The goal in getting dressed for work is to project a professional, competent image, regardless of your employment level or career path.
The styles, colors, lengths and fit of your fashion choices will speak about your ability to do your job. You should be more concerned with looking professional than looking cute or trendy. The more distracting a piece of clothing or jewelry is, the less appropriate it is for office wear.
Things to Watch For
- Jewelry that is noisy is distracting. Select a small to moderate size earring and a single bracelet.
- Large over-sized or slouchy handbags look sloppy. Go with structured style.
- It is the details that make a difference in your appearance: manicured nails, run-free hose, scuff-free shoes, neat hair.
- Fit is everything in projecting a polished image. Pants should be fitted and free of visible pantie lines. Skirts should be loose enough to sit down in comfortably. Jackets should be able to be buttoned. And blouses shouldn’t gap between buttonholes.
- Be careful when wearing designer labels. Anything heavily logo-ed looks cluttered and frivolous in the work place. A small designer bag is fine; a logo trench coat looks ridiculous. Choose well-made items that are free from obvious designer labels for the most professional look.
Career Killers
- Too sexy: see-through lace, miniskirts, spaghetti straps, sheer sundresses, strappy stiletto sandals.
- Too casual: jeans, shorts, T-shirts, hats, sneakers.
- Too sloppy: wrinkled clothing, too many layers, baggy-fit clothing.
Business Dress Codes
Traditional (Formal) Business Attire - Matched business suits (skirt and if acceptable slacks and blazer), Closed-toe shoes (no sandals), Blouses, hose and conservative hair, jewelry and makeup are expected.
Corporate Casual Looks (Business Appropriate) – Dressy pants and a blouse, sleek jersey knits and skirts and tops are all examples of corporate casual. Denim, T-shirts and flip-flops — all ’90s phenoms — are only acceptable in the most casual of work environments.
Casual Friday – Depending on the business, this can mean anything from corporate casual instead of formal looks or “Wear your company logo polo and jeans.” If in doubt, ask a superior.
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