Is the female formal dress code sexist?

There is so many ways to look at this topic I wondered if I should change the headline. In the end of 2014, Montana in US passed a dress code in its legislature. The dress code was strictly formal, but it had lots of guidelines for women, with more stress on length of skirt and neck line. Schools around the western world as well as in India has often come under fire for their dress code for women. On

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the other hand, men say that rules are always lax for women and they have to strictly keep to the tie and jacket code.
While most of the world's companies have moved from a strictly professional dress code to 'business casuals' for women all around the world, business dressing is still a hugely grey area. Cultures around the world have allowed men to move easily from their culture's dressing to the trouser suit look, but for women it is not so simple. In places like India, apart from urban elite, women still dont wear trousers and skirts are frowned upon.

thenation.com

Western dress code in the West: The point of contention is the definition of formal for women. While men are told to wear a clean and smart suit, women have often been told not to dress "slutty" in the workplace. However they cannot also slack off where dress is concerned. While the parameters are not clearly defined, a lot of factors come into the picture here: too high or too low skirts, too low or too prudish neckline, too tight or too frumpy, too transparent or too layered, too figure hugging or not defining enough and then the new problem- tights or no tights. It seems that the western woman have to try really hard to get it right. And then what about the Western Muslim who chooses to wear a head scarf? That is still a matter of contention in many countries.
Western dress code in the East: Often it is a no brainer. In many countries women dont wear western clothes. In such countries the traditional dress itself is often considered formal. However for those women who choose to wear western clothes, it is often a fight between the skirt suit, the trouser suit, any suit at all, given that countries like India have tropical weather which is very unsuited (pun intended) to anything more than cotton garb. Here men too have moved away from the suit. The cotton smart shirt with well ironed trousers are widely accepted business clothes. Women too make do with a shirt and trousers or skirt. However, the other aspects dont go away, the neckline- skirt length (if there is a skirt) conundrum.

Hina Rabbani, from imageconsultinginstitute website

Eastern formals in the East: Indian women especially have a wide variety of choices when it comes to dressing for the workplace. While the urban educated woman is comfortable moving from the Indian clothes to western, the more traditional type can still choose between salwar kameez and saree. However, here is the problem. These clothes themselves bring in a lot of associated rules just like the skirt suit. Salwar kameezes cannot be too loose or too tight. It has to be well tailored. It cannot be too frumpy. It has to be sharp and smart. Salwars should not be too ballooned. Tights are preferred. What about the saree. Most business women who prefer the saree will stick to the crisp cotton.

Chanda Kochhar from vervemagazine website

Anyone familiar with Indian women's clothes will agree that here, we love bling. The loveliest sarees are the Benarasis or the Balucharis or the Kanjivarams, heavy silks with lots of gold/ silver thread work. However, these are more occasional wear. Everyday sarees are mostly cotton. Even in cotton there are
variations. A woman with less experience cannot easily carry off a Bengali cotton saree in the workplace. As the day trudges on, the saree will gain volume like magic and will balloon up making the wearer look like a sack more than a stylish doyen.

Sonia Gandhi from fashionlady.in

Seems like being a woman, you cannot win easy anywhere. They say women have to work twice as hard to be even noticed. There are the glass ceilings and the family pressures. On top of that, we cannot get away with wearing a simple suit and tie and get away with it. Every morning has to be planned and thought out well in advance.
As a recruiter however, here is my last word. Wear what is comfortable. Wear what suits the weather. Wear what fits well and is suitable to the job. And for the all important meeting, just throw on a smart and stylish blazer on top of anything, jeans or saree and rock the board room!