Dear Kelly: Can the sleeveless look— it’s not for female financial reporters

By Dian Vujovich

I’m a CNBC news junky. I have that channel on from before the markets open in the morning until around 6ish each day.  While today’s financial reporters on that network seem pretty bright and well versed, one thing that absolutely positively gripes me beyond belief is female financial news reporters who wear sleeveless attire.

Take Kelly Evans, for instance, a popular CNBC correspondent and  co-anchor. As temps in New York City lately have ranged in the single-digits and low-teens, she’s been sporting that sleeveless look.

Really, Kelly? It’s cold outside. And as anyone who has every appeared on television knows, it’s cold in the studios, too. So what’s up with that?

Since I don’t know Kelly, or why she’s going for hugely unprofessional   bare shoulder look—could it be male network hot shots insisting upon it, please say that isn’t so—let me apologize ahead of time for using her as a scapegoat to make my point that follows in letter form:

Dear Kelly,

As one female financial reporting professional to another, can the sleeveless outfit look. For openers, it’s not professional and secondly, makes you look really stupid when the temp outside is in single- or low-digits.

I’m not sure how this whole sleeveless look got started for female TV correspondents—perhaps we can blame it on Mrs. Obama and her well-honed shoulders. After all, there seem to be a lot of people who like to blame the Obama’s for everything so finger pointing at them on this issue might be a fit. Then again, Mrs. O. wasn’t the first First Lady to get into sleeveless in a big way; Jacqueline Kennedy likely holds that honor.

When living in the White House she made the sleeveless shift the look of the day—when the season called for it. That season was usually summer.

Then again, a sleeveless sheath has always had a place year-round when attending a cocktail party or any formal affair. But as a television financial news correspondent and anchor, you and others who share that same career, are succumbing to something women ought to think twice about: Dressing for the trend and not the workplace.

Call me old-fashioned and out of touch but the facts are, my dear, that while sleeveless might be the look of today, that sexy fit look really doesn’t sell news or stocks. If you don’t believe me you might put some credence in a study conducted in 2010 that revealed the sexier the female anchor the less men remember of what she said.

As a young female financial reporter, I’m going to guess that you’d prefer to be remembered for your brains and reporting acumen than your tat-free shoulders.

While I’m not sure if it’s you or your producers who suggest you bare all in the shoulder department, but it’s time to cover up. And to do so at least until the time is such that Jim Cramer decides to tear off the sleeves from his rolled-up white shirts or your co-host Bill Griffeth on “Closing Bell”, Tyler Mathisen, Rick Santelli and the other guys on the network rip the sleeves off of their spanky and sometimes expensive looking suit jackets.

After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?

From a  fan and friend in the female financial reporting world.