Customer Reviews

The Womans Dress for Success Book

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Molloy's original Woman's Dress for Success Book is well written and full of information for women entering the work force in the 1970's and early 80's. It shows what the first professional working women had to go thru to establish themselves in a man's world. But not much of the book is relevant to the year 2000. I hope Molloy pulls up a chair to his computer soon and gives us an edition for the new millenium

Smart womem dress to get better jobs and better pay. Mr. Molloy tells you what to wear and why.

This book, THE WOMEN'S DRESS FOR SUCCESS BOOK, was published several decades ago. In it, Mr. Malloy advises that businesswomen wear suits and bow blouses. Etc. This is certainly better than wearing hippie clothing, peasant dreses, or torn jeans, etc. (Unless you work at a hippie-inspired music store, an ethnic restaurant, or "fashion" jeans label company, etc.) However, for most women, in most businesses, Mr. Malloy's suggestions are adequate. Just adequate. If you follow them, you will definitely look like a competent businesswomn -- but not someone who will stand out from the crowd, (or in this case, the typing pool). You may not look "blah", but you will look, "bland".

For myself, I look at what Royal women are wearing, via "Royalty" magazine, YouTube.com, and Google Images. Then I try to "pare down" their look to fit my own lifestyle and taste. So --I won't wear very bright colours, (as Royalty must do, because they have to stand WAY out in a crowd), nor will I wear the new, extradinairily "confection" type hats that many Royal ladies are now wearing. And I certainly cannot afford to wear the difficult-to-sew dress patterns that royalty wears. But they do give me hints on how to dress! I WILL, on occasion, wear a hat, small, untrusive, but definitely noticeable -- tactfully taking it off after I enter. The same for my white gloves. My statement here is, I have my standards, but I respect those of others. On "casual Fridays", I do not wear my hat and gloves. (To be honest, though, I must add that I WOULD do these things, if I had a job. Right now I am unemployed...but definitely WOULD follow my own rules, above, (and below), unless instructed to do otherwise by a prospective employer.
I have never wanted to be "one of the crowd"!

Mr. Molloy DOES say in this book that pants, of any kind, will ALWAYS
lower the social standing of any woman -- (and I believe he also says, in business or elsewhere.) This, I firmly think is true. I mean, look at a picture of a woman wearing pants. Then cover the
area just after the inseam of those pants begins. Picture a dress underneath. Then remove your hand, and see the pants again. "Molloy's Pant's Rule" works every time!

Mr. Molloy does not say WHY pants make any woman lose status --and I've wondered about that. Finally, just a couple of months ago, I ascertained one answer. And that is this: ANY pair of pants will emphasize a woman's hips. No matter how slim a lady is, emphasizing her hips will emphasize the child-bearing function of the woman. And so pants subtly bring to any woman who wears them, an "Earth Mother / Peasant" image. And although I am absolutely positive that there are many loving, caring, intelligent Earth-Mother peasant types, being in such a socio-economic class does not usually enhance a woman's social status! So, I must agree 100% with Mr. Molloy's assessment of women wearing pants!

However, Mr. Malloy's book teaches one to dress and look like what you are: if you are a "pool" secretary, you should not dress as an "executive" secretary, if you are an executive secretary, you should not dress as a business associate. I say, why NOT be known as the only lady in the office who wears a (one-strand), string of pearls?

Dressing "up" to me means "rising" in the business -- or any other world. No, one need not wear the brocade suits of Royalty to dress "up" -- but wearing those same designs, in a tweed or linen, will certainly help one's image!

Image, of course, is only part of the story. Image will get you in the door -- but if you are not competent in your job, and kind and considerate to both superiours, fellow workers, and your workplace's clientele, you soon will be SHOWN the door. "Dress For Success" is only the first step -- albeit a very important one. John Molloy says so, and I say so too. But I'd rather stand out from the crowd, even if only so very slightly, whist Mr. Molloy seems to advise women to "stay in their (present business-job) place."

Well, fellow book lovers, if your loved one has terrible fashion sense in the workplace or is just bothered by the way she looks when she goes out. "The New Woman's Dress for Success" is a perfect "How to Dress" book for the new wave. It carefully depicts situation by situation which apparel is acceptable for the work place. I feel that this book should be read by every woman. However, the tips in this book are quite self-explantory. Take some time and read up on this book ladies...

Sincerely yours truly,

Justin "The Azian with an attitude" Yang