Gilda

I dress in a pretty feminine manner most of the time, but in my job--I'm a middle school teacher--I can't go too sexy. This is a conscious choice on my part.

First, I can't really go the overtly sexy route because I work with 12 and 13 year old boys, and if you've ever seen boys this age, you can practically see the hormones bouncing off the insides of their bodies. A female dressed in a sexy manner might cause problems; the 12 and 13 year old girls are enough of a distraction as it is.

Second, I like to go pretty feminine most of the time mostly because that's just how I'm wired--I'm a girly girl. But partially it's a conscious choice because I make no effort to hide my sexual orientation at work--I've gone to sporting events and graduation with my SO--and I like not to reinforce unfair stereotypes, not that I'd go the butch rout if it were acceptable anyway.

As for the case in the OP, I think it is entirely fair to judge someone who relates to the public as a representative of their organization in part based on how theyr'e dressed. You'd never see me at work in a tank top and a pair of hot pants, just because I don't think that would be very professional. We'd also need to see her applications, work evaluations, and those of the people promoted above her to know if her allegations are true.

I don't know how it is for the really attractive; I'm only moderately pretty, so I fall into that same category most of us are in of not so good-looking nor so bad-looking that it has much of an effect on our jobs. I think how we dress, and our overall manner of presentation is what is most important most of the time.