I went to a meeting yesterday which showed me how very much I'm conforming to a type. To explain briefly, we were meeting to discuss setting up a PA / EA network, to share knowledge, exchange information, and generally take over the company. So it was a roomful of PAs, basically.

 

All women (working for men, of course – that glass ceiling still alive and well). Generally fairly short. The majority in their early 30s... And all wearing black. It looked like a funeral. Black trousers or skirt, black jacket or cardigan, black shirt – the only exceptions being the odd one or two who'd chosen to wear green tops with their black trousers/skirt. It was like there was a frickin' uniform. I was no exception. And I had a flashback to my getting dressed in the morning. "Hm, my green top is in the wash – I guess I'll wear the black shirt."

 

Well, hell. *g*

And it's not as though the whole company dresses like that. I had a walk around the offices afterwards - plenty of variety of the usual officewear.
 

I wonder if it's because the people doing the hiring have a certain image in their head as to what a good PA would be like, and they're more likely to hire someone who fits that image – or is it that the job attracts a certain kind of person? My wardrobe certainly changed slightly once I became an EA (Executive Assistant) - it's very different from what I wore when I was a student, for instance. (Art student uniform? DMs and combats, tie-dyed T-shirts and any hair colour so long as it's not natural. Everything covered in paint as a matter of honour.) Sheesh, though - I thought I was buying clothes that I liked.