Where are our role models? Power Dressing for Gravitas in the Boardroom

Female CEOs run 10.4% of Fortune 500 Companies.

Since there is a meagre representation of females in the role of CEO at Fortune 500 companies, not to mention the underrepresentation of women in boardrooms globally, it can be challenging for a female executive, founder or entrepreneur to consider the best way to present in the boardroom. But do not despair; let’s stay positive; it can only improve, hopefully. Today, we will look at the most up-to-date research behind the benefits of power dressing for female executives in the boardroom.

At Cadenza, we work with clients globally to build their ability in the heavily researched fields of tactical charisma, leadership communication and social intelligence. So, if that sounds like something you’re hungry to learn about, subscribe to this channel; it’s your best playground for elite communication. Although this article is designed for female executives, CADENZA is not a pink business; most of our clients are, in fact, male executives.

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Consider that your leadership reputation, executive presence and influence are the sum of the symbols and signals you emit through your communication. For this reason, it is vital to consider attire. We can agree that bias, judgement and impressions form at face value. Your appearance, words and actions at work are constantly inflecting judgements about your competence, intelligence and personality. It’s easy to resist this notion and think it unfair, but research indicates a strong correlation between how you look, sound and act and what the humans around you perceive. In a leadership position, it is advisable to proactively consider how you “strategically manage visual cues, like fashion and style (Bendisch et al., 2013).”

Following the current research on CEO and executive attire is best grouped under 3 principles: Consistency, Formality and Styling.

#1 Consistency

CEOs who dress in consistent attire are perceived as more competent. In a 2024 study, Minchung Kim & Jacob Lee compared CEOs using fashion consistency versus variable fashion styles with those who streamlined a bespoke look. They found that those ascribing consistent styles to their wardrobe were valued as most competent and seen as more engaged in their work, regardless of gender.

#2 Dress Up

Elevated attire among CEOs translates to more positive perks for leaders, with clothing cues potentially having more power than the impressions your face creates. A study published in 2020 in the Journal Nature & Human Behaviour indicated how impressions of economic status deeply connect to inferences of competence. Participants rated frontal headshots of faces with different upper-body clothing.

The same faces were perceived as more competent with an elevated outfit, rather than informal clothing or dress that appeared inexpensive. The idea that what you wear translates to impressions of your intelligence, competence and value seems preposterous. Still, fashion psychology manipulates our notions of equity and fairness more than we may realise.

#3 Styling Matters

Styling also profoundly influences the degree to which you showcase leadership traits. Since there is a meagre representation of females in boardrooms globally, it can be challenging for a female executive, founder or entrepreneur to consider the best way to present. If you’re a female executive feeling confused, don’t worry! We all are! So I’ve checked the research for you on this.

With the dominance of males in executive positions, the mainstream notion of a leader being male in appearance and form is like a semantic magnet. This effect is described as “think- manager-think-male,” as coined by Schein in 1973. This gender stereotype is still far from dying out, so it begs the question: if most of society envisions a male with notions of executives and CEOs, are females better positioned to emulate a masculine style or stick with a traditionally feminine look? How should you style yourself with all the gender stereotypes around leadership?

Here are a few significant findings to note:

• In several studies, people with a more “masculine appearance” were more likely to be perceived as possessing more leadership traits, regardless of their gender.
• Formal and well-groomed candidates have a greater chance of being hired.
• Outfits with masculinised inflections increase the chance of getting hired to be a manager. Consider tailoring and a high quality suit.
• Female speakers who present with a lower speaking pitch and slower rate (less expressive speech patterns) will increase charisma perceptions if they wear a red suit. However, take care: If you’re vocally expressive, a red power suit will drop your charisma rating, and you’d be better in a conservative dark-toned suit (Brem and Niehbuhr, 2020).

Are you concerned that your gender and appearance are impacting your career progress chances? Keep tuning in…

Since 2019, the workwear wardrobe for many corporate workers has been upended. Do we still judge attire the same way in 2024 after all we’ve been through? Complex judgements based on appearances are still active, even in the face of the newer trends of hybrid work, quiet luxury, and minimalism.

If you’re wondering about the state of workwear and what the research is around the best clothing to wear at work to increase your executive presence and credibility, you should visit our website and pick up a copy of our heavily researched resource – The Workwear White Paper which covers the most current research on corporate attire so that you can make better choices about the degree of formality you should go for.

So, if you’re wondering if Crocs and jeans will plummet your authority or you’re in split minds about whether to wear business formal or business casual, this guide will make things clear so that you can make the best decisions about how you communicate the best impressions.

References

• Bendisch, F., et al. (2013). “Fame and fortune: A conceptual model of CEO brands.” European Journal of Marketing 47.
• Bhojani, J. (2019). Not just Fridays: More companies embrace casual dress codes. NPR. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from, https://www.npr.org/2019/03/09/701070560/not-just-fridays-more-companies-embrace-casual-dress-codes
• Brem, Alexander & Niebuhr, Oliver. (2020). Dress to Impress? On the Interaction of Attire with Prosody and Gender in the Perception of Speaker Charisma. 10.1007/978-981-15-6627-1_11.
• Clarke, J. (2011). Revitalizing Entrepreneurship: How Visual Symbols Are Used in Entrepreneurial Performances. Journal of Management Studies. 48. 1365-1391. 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2010.01002.x.
• Greenfield, R. (2012). Why Mark Zuckerberg needs his hoodie. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/05/why-mark-zuckerberg-needs-his-hoodie/328355/
• Hinchliff, E. (2023), “Women CEOs Women CEOs run 10.4% of Fortune 500 companies. A quarter of the 52 leaders became CEO in the last year”, Fortune
• Kim, M. and Lee, J. (2024). “CEO fashion matters? Effect of consistent versus variable fashion style on perceived competence.” Psychology & Marketing
• Klatt, J., et al. (2016). “Makeup your mind: The impact of styling on perceived competence and warmth of female leaders.” J Soc Psychol 156(5): 483-497.
• Maheshwari, S. (2022). The office beckons: Time for your sharpest “power casual,” The New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/29/business/casual-workwear-clothes-office.html
• Mckinsey. (2023, Nov 29). The State of Fashion 2024: Finding pockets of growth as uncertainty reigns
• Netaporter. (2024, July 29). The 9 Must-have trends on Team Net-a-porter’s PF24 Wish List
• Oh, D., et al. (2020). “Economic Status Cues from Clothes Affect Perceived Competence from Faces.” Nature Human Behaviour 4.
• Oliver, S., et al. (2022). “Fitted: the impact of academics’ attire on students’ evaluations and intentions.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 47(3): 390-410.
• Sotak, K. L., et al. (2023). “Perceptions of Ethicality: The Role of Attire Style, Attire Appropriateness, and Context.” J Bus Ethics: 1-27.