Picture courtesy of The New York Times
She was judged for what she wore.
She was ripped apart online.
She was called out of touch.
We only saw a picture.
We didn’t know her itinerary.
Yet she was judged for what she wore.
Every detail was outlined and ridiculed from her stilettos to her sunglasses.
She was never intending to get on a boat and help rescue stranded Houstonians. We also didn’t know if she had a change of clothes inside the chopper.
Yet we, the audience, judged her for how she looked. For what she wore. Twitter BLEW UP.
It’s not fair.
When I was a kid, I said it a lot.
“Life’s not fair,” is how my mom and dad would respond over and over. It didn’t make me feel any better. But, it’s true.
Life’s not fair.
I hear it from clients when I first tell them how much hair, makeup, wardrobe, jewelry, and facial hair count. We may want what’s inside of us to be the only thing that matters — but so much more creates the image an audience sees.
When we’re on stage or presenting in front of a small work group – we expect our expertise to be heard and seen…. and not the fact that we have two inches of roots and haven’t been able to get a haircut in months.
Life’s not fair.
We see it all. And we judge. Most times, we don’t even know we’re doing it. But what we see definitely adds to how we feel about a person.
What you wear is as important as what you say. You could have a doctorate in your field – but if what you look like is distracting – it’s hard to gain the trust of your audience.
Melania didn’t choose her role. Her husband chose it for her. What we can learn from her choices this week is that we all need people around us that we can trust to speak the truth. To tell us when we’re making a big mistake. To guide us on how an audience may perceive us in our decisions.
We can and should judge her team. And maybe that annoying FLOTUS baseball cap she wore too.
