Customer Reviews

New Women's Dress for Success

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

As someone who has worked many years in the corporate world, I think the reviews criticizing Malloy for being sexist, or promoting unclear rules that vary according to if the supervisor is a woman or a man, are being naive. His excellent and detailed research is clearly explained, and he has no bias whatsoever against women! The criticisers simply don't like hearing what the research bears out.

I met John Malloy and bought his first books back in the late 1970's, and his advice REALLY helped me back then when I was a stock broker. I was delighted to see he had a new book out for women. I was not disappointed. He discusses all the ways women's professional dress has changed, and has good research to back up his conclusions, which he also shares with the reader. I have now changed professions--I am a teacher living overseas. I still found his advice very valuable, especially his new advice about "Casual Fridays," or any other business where dress is normally casual. Although I didn't know it before I read the book, this is the area which is now giving women the most trouble. He gives a lot of excellent advice--too much to summarize here. He covers many particular professions in detail.

I don't mind others being against this book -- they're just less competition for those of us who understand the corporate unconscious. I read this book AFTER becoming successful by doing the things this book recommends. Lucky me. Then, when my company changed to a casual wear policy and I changed my look, my whole life changed. I went from unquestioning respect to constant challenges to my expertise and to colleagues actually acting surprised at my level of skill, when I had worked so hard to build a reputation. Now that I've gone back to serious dress, albeit with only a little casual influence, I have my respect back. And I'm not going to give it up again!

I read the first edition of this book twenty years ago. What struck me then was Malloy's research findings about fashion and sex appeal. Ladies, fashion fails you! Sex appeal gets you into the bedroom, but keeps you out of the boardroom.

Yes, Malloy's advice is based on research. He has surveyed hundreds of thousands of people on "which woman is more successful?" He shows people pictures of "twins" which are really the same woman dressed in different ways. He reports on the types of outfits, fabrics, patterns, accessories, hair styles, jewelry, and even colors that say "success" to people. He gives step by step tips on how to shop for "success" items even on a college student's budget.

This new version IS updated. Malloy himself says "Everything has changed" since he researched and wrote this second book. His advice about business casual - avoid it if you can - is right on for professional women. We have a hard enough time being recognized as professionals in suits, let alone if everyone is in Dockers and company logo polo shirts! He gives tips on how to stand out favorably even in today's polo shirt land.

For women who love serving the fashion machine, this book is useless. But for women who want to know how to dress to break into the "good old boys" network, who want to rise above their upbringing, or want to stop being treated like bimbos and trash, this book is priceless. Molloy's research into what sort of colors impress juries and potential buyers is incredibly useful. He even tells you how to dress to be a successful doctor. I find Molloy incredibly sympathetic to the needs of real women, including large-size women and particularly women of color.

This new edition of "Women's Dress for Success" covers a lot more than clothes and accessories, and is a treasure trove of advice for any woman interested in self improvement. For most of us, there is usually room for "image enhancement," in how we present ourselves to the world, as our way of dressing and speaking, etc. all sends a message. John Molloy's recommendations are also helpful if you are on a budget. His "fabric test," color combinations, and style tips will save you a lot of money, and you can even do well using his guidelines shopping in a thrift store! You will no longer buy without planning, the things in your closet will mix and match properly, and you will not buy something "just because it's on sale," and find later that it doesn't really look good with anything else you own.

John Molloy covers the basics of what to wear in a business environment, which he has researched extensively, and very few of the guidelines have changed over the years. The one thing he states that has changed, is that now "dressing for success" is "almost universally accepted," and yes, there is a double standard, as men can get away with dressing poorly, but few women can, if they want the corner office with the view. Some of Molloy's research is fascinating, especially in the legal profession, as he explains how color, style, and dress size will influence a jury ("In personal injury cases, clients were more likely to be believed if they wore outfits one size too large").

Aside from advice on clothes, accessories, and hair styles (all accompanied by black and white drawings), Molloy discusses body language (posture and facial expression), and the all-important and often ignored speech pattern, vocabulary and voice tone. He recommends recording oneself while on the telephone with friends, and playing it back. Anyone who has not done this is in for a surprise! Molloy also covers weight and height, and how the clothes you choose should change according to your size. Informative and entertaining, "New Women's Dress for Success" is a classic, and well worth reading if you want to "move up the corporate ladder," or just want an organized closet of clothes that make the most of who you are.

Although some of Molloy's comments may seem sexist, they hit the mark for what it takes to be considered a mover and shaker in the corporate world. Face it ladies, unfortunately it is still very much a man's world when it comes to climbing the ladder of success. First impressions are very important. Molloy's recommendations are based on extensive research, interviews and use of focus groups. The book is not his personal comment on what is considered acceptable business attire.

After seven months of searching for a better job I read this book and decided to follow Molloy's suggestions for the type of position I was seeking. My next two job interviews resulted in two lucrative offers. A 100 percent response rate.

I recommend this book even if some of Molloy's perspectives of women in the workplace may be hard to accept. Look past them and adapt his suggestions to what works best for you.

This is a great book if you want advice on how to make sure your clothing does not stop you getting ahead in a formal and old fashioned work setting. It badly needs updating/rewriting for the 21st century and would now be a waste of money if you were only looking for advice on "business casual" or "dress down" clothing.

Most of the book deals with formal work wear and there is very little research on business casual. The information that appears is now 5 years out of date. For example, I would really like to know whether it is still a bad idea to wear pants to work. My observations suggest that the rules have changed since 1995 and that most if not all business casual skirt outfits look wrong -(what do you wear on your legs?- hosiery looks silly and bare legs are inappropriate at work), but whether the minds of the (male) decision makers have also moved on is another matter.

Some readers have described the book as sexist. It is not. It describes accurately the sexist attitudes of those who will be judging their female employees' attire and I was grateful that it did so.

Malloy gives advice to women on breaking the secret code that works against them. This world that appears informal ("equal opportunity," casual clothes, "meritocratic") but has secret unspoken and *irrational* rules about who is considered elite, smart, upper and ruling class. Yes, too often we forget that dressing sexy, and/or dressing comfortable, and/or dressing to be a unique individual artist, is different from dressing appropriately as a professional.

Also, fat women and minorities and young women should remember that they are judged more harshly. People don't say it, they know they are wrong and irrational and unfair, but they do it. That's really how it is. The world is biased towards upper class people or those who pander to that class.

Mr. Malloy, if you are reading this book, I echo the other opinions and suggest these improvements that will make your book only better:

1. Add color swatches and photos. You say, wear medium blue no. 7 and most of us have no idea what color that would be. SOme men's clothing guides do this. Some of the photos show texture too. Provide side by side comparison photos of outfits, one that is right and one that is subtlely wrong.

2. Since 1996, there has been a sea change in the allowability of pant suits if they hide the butt and are not too "trying to be manly." I have seen this change in federal court. In the mid 1990s, I never saw women wear pantsuits. Now I see about a third to a half wearing conservative pantsuits. See also female legislators and CEOs. Surely it's ok now, some of the time?

3. Brand recommendations would be useful. However, your point might be that the fashion industry is out to get us, and our honed judgment is the only guide. The only American manufacturers I know of are Brooks Brothers, Anne Klein (the expensive line), and Dana Buchman. There used to be others but they have closed the women's lines.

Overall, a harsh, painful but useful guide to navigating through the consumer world.

I'm torn between 4 stars and 3 stars. I read his first Dress for Success book back in the dark ages and went out and bought a man-look-alike grey skirt suit. Wore it twice--could not stand feeling trapped in a cookie-cutter mold.

HOWEVER, during my career I always got "we know you're an ex-hippie," comments, no matter how I tried. So I'm game to try again, and will use Molloy's calendar to record my attempts.

Recently, bought 2 "corporate" suits as I'm now back to wrk as a successful corporate consultant/entrepreneur company owner. Also bought 2 pair of expensive indoor boots/pumps, in black and in brown.
THEN my copy of the new Women's Dress for Success arrived. Must return both suits (waist-length jackets, one suit is black) and the boots. Probably also the mid-calf black wool coat for a kahki, but I'll wait until next winter for that.

BOOK SHORTCOMINGS:
1. Old--out of date. Anything in the 90's is too old for the new corporate cultures.

2.Inexcusable not to have color photos. Even if it is upated every 3 years (since he is not advocating "style-of-the-moment fashions) as a photo supplement, it would be invaluable.
I am a visual learner, and one photo is worth...well, you know.
I would buy regular updates, if new photos were included.

3. How about an appendix with tresearch results dates of research? Population size? Setting(corporation? Large--how large?)Results in percentages?
The "research" the book refers to feels like it may be very old, and is not backed up with stats. Feels somewhat like the current G>W>B> White House reports which talk statistics but never give sources. (Sorry, John Molloy).)

4. I wonder how many of book rules have changed thee 7 years later? I wonder if rules like
*No pants for women" "No short--waist length--jackets" come from CURRENT corporate practice?
Could corporate culture for women's dress derive instead from people reading Molloy and adopting his rules? So that like taste-setters in Arts and Crafts houses, instead of leading the wy they became Martha Stewart-like RULE SETTERS, even for what colors and flowers must appear on wallpaper and in gardens.

5. His insistence that it had better be expensivee. Good taste often does not mean expensive--good taste can look expensive without being costly. The thing about handbags was a bit offensive--we are not in a style contest or a money contest, remember?


UPCOMING --things I liked
His careful detail.
Very much liked his Chapter on jackets-and-skirt (as vs. a suit)--I'm so out of it that I was puzzled at a good women's store to find NO suits, just jacket-and-skirs r jacket-and-pants sets.

All in all, a valuable book, and I will use it. But I won't buy the next edition unless it has photos and updated research.

With photos and new research, I WOULD buy it every year or two --like ZAGAT'S GUIDE for Women's corporate dress!!

This book is exactly right about "business casual" -- it is much harder for women than men. It's also great if you're interviewing or working at a more conservative firm. However, right now I work at a "business casual" company, and I've lived in whole towns where there was no place in the city that required a tie. I wish he had provided more advice for navigating these situtations, since (as he says) they are difficult.

I have to agree with some of the reviewers that I don't like many of the rules, but that doesn't mean that they're not accurate. Look through any annual report and find pictures of female board managers/CEOs, and they *are* dressing for success. I don't think Molloy is sexist for reporting the way much of the world is; he doesn't claim it's fair or just.