Clothes That Work – A Woman’s Guide
to Professional Dressing
Getting dressed for
the office doesn't mean leaving your personal style behind.
Find out which looks give you a polished, professional look
and which fashions can be a career killer.
Be
Professional, Not Fashionable
Your goal to getting
dressed for work is to project a professional image regardless
of your employement level or career path.
The styles, colors,
lengths and fit of your fashion choices will speak about your
ability to do your job. If you are concerned about your
career, you'll be more concerned with looking professional
than looking cute or trendy.
According to my own
experience, in general, the more distracting a piece of
clothing or jewelry is, the less appropriate it is for office
wear.
Some guidelines to
looking polished:
-
Color plays a big
part in professional image. Traditional colors for business
fashion include red (aggressive), navy (trustworthy), gray
(conservative) and black (chic). Most of these colors work
well in pantsuits, skirts and shoes and mix back with softer
feminine colors that are appropriate like ice blue, lilac,
soft pink and ivory. Loud colors like hot pink and wild
prints are extremely risky in the office, but some creative
types can still pull them off.
-
Jewelry that jangles
is distracting. Choose stud earrings or single bracelets.
-
Most of what
constitutes a polished image is in the details: manicured
nails, run-free hose, scuff-free shoes, neat hair.
-
Fit is everything
when you are talking about tailored work clothes. Pants
should be fitted, but free of visible panty lines. Skirts,
especially straight styles like pencil skirts, should be
loose enough to sit down in comfortably. Jackets should be
able to be buttoned. And blouses shouldn't gap between
buttonholes.
-
Designer labels are
great, but heavily logoed clothing and accessories look
cluttered and frivolous in the work place. Choose well-made
items that are free from obvious designer labels for the
most professional look.
Career Killers
Unlike a fashion faux
pas, a career killer outfit can do your professional image
permanent damage.
Looks to avoid in the workplace:
-
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.
Try different styles,
be creative but serious in mind, you'll have a great work and
casual wardrobe that looks professional and well put together.
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