Holistic and Critical Perspective to Politics of Dress and the Female Body in Workplace Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to bring a more holistic, inclusive, and critical perspective to discussions on the politics of the female body and dress in workplace settings. It aims to explore the struggles and experiences of women in the business environment with regards to ‘looking the part' and the role dress and bodily adornment play in construction and expression of their workplace identities. It will further discuss the role dress might have as signifier of status and power and the ambiguities related to age, body image, sexuality, and identity at work. Furthermore, most of the prior studies on dress acknowledge fashion as a Western phenomenon ignoring the role of dress in non-Western cultures. Therefore, this chapter also aims to discuss how might these conflicts differ in a non-Western context. Finally, considering that during the COVID-19 pandemic image management has shifted to a virtual world, creating further challenges for women, the chapter will conclude by shedding light on these struggles and presenting ideas for the future of work dress code.