Antiquated Advice?

Hello darlings, I have been very busy lately getting ready ready for the IFB Conference next week, but besides that, I have been super busy discovering articles on the web on fashion that were of interest to me. One in particular on CNN.com reported in this article  about the rules you should and should not follow, according to some of the top designers in the field right now, including Jenna Lyons of J.Crew, Dana Buchman of her own label, and Deborah Lloyd of Kate Spade. These women have experience and know-how in the field of fashion, and are doubly respected for it. However, when this statement was posed to the panel:

"When you have a choice between wearing pants or a skirt, carefully weigh your options...and choose the skirt."

it seems to me that we the people may be on the receiving end of some old-fashioned advice. The responses included:

• Lloyd Boston, author of "Before You Put That On": Truer than ever. Why not go for the skirt? In this age of metrosexual men, sometimes the only thing that separates you from the guys is the power to put on a skirt.
• Stacy London, cohost of "What Not to Wear" and a New York City-based style expert: Amen to that, Mom. It's much easier to find a skirt that's flattering. With pants, you have to consider the rise, the width of the hips, the legs, and how they fall on the tush.
• Malia Mills, designer of Malia Mills Swimwear: Carefully weigh your options... and then choose what will make you stride into a room like you own it.

Now, when it comes to Malia Mills, I do agree; if you feel more comfortable in a skirt than pants, or pants than skirt, you should by all means wear the one that will not distract you from your interview, job performance, or daily conversations. The call is yours to make, but as modern women, we have options! Women came a long way to be able to get to the point where pants were socially acceptable in a man's world, and as women, I feel that we should take charge of that right when the situation comes along, in protest of the statement made by Lloyd Boston. Wearing pants for women has become not only a milestone for us, but due to the job market and economy crash, the term "wearing the pants in the family" has become more women-friendly in the last couple of years, what with women becoming the breadwinners in the home. And if skirts are the only way for men to tell women apart, then we have other issues as women and society! Honestly, boys, you guys don't have to be the only ones wearing the pants; have you ever heard of the Utilikilt? Some men prefer this way of dressing, as it provides the freedom and flexibility pants do not offer.  

So ladies, please don't feel like you need to follow all advice given on the internet, as some people seem to want to increase sexism in the workplace by feeling the need to distinguish men from women. Plus, depending on your build, skirts may be your worst enemy! And when it comes to down-time, obviously Lloyd Boston hasn't heard of a great pair of jeans and a white t-shirt to get you gals from day to night. Did we learn nothing from Marilyn Monroe, The Gap, or Calvin Klein? 

So Fashionable Followers, what do you think? Is this a fair statement to make, or have I taken the debate too far? Let me know in the comments below!

--FM