UNIT D: BLOG 24

BLOG 24:

Work attire: Informal Interview

For this blog to get some inside information I actually had the opportunity at American Legal Funding a company in which I do seasonal work at to have an informal conversation with a female lawyer. I did not ask her age as to not over step my boundaries, but she looks as if she is in her mid 30s. In this conversation I asked her a couple of questions about hr sense of style, her style at work, and they expectations in which she faces at work about her style and how she is expected to look.

She works at a law firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. In this office the attire that the lawyers wear in their office is very formal and conservative. She stated that they were expected to look at and act professional to make a professional atmosphere for there work. The women are expected to wear nothing that would show are portray too much "sex appeal." They are to take this in their own way, but obviously the partners and head of the firm EXPECT these women to be very professional with their attire. At work she wears pants or long skirts with blouses and jackets. Nothing that shows too much skin she says. Although on Fridays they have casual Fridays and may dress down a little it does not change the fact that these outfits still must not be in any way unprofessional.

She does not dress the same in her everyday life. Her clothes for outside of work are casual, fun and modern. She can wearing anything she wants obviously, but at work she can not. Women if they want to be what the firm wants they must be conservative and professional. This is their expectation and hey must stick with these expectation and if they do not they will be met with criticism and hardship within the workplace.

On 30 percent of laywers are female and 85 percent of partners are male. Women are breaking into the field of law, but are still under represented in law firms and law. WOmen are less lieky to be mentored (Ch. 1 and 2, gender on trial). Women are sterotyped and in the work force they are expected to be professional and conservative. The women that I interviewed stated that she did not have a problem with her attire at her work because she likes the professional atmosphere. She likes the fact that she does not have to deal with women or men that dressed and acted in any unprofessional manner. She states that the work place should be professional and she would like it to stay this away and that work and home are two very different areas and they should dress accordingly to their atmoshpere.