Sunday's Best is NOT Monday Dress: Church Clothes vs. Work Clothes

Many young Black professionals in Corporate America find a network, a support system and a morale boost by frequenting Sunday houses of worship. In more traditional church settings suits, ties, dresses and satellite-dish-sculptured hats are common attire.

Church styles are often inappropriate for the corporate office. Despite the recent evolution of corporate fashion, bright colored suits, wide lapels, frilly tops, and satin ties are still deal breakers.

Watch Me Work 2: Black Corporates in Popular Films

This post is the much anticipated sequel to our post Watch Me Work. This time we're focusing on popular movies that feature Black people in Corporate America.

Laurel Ayers, The Associate

Laurel Ayers is sick of being treated differently because she is a young Black woman, so she becomes an old White man. After quitting her job to start her own firm, the investment banker changes her gender and complexion to rise to the top.

Marcus Graham, Boomerang

Marcus Graham is a successful advertising executive who is also popular with women. He finds his career in uncertain territory when his company is bought out. Marcus attempts to sleep is way to the top with the well-seasoned head of the new company, only to find out that she is more of a figurehead. He then sets his sights to his attractive new boss who is as much of a detached, sexed-up walking ego as he is.  

InterviewingU: Interview with Sherri of Corporate Curls

We had the pleasure of interviewing Sherri of Corporate Curls to talk about her work to make Corporate America a safe place for natural hair.

Fast Fasts about Sherri

             Name: Sherri of Corporate Curls

Age: Still a Spring Chicken

From: North Carolina

Job: Corporate America – Manger of people. 

Lex: What are some of your hobbies?

Sherri: I love creating beauty with my hands including, but not limited to, drawing, styling hair, painting, and sewing.

Watch Me Work: Popular Black TV Characters in Corporate America

I asked several of my friends and families members to name a popular Black TV character in Corporate America. Every answer was preceded by a long pause. Often their answers were of Black professionals who were not necessarily in a corporate profession. Here are a few of my picks for Black Corporate TV characters:

Gina Waters, Martin

The title character’s better half Gina Waters works for a public-relations firm. She is one of the few characters on the show who is identified as college-educated. She is also often accused of being stuck up.  Not only is she a Black corporate professional, but so is her boss Mr. Whitaker. She ultimately moves up the ranks to a promotion as senior vice president of her firm’s LA office. Her promotion appears to present a conflict for her love life with Martin, but the couple jointly decides to move to LA to further their careers.

Kyle Barker, Living Single

Kyle Barker is a stockbroker living in New York and the stylish neighbor of the show's leading ladies. Through the show's run he earns multiple promotions. His iconic natural hairstyle became an issue when he was up for partner at his firm, not from the White partners, but from the other Black person in the room. One of his more memorable corporate moments was his impassioned defense of his hairstyle as an expression of his heritage. 

The Corporate Headshot

 After canceling the last session for fear of embarrassment, I’m taking my corporate headshot. This will be my professional image for the next few years. Clients, higher-ups, and even rivals may come across this picture. I’m nervous. In my nervousness, I took to the internet for helpful tips and examples of good pictures. 

Corporette recommends: “To start, we would recommend first looking at the existing pictures for your firm. Particularly, flip to the female partners — what are they wearing? Our guess is that they’re wearing a classic suit and pearls. In light of the debate about how to wear shirt collars, we would recommend wearing a collar-less shirt (just our humble opinion), and the best pair of pearls you own.”

My Hips Won't Hide

Not all Black women are curvy, thick, round (whatever we’re calling it)…but some are. I am somewhere between a pear and an hourglass (see above). At school this was fine: sweat pants, maxi dresses, stretchy jeans and flowy tops… I could wear what I wanted, no matter how ill-fitting or misguided the choice.

Now, I work in Corporate America. My office is business casual, but even that can be complicated.  My big, Black body is just not corporate.