If you think it’s silly as a professional woman to talk about and spend time on your style, what you wear, and how you look, you’re not alone.

But I think we’ve been wrong about that.

After I’ve done the work to prepare for a hearing or trial, I’m embarrassed to think about what I’m going to wear. Somehow, it feels trivial. Who cares how I look as long as I’m prepared?

Answer: I should care. Everyone will make judgments on what I say based on how I look. I’m not saying that’s an ideal world. I’m just saying it’s reality.

Here’s the problem: we, as women, are scrutinized more than men for what we wear, how we wear our hair. We are judged for wearing too much makeup or not enough. Our heels are too high or too low. Oftentimes, other women are our harshest critics.

But if we spend too much time on what we’ll wear, how we’ll wear our hair, how to do our makeup, and which heels to wear — all of which we are expected to do flawlessly –we’re being silly, vain.

That’s simply not going to work for me anymore.

How I look will have a direct impact on how the judge perceives what I’m saying, how the other attorneys interact with me. Like it or not, that’s a fact.

Importantly, if I’m pulling at my skirt that feels too short, or I’m tugging at my jacket that is not sitting right, I sure as hell am not focusing on what points I need to make, nor am I paying attention to what opposing counsel is saying. I’ll skulk to the podium if I’m not comfortable in what I’m wearing.

It’s hard to own the courtroom (or the boardroom) if you’re constantly pulling at the neckline on your top because you’re worried your boobs are showing too much.

And, of course, if you’re not confident in your appearance, it’s easy to feel like you shouldn’t be there, like you’re an imposter.

You should be planning your appearance in the same way you plan what you’ll say. Your style and your words are both important.