Yahoo Finance Female graduates who wear 'sexy clothes' seen as less capable than counterparts
Women who wear “sexy clothes” at their university graduation are perceived to be less competent than those who dress “professionally”, according to new research.
A study by the University of Surrey, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, investigated perceptions of women’s clothing at graduations. It found female graduates who wear skirts and dresses are believed to have performed worse in their degree than those who wear jackets and trousers.
Participants of the study were shown 24 images of female graduates – half wearing “sexy” outfits, half wearing outfits deemed “professional”. They were asked to estimate the final mark of the women in the picture, as well as rate their sexiness, competence and outfit appropriateness.
READ MORE: Women are put off applying for jobs because of “restrictive” ads
Women who dressed sexily were thought to have a lower final mark and thesis points than women who didn’t. Participants also deemed professional attire “more appropriate” for graduation.
Worse still, when exposed to photographs of 37 women wearing two different outfits, female student peers perceived the same woman to be more competent, have a higher final mark, and be more likely to have a successful career, in the photograph where she wore a “professional outfit.”
Conversely, adult participants judged the students wearing a “sexy” outfit as having an advantage and having higher chances of success in the job market.
READ MORE: Top women in business share their best money advice
When asked which outfit they would have chosen, “professional” or “sexy”, male participants were more likely than female participants to claim that they would have chosen to wear the “sexy” outfit if they were the student.
Dr Fabio Fasoli, lecturer in social psychology at the University of Surrey, said: “The intelligence and competence of females is unfairly linked to how they present themselves. A top student who decides to wear a short dress to her graduation is perceived to be less capable than another who chooses to wear trousers and a jacket.
“It is often thought that how we dress is a reflection of our personality but this may not be the case for women, given that they are constantly scrutinised for their appearance and that unmerited conclusions are drawn about them, including their intelligence and professional capability.”
