Biglaw Women, Do You Even Know How to Use Make-Up?

With the potentially groundbreaking elevation of Kathleen Sullivan this morning, and the oh-so-tasteful prostitution and stripper jokes in Non-Sequiturs, it’s kind of been a female-focused day here at ATL.
It’s been a good day for gender equality, but let’s not forget that progress can be an incremental proposition. The City Bar of New York is putting on a little event for the ladies and — well — why don’t you be the judge?

Dressing for Success: Fashion Sense for the Workplace
Join us for a night that no professional woman should miss. Eve Pearl, five-time Emmy Award winning celebrity makeup artist, fashion consultant, author, and national TV personality will discuss how to project a professional image. From determining what is appropriate and suitable for the workplace, including business casual attire, hair and make-up, to demonstrating proper make-up techniques, you can begin utilizing what you learn the next day.
The program will be followed by a networking reception where beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Whether you are just starting out in your career, or have been perfecting your look for decades, this will be a fun and informative evening.

UPDATE: The event has been canceled. Kash laments its demise here.
At least there is a woman giving the advice. Maybe the City Bar learned something from the New York State Bar association about condescending panels of men giving advice to women.
Still, given the subject manner, what could possibly go wrong?


One tipster noted the obvious double standard inherent in this program:

I would love to see an Above The Law story about why the City Bar feels its “professional women” should be attending events on “proper application of makeup.” I have a brief to get out the door, just like the “professional men” around here, so I’m afraid my charm school lessons will have to wait.

Honestly, some of the guys schlepping around Biglaw offices are in pretty bad shape. I’m not saying they need to have Carson Kressley giving seminars to first years, but there are a lot of men who could learn a thing or two about the proper application of a goddamn razor.
But I don’t think the City Bar will be offering programs called: “So You’re Losing Your Hair: Now What?”
A friend of mine who used to be a member of the City Bar had this to say:

OUTrageous. One of the reasons I left NYC. It’s full of skinny bitches who can’t hack it in L.A. so they stay [in NYC] and try to make life miserable for the rest of us that don’t want to follow in their self-obsessed footsteps.

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Woman-on-woman crime is a serious issue.
Of course there is a counter argument. I’m a little afraid to make it because I like my balls just the way they are and I don’t want them harmed in any way. But some professional women could, you know, use some help. Remember, the Seventh Circuit has even weighed in on the subject. Some women we spoke with felt that the offering could help some people, and would be otherwise harmless to others. If you don’t like it, don’t attend.
But I don’t think we can look at this conference or this issue in isolation. Why market a “fashion sense talk” to women, while ignoring men? Why just assume that women, professional women, need be more concerned about their appearance than their male counterparts? We all know why. It’s because there is a huge double standard when it comes to the appearance expectations on women as opposed to men.
I recognize that, but slathering make-up all over the problem doesn’t make it any prettier.
I don’t know, maybe I would support a conference titled: “How to Remember Your Make-Up Doesn’t Freaking Matter, Regardless of How Many People Tell You Differently.” Everybody has to play the game, I get that.
But nobody has to like it.
Dressing for Success: Fashion Sense for the Workplace [City Bar of New York]
Earlier: Hey, Lady Lawyers: Have We Got a Conference for You….
Fashion Dos-and-Don’ts, Brought To You By the Seventh Circuit

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