Powerful Women and Sartorial (Non)Sense
I recently had the distinct pleasure of moderating the last panel of the day for an event honoring the “Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT”, and my last question to the panelists was this:
What does it mean to you to be a powerful woman?
As this was a panel of distinguished and brilliant professional women, their responses were thoughtful and realistic, but also encouraging to up-and-coming industry leaders:
Power means being collaborative, not leaving dead bodies behind in your wake of career success.
Power is the ability to forgive yourself and move on from mistakes.
Power is overturning a male surgical attending’s practice of holding lectures in the changing room, and refusing to leave rounds so the residents can tell dirty jokes.
These women are gender perception game-changers with a sense of responsibility, who are excited for the opportunity to help others break through glass ceilings (even those fortified with concrete). Their words were heartfelt and meaningful, their personal stories resonating deeply with the experiences of many of us in the room, indicated by much nodding and shared smiles. I felt that their answers had all the gravity the moment required.
So my answer, intended as a humorous anecdote in the final moments before cocktail hour began, was pithy:
Being a powerful woman means I unabashedly wear my sneakers all the time.
Accidentally profound, that statement.
From the time we are babies, much of a woman’s worth is (perceived to be) tied to her appearance. The sexualization of girls and emphasis on sartorial frivolity equating to femininity begins at birth; have you ever seen ruffles on a baby boy’s bottom? The towering stilettos many women wear in adulthood have become synonymous with social and/or career status. By wearing sneakers constantly (due to medical necessity), I’m subverting cultural expectations and thumbing my nose (or neon-colored sneaks) at those who might equate my competence with my heel height.
There are, and always will be, those who give me the hairy eyeball and dismiss me for not knowing Manolo Blahniks from Easy Spirits. But power makes me unabashed — unafraid and unapologetic to be who I am.
Being true to myself will only cost me opportunities that wouldn’t have been a good fit. Much like 4" stilettos.
