Can "Serious" Women be Fashionistas?
22 May 2016 • Ildi Amon
Amal Clooney loves clothes. She's also a serious woman. Are these two things mutually exclusive? It seems that since Amal Clooney has been in the public eye there has been a lot said about how she's "obsessed" with her image, can't possibly be a committed human rights lawyer if her clothes cost thousands of pounds, and has lost all interest in her professional career now that she can simply be a clothes horse and a celebrity on the red carpet.
I have a different view. Why can't women who are successful, professional and career-oriented also love to express their personality via their clothes. It's not just Amal Clooney. Hillary Clinton's top adviser Huma Abedin has said that if she weren't in politics she might have a career in fashion. Managing director of the International Monetary Fund always seems to look great. Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May has also spoken about her penchant for shoes and bags. (Those leather heels have caused quite a stir.)
I have a different view. Why can't women who are successful, professional and career-oriented also love to express their personality via their clothes. It's not just Amal Clooney. Hillary Clinton's top adviser Huma Abedin has said that if she weren't in politics she might have a career in fashion. Managing director of the International Monetary Fund always seems to look great. Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May has also spoken about her penchant for shoes and bags. (Those leather heels have caused quite a stir.)
There's no reason you can't be a high-powered professional while enjoying the self-expression that comes from clothes. In the same way you can be a professional and still enjoy sports. Women already have so many hurdles in terms of their career pathways (we already judge women for having children, for not having children, for staying single, for doggedly pursuing a career at all), we shouldn't also judge women for having an interest in fashion.
We, of course, judge men for their clothes too. For example, Donald Trump is regularly mocked for his ill-fitting suits, long red tie and recently wearing a mismatched navy blue and black suit. But there seems to be a line that we draw where if a woman is seen to care too much about fashion, she can no longer be focused on her career.
We, of course, judge men for their clothes too. For example, Donald Trump is regularly mocked for his ill-fitting suits, long red tie and recently wearing a mismatched navy blue and black suit. But there seems to be a line that we draw where if a woman is seen to care too much about fashion, she can no longer be focused on her career.
Ildi Amon is a journalist, researcher and copywriter.
