14 DAY TRIAL // In the increasingly cutthroat legal world, law firms are doing their best to outsmart competition and, at the same time, to gain a strong foothold on a terrain that has been previously unexplored. As it turns out, being smart is no longer of prime importance, which is why one of the most prestigious London law firms has hired image consultants to help its staff upgrade their business attire. And the consultants declared women must wear high heels to work.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has a staff of over 2,400, being one of the oldest and most reputed firms in the business. However, a change was necessary to withstand competition from other firms, so the office dress code was thought to be the appropriate starting point. Women employees were advised to wear high heels with skirts, instead of pants, to “get in touch with their femininity.” Nevertheless, not too much getting in touch should be allowed, since, for instance, necklaces are not to be abused, and even altogether avoided, since they tend to attract the attention to the bosom.
Moreover, it was not only women at the firm that got tips for the stylish makeover. Men too were included, with recommendations regarding mostly shorter men, and saying that they should ditch the double-breasted suit for a leaner, single-breasted one. A piece of advice similar to that for women and their necklaces told men not to let their ties hang below their belts, lest they should attract people’s attention to the nether regions.
Speaking of the newly introduced fashion consulting sessions, a spokesperson for the law firm said that “It's basically a session on how to project a professional image within the workplace. It's advice rather than a list of do's and don'ts.” However, regarding the tip for “high heels to embrace your femininity,” which, in all fairness, could prove to be the most controversial one, the same rep said that it had nothing to do with what we might imagine, high heels being know for “help[ing] them stand better and giv[ing] them height.”