re not qualified and you have to use something else to get ahead.”

In other words, if women want to be as successful in the corporate world as men, they have to act as much like men as possible, including dressing very conservatively. But if they’re just a receptionist, then it’s fine to dress provocatively, since they’re already perceived as less competent.

How ridiculous is that? Obviously a woman should dress appropriately for a particular social environment, so that she doesn’t show up in a board meeting dressed like she’s going out to a nightclub. But it’s rather patriarchal to think that women in high status positions have to confirm to these narrow ideas of what is considered “normal” or “professional” and that they are likely to be judged more on how they look than their actual performance.