The Hindu Business Line : Womenspeak

Ever wondered what goes on in a woman's mind? Surely a lot! And one doesn't need an electrical tryst with the hair-dryer — a la Mel Gibson in the Hollywood movie What Women Want — to realise that she observes a lot more than a man does... even while doing several things at the same time.

So, don't be misled by the woman on the phone instructing her kids, or by her preoccupation with a business meeting or the presentation she has to give in a few minutes. She could be bustling around. And, at the same time, noting the colour of the tie that someone is wearing or grimacing at Mr X's shoes that don't match his suit.

Even as the woman executive today takes pains in perfecting her wardrobe with the trendiest of clothes and accessories, she also has an opinion on what men wear. Canvas talked to a few women executives to find out what they notice, what puts them off and what impresses them the most — vis-à-vis the clothes and accessories that men don.

First impressions

It is almost impossible to recreate first impressions as they are well etched in the woman's mind. So, when a woman executive meets a man for the first time, what does she look for?

"The first thing that catches my attention are his shoes," says Nalina Saravanan, Manager (Operations), Le Royal Meridien Hotel, Chennai, who thinks shoes reflect class and taste. "I also see if his belt matches his shoes and watch-strap. If someone takes care about his belt which is not shown outside much, it goes to show he will take care about other details."

Anita Udeep, creative director, Pentamedia, Chennai, looks at a man's socks to see if they co-ordinate well with his shoes and suit. "So many men don't pay attention to this aspect, thinking socks are concealed. But when they sit, they do show," she says. Anita also notices men's watches and loves "trendy bizarre watches with big dials."

But Sudipta Sen Gupta, Head-Marketing, Cafe Coffee Day, Mumbai, first makes an overall assessment of the body language before noticing finer details. "The first thing I notice is the face and eyes, then overall the appearance and only then particulars like shirt, suit, shoes, etc. An uninterested or unintelligent face and eyes or a slovenly appearance immediately puts me off. The rest can only add to the person being presentable or not."

Turn-ons and turn-offs

When it comes to clothes, they have to be well pressed and neat. For Sudipta, the perfect blend is "a sober coloured shirt, dark trousers, nice shoes, neither too formal nor casual... a kind of Friday dressing."

With the lines between formal and informal dressing blurring these days, Jessie Paul, Head of Marketing, iGATE Global Solutions, Bangalore, too does not care much for that completely executive look. Even jeans with a clean, well-ironed formal cotton shirt get a thumbs-up from her. "I also like T-shirts with hoods," she says.

Reds, browns, mustards or maroons in men's clothes are an absolute no-no to Sudipta. "Most men cannot carry warm shades well. Also badly cut trousers, too high, or too low, make men look misshapen."

B.E. Vani, Head, HR, Future Techno Designs, Bangalore, says, "Especially from a recruitment perspective, jazzy bright-red shirts put me off. I get the feeling such guys still have a college hangover and are not serious enough."

Most women are turned off completely by jewellery — especially the chunky, glittering kind. "The only jewellery I can tolerate is perhaps a wedding ring," gushes Nalina. Being in the hospitality industry, she comes across all kinds of clients with a varied dresssense.

Apart from what one wears, what one carries too makes a difference. Let's take for instance, pens. Quite a few women executives frown at disposable plastic pens whereas signature pens such as Montblanc, Porsche and Schaeffer, they feel, reflect style and confidence.

Says Sudipta, "Thick nibbed signature pens denote seniority and power. Elegant instruments denote good taste because it is one of our most important accessories and spending on a good writing instrument makes eminent sense."

Personality traits

Does the way men dress reveal anything about their personality? Most women agree it does, to a certain extent. Says Anita, "When I meet ad guys, I find that those dressed differently — say with long hair and pierced ears — think out of the box. Of course, only some can carry such an appearance without looking odd."

But Jessie differs. "Men's office-wear doesn't give much of a clue to their personality. Most of them wear standard brands and colours. I know men who have five identical white shirts and black trousers and wear them every day to work. There are others who just buy bunches of Ralph Lauren shirts in all shades," she observes.

And their final word is...

Jessie, who travels a lot and meets all kinds of people from different reaches of the globe, believes New York is a great place for people watching. "There are a number of men in very, very low-slung jeans which seem to be fighting gravity with sheer willpower! In India, men from Delhi seem to pay more attention to their clothes. In the IT industry it is cool to be informal and even CEOs stick to business casuals."

She adds that today there is a lot more variety in clothes and many more colours are considered acceptable. "I think the Allen Solly campaign on Friday dressing did a lot to change mindsets on what was acceptable for men. Just as Indo-Western has caught on for working women, there should be a semi-Indian formal look for men. Short white kurtas with formal trousers ought to be acceptable as office-wear."

Vani too believes that in the IT and BPO sectors especially, there is an increased fashion awareness and changes are slowly taking place.

But Sudipta is a bit critical. "Men in the hospitality and banking industry are well dressed. But most admen and entertainment industry persons have a shocking dress sense. Most men are untouched by fashion! Taste and a sense of colour are missing. Also, there seems to be a lack of willingness or risk-taking ability to figure out one's personal style."

Picture by A. Roy Chowdhury

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