I attended a workshop last month on Worker’s Compensation. Yes, I learned some things — but what I remember most was the attire of the female presenters. It immediately took me back to an article from Women of HR’s Krista Francis about frumpy women in the workplace.

• One of the women was definitely a frump. Dryer-ironed khaki pants, red cotton top and some kind of loafer accented by a plastic watch and a simple pearl-studded earring. Yet she was clearly the most knowledgeable of the presenters. I took over a page of notes from her tips and I made sure to get her contact information before leaving so I could glean more from her.
• One of the women wore a classic pinstripe suit with cute pumps and accessories. Yet she was clearly uncomfortable in her clothes. She kept shifting in her shoes when she was presenting, then kicked them off under the table as soon as she was done. And she tugged at both the jacket and the skirt, like she hadn’t worn that suit in awhile. Her awkwardness trickled into her presentation and I wondered how much more successful she could have been if she’d just worn something different.
• One of the women … well, her outfit centered around her hot body, specifically her lovely lady lumps. The buttons on her shirt were straining to stay closed so she wore some kind of tank underneath which only made her boobs sit up more and her cup run over. It was distracting. In fact, I don’t remember much of anything she said because I was too busy worrying that a button was going to pop off, take someone’s eye out and create a worker’s comp claim in the Worker’s Comp workshop.

Sitting there, I felt like some kind of HR Fashion-Goldilocks — and my porridge was frumpy, dumpy and lady lumpy!

Women in the workplace, especially HR, have to be mindful of the message we convey with the clothes we wear. What I loved about Krista’s article is her acknowledgement of clothing as an extension of your professional personality. That’s why this post gives honey to her.

No matter who you are, the goal is to be stylish in a way that makes you appear confident and competent and makes feel others comfortable being around you. If that isn’t the message your wardrobe is sending, you may want to make some changes.