How much thought do you put into getting dressed each morning? For many people, what they wear to work is about a lot more than just personal style – it’s crucial to their professional performance and how they are perceived in the workplace.
Now in their 40s, Nerissa Trindade spent many closeted years in corporate Australia before coming out as non-binary. “I spent an exhausting amount of effort and energy not being me.”
Nerissa Trindade: “I spent an exhausting amount of effort and energy not being me.”Credit: Steven Siewert
For Trindade, conforming meant dressing in a feminine way, which they say impacted their self-worth and confidence. “It was tormenting. It was completely debilitating. I really, really struggled,” they say. The huge amount of energy that was channelled into not standing out put them on the back foot in the office.
“You’ve got to work harder for acceptance in a space... and to be respected and seen as capable.”
Trindade, who is now a transformational speaker, coach and author, says when they finally started dressing in a way that aligned with their gender identity, it was a relief – and the benefits extended into their career. “I was getting promoted and showing up in meetings in the way I wanted, all because I was no longer hiding who I needed to be.”
Recently, several organisations have made steps towards more gender inclusive workwear. In November last year, Virgin Atlantic removed its male and female uniform categories, a move followed by Qantas in June.
These changes are somewhat limited, however. At Qantas, for example, the style guide update didn’t alter the company’s policy for transgender and non-binary staff members, in which further uniform changes must be determined on an individual basis after consultation with management.
Earlier this year, a gender diverse captain in the Australian Defence Force gained approval to wear the female uniform. An ADF spokesperson says they are “in the process of developing a new policy in relation to supporting transgender, gender-affirming, non-binary and all gender-diverse Defence members”.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which heralded in a more relaxed approach to work, seems to be helping change attitudes, too. Associate director of quality, training and research at Pride in Diversity, Nicki Elkin, says working from home allowed many workers to express their gender in a way they felt comfortable with. In returning to the office, many have been eager to retain these freedoms, and are now having conversations with employers to implement changes to dress code policy.
Australia’s discrimination laws mean that “workplace dress code policies cannot legally mandate gender differentiation in attire,” says Alice Rose, a researcher at the University of South Australia’s Centre for Workplace Excellence. But she says there is persistent societal pressure for people of all genders to adhere to normative expectations: both work “appropriate” and gender “appropriate”. This is a feeling that resonates with many women, transgender and gender-diverse people.
Dressing for work in a blue-collar industry
Mimosa Schmidt, founder of SÜK workwear.
Mimosa Schmidt founded SÜK, a Melbourne-based workwear label catering for women and gender-diverse people, after struggling to find work attire that suited her body. Schmidt spent her late teens and early 20s in physical labour jobs, where she was surrounded by men. “What I wore and how I looked was often the first point of commentary.”
“I was often in pain and felt badly dressed and unprofessional,” says Schmidt. “When you’re in an environment where you feel the need to work doubly hard to prove yourself, you are starting all the more from behind.”
Eliot Morris has been working as a traffic controller in Sydney for the past few years. While the 25-year-old says their industry is an anomaly in the male-dominated blue-collar world for its high number of female employees, it’s still very conservative.
Morris is non-binary, and like Schmidt, says their work-issued pants are uncomfortable and fit poorly, sitting awkwardly around the hips, while being too tight around the bum. Due to these issues, Morris and their female co-workers are forced to seek alternatives, which they must pay for out-of-pocket.
Suiting up
Nessie Croft, the founder of Melbourne fashion label Coreprêt says that when she asked her client base what they wanted out of their work wardrobe, the response was overwhelming. After her “personal experience of being subject to harassment”, she wanted to know what her clients felt comfortable in, which turned out to be flattering, masculine-style pieces.
Croft says that “there’s still a hangover for functionality” when it comes to women’s suiting, with features like shallow or fake pockets. She believes that “power dressing shouldn’t be gendered” and workwear should be properly fitted and functional for anyone.
In recent years, it has become commonly accepted to see women dress for work in more masculine silhouettes. But, as Rose explains, it is still easier for women to subvert expectations than it is for men.
“Through the implicit bias towards work as a masculine activity, it is still more acceptable for women to subvert stereotypes of feminine attire,” says Rose, adding that we are gradually seeing this change on red carpets and on the runway.
Finding corporate attire as a transgender woman
Michelle Sheppard: “It takes a lot to develop that ‘f--- it’ attitude”.Credit: Jason South
Michelle Sheppard, a Melbourne-based transgender advocate says getting dressed for work can be incredibly restrictive for trans people, particularly women. “We’re told we have to dress and present a certain way if we want to be accepted as a woman,” explains the 46-year-old.
“What we’re trying to get away from is – as we always argue within the queer space – dressing for your genitalia. I shouldn’t have to wear a dress all the time as a woman. I should be able to go and wear clothing that is probably more functional.”
But with the pressure to present in a traditionally feminine way, finding clothes that are liked and that fit properly can be a challenge. Sheppard is tall at 190 cm and says that hormone-replacement therapy adds to the difficulty by causing weight gain. Women’s jackets can be too small across the shoulders, for example, and due to her height, Sheppard is often forced to shop in the men’s section.
Working with organisations on diversity and inclusion, Sheppard often finds herself in blue-collar spaces, which can be a challenge. “If I’m showing up in the same thing that most men are wearing, then I’m going to be gendered as male based on my size.”
Having transitioned 10 years ago, Sheppard says she is more comfortable wearing more gender-neutral clothing to the office, “but it takes a lot to develop that ‘f--- it’ attitude”.
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