I was told to cover my shoulders at my first finance job. Now I make videos about how to dress at work.

"When I was fresh out of college at my first job, it was a hot summer day, and I wore slacks and a tank top to work. It wasn't spaghetti strap, but it was maybe a two-inch tank top, and my shoulders were showing. Somebody who I worked with, who was much more senior than me, said, "Hey, Arielle, you can't wear that. Cover your shoulders.""

"I could wear that shirt, but he meant that I wouldn't go very far if I dressed like that. He didn't even pull me aside; he said it in passing and kept going. I felt so humiliated, but all I could do was take that feedback and go to the opposite end of the spectrum. That was the only direct piece of feedback I received about my appearance at work, but I've gathered other information from years of working in the industry."

Arielle Sotiropoulos is a 30-year-old client relationship executive in New York who advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies. She is part of a private equity-focused business development team and is often the only woman in the room. Early in her career a senior colleague publicly told her to cover her shoulders, which left her humiliated and prompted her to alter her wardrobe toward the opposite extreme. She has received little direct feedback about appearance since but has observed comments implying that women's grooming affects career outcomes. She does not want to be remembered primarily for how she looks.

Read at Business Insider