Dressing for Success 101: How to Look Your Best as a Successful Working Professional
One of the key things that most people often have difficulty with when working in any office environment is the adherence to a company’s dress code. Unless a company has a standard uniform for employees to wear, it can be rather tedious and challenging for the average person to dress up for work each day with a different outfit, particularly if they don’t have an eye for fashion. So what’s a style-deficient individual to do in this type of situation? If you can personally relate to this sartorial dilemma, then consider all of your style prayers answered since you can have the power to look great at work.
What you need to understand is that dressing up for work isn’t exactly rocket science; there’s absolutely no reason for you to be intimidated by fashion, nor should you find excuses to show up at work looking less than presentable. As a working professional, it’s our responsibility to put some considerable thought with your everyday appearance because how you look greatly affects how other people think of you. As much as possible, you always want to make a good impression from head to toe. That being said, here are some helpful style tips for you to take note of so you can confidently dress for success.
Do your style homework
Fashion magazines exist for a reason, and they’re actually very helpful resources for people who don’t have a clue about various office dress codes. Look through the pages of some popular style glossies to help you generate ideas on office-appropriate outfits, as well as visual references on how to mix and match items which you already have in your closet. Furthermore, looking at images displayed in fashion magazines will help you gain a greater understanding of what styles, colors, shapes, and proportions will work best for you.
Alternatively, another great solution you can do when brushing up on your style homework is to go online and visit blogs or websites dedicated to giving fashionable advice and stories to readers. You’ll be able to get such valuable infomation quicker online, plus you’ll absorb such details quicker if you are able to watch instructional videos aside from perusing photos and reading how-to guides. Make sure to keep everything you’ve learned in mind so you’ll know exactly what to do before heading off to work for the day.
Prepare ahead of time
Rather than stressing out on what you have to wear on the morning of a typical work day, it’s best to plan your outfit beforehand so you won’t have to waste precious time deciding on a look right after taking a shower and finishing your daily grooming routine. Ideally, you should select the look you want to wear the night before since you’ll have plenty of time to go through your wardrobe and determine what garments you want to wear for work.
Moreover, this approach allows you to come up with several outfit combinations that you could wear for the next few days. Always pay attention to details because a perfectly coordinated look is key to making a solid sartorial impression with your colleagues. From the shirt you’ll be wearing to the type of shoes you’ll be sporting, you must be very thorough when curating your work outfit of the day to ensure you look like a winner.
Understand the dress code
Depending on the type of company you’re working for and the kind of work culture in your office, interpreting the dress code correctly is important because you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb and be called out for not following house rules. When in doubt, you must approach your human resources department for any questions or clarifications you might have concerning the dress code. This will allow you to make the right choices and be less frightened about how to present yourself in the best way possible on a daily basis.
For example, if you work for a company that requires employees to follow a formal and corporate theme, then your default ensemble should be something along the lines of a clean and tailored suit in a conservative yet tasteful color palette consisting of a crisp long-sleeved shirt, a necktie with a subtle pattern, a jacket with matching trousers, and the entire outfit accessorized with polished leather shoes plus a disccreetly sophisticated timepiece on your wrist for good measure.
Invest in high-quality garments
The worst thing that you could possibly do is to show up at work wearing clothes that may adhere to your company’s dress code, but looking like they’re on their last legs. Wearing shabby garments is pretty much inexcusable and sends a bad impression to your co-workers. Avoid this mistake by making sure you take inventory of your entire closet and removing any and all items that aren’t fit for display at the office. Once that’s done, the next step is to take a shopping trip so you could make serious style upgrades.
Never shop for your work clothes online because it’s imperative for you to be in a physical store where you can try on the garments and see if they fit you properly. Additionally, you must purchase the most essential basics which you know will be worn on heavy rotation in any given work week. These may include items like tailored shirts, pants, blazers, coats, jackets, socks, and shoes. Such pieces may be expensive—especially if you decide to get garments that are made-to-measure—but definitely worth it if it means looking your best.
Don’t forget about comfort
Another key element that you must take into serious consideration when dressing for work is to choose pieces that not only looks good on you, but are also comfortable to wear. It’s pretty much pointless for you to wear something that looks great but doesn’t feel right when worn on your body. When you sense discomfort, it will have a direct effect on your confidence and productivity levels, and you simply can’t afford to let that happen at work.
However, if you wear something stylish yet cozy, you’ll have no problems getting through the day since you’re confident in the fact that your clothes aren’t holding you back. Striking the right balance between style and sensibility may be tricky, but certainly not impossible to achieve. Furthermore, if you know that you’re going to be facing a particularly stressful day, wearing your favorite work clothes will go a long way to helping you achieve a confident state of mind and giving you the boost you need to get things done with ease.
Showcase your personality
One of the easiest ways that people will understand who you are as a person is through the clothes you wear. No matter how strict or relaxed the dress code is at the office you’re working in, there are always clever ways for you to inject a bit of your personality into what you’re wearing on any given work day. Always remember that even in a workplace setting, fashion is supposed to be fun and is a visual form of your personal expression and identity.
For instance: if you’re sick and tired of wearing conservative corporate suits week in and week out, you can shake things up by infusing subtle yet playful flourishes that will help you stand out from the rest but still keeping in line with your company’s rigid dress code. These stylistic twists can be anything from wearing tailored shirts in soft pastel colors, sporting a collection of neckties done in various colors or prints, or even changing the shoes on your feet from a shiny black leather with a mirrored finish to a pair of dark mahogany brown leather with a lovely matte appearance. The sartorial possibilities are definitely endless!
