New Woman's Dress for Success

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.

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.

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.