Dressing for Success

Dressing for Success

The old saying may be"It's what's inside that counts," in the workplace the outside definitely "counts" as well Dress influences the image that people create about you and how they will fill in the blanks Wearing the wrong clothes can cause others to lose sight of your intelligence or capabilities Your goal when getting dressed for work is to project a professional, competent image, regardless of your employment level or career path Here are some guidelines for successful workplace dressing

Dress for the Job You Want, Not the Job You Have

>Take note of what your boss wears and aim to dress like him or her If he or she is a member of the opposite sex, look to executives in your company that are of your same sex and emulate them
>Your goal is to dress to impress and fit in, not to shock or out-do
>While you are climbing the corporate ladder you want them to think: "he or she fits right in here and reflects the mindset of our team"
>Invest in Your Wardrobe
>Invest in the highest quality clothing you can afford Your boss and co-workers are sure to take notice Choose well-made items that are free from obvious designer labels for the most professional look
>Men-stay away from casual trousers like chinos or Dockers which look immature and lazy in an office setting
>Women-fit is essential Make sure the pants and skirts you buy actually fit you, or take them to a tailor Too-short skirts and shirts that pull at the buttons are never appropriate
>Dry clean or at least wash your clothing yourself and then bring them to the dry-cleaner for professional pressing at about half the cost of dry-cleaning

Basic Business Dress-Codes

Business Attire:
Business suit and tie for men
Women can wear classic skirts or pressed trousers with nice blouses, but clothing should be tailored and well-fitting, with no open-toed shoes
Hair should be clean-cut and carefully styled Facial hair should be groomed

Business Casual:

Clothing should be conservative and nice Button-down shirts, trousers, blouses, sport coats and skirts are appropriate
Skirts should be knee-length or longer

Casual:

This is the most poorly interpreted dress code option Casual still means work-appropriate, so your clothing must still be neat and conservative
Looks to Avoid at All Costs
Too sexy: see through lace, miniskirts, spaghetti straps, sheer sundresses, stilettos
Too casual: jeans, shorts, T-Shirts, hats, sneakers, flip-flops
Too sloppy: wrinkled clothing, too many layers, extremely baggy-fitting clothing
Remember, if you question whether your look is appropriate, it probably isn't