All That Glitters Isn't Gold
For most of the business world, the meaning of "dress appropriately" isn't found in corporate policy. It will never be discussed by the CEO and seldom is anyone fired because they didn't "get it". But, if you want to be taken seriously, look professional, and have the best chance for advancement, you should realize the following:
Everything must be clean: your clothes, your shoes, your hair, your fingernails, your ears (yes, mama was right), your underwear. Everything must fit properly. No matter what you weigh, if it fits well, you look better.
For women: It is not cute, admired or career building to emulate current trendy fashion or television business apparel at work. It is never good for your clothes to get more attention than your work. Never show cleavage. Linen will not hold it's press or shape for a whole day of work; save it for outside business. Extremely high heels, exposed toes, flip flops, and super trendy shoes should not come to work. Shorts, mini skirts, high slits, sleeveless and any jewelry that makes noise should be left for your social life. Your purse should never be larger than your head.
For men: Iron it if it isn't permanent press. Nothing you can wear says "I'm a sloppy worker" more than wrinkled clothes and unpolished shoes. If you are loosing your hair, accept it as a part of your person. A man that is bald and proud of it says he has a good sense of his own worth. Pony tails and other trendy hair fashion should be modified unless it is the accepted by upper management.
If you can't afford really good suits, pants, coats, shirts/blouses, shoes and accessories, buy a few good pieces of neutral colored clothes. Hit the sale rack or second hand stores but get yourself something that says, "I came here to help this company succeed" and "My work will be as professional as the way I look."
Some work environments are more casual. Some highly creative atmosphere's will encourage and accept unusual or highly stylistic clothes. It is a mistake to assume you have entered that environment in the beginning. Wear conservative until you see the officers. Don't pattern your dress on lower level employees or the house rebel. Look at your boss's boss or the President/CEO for what they consider appropriate. They dress the way they do because they feel it makes them look professional. They will use the same gauge when looking at you.
If you wear a uniform or something not office attire, make sure it is clean, not stained and neat. Repair tears and get new when it begins to wear out. The tattered look only makes you look sloppy when in a business environment.
You may say, "They shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" or "It's business casual" or "I'm young and we dress this way." No one said corporate/business was fair. Take a cold hard look at your motives. Do you want to stay employed? Do you want to advance within the company? Do you want your work respected on it's own merit? Do you want to be taken seriously? Ignore how to dress properly at work and you will never know why these things didn't happen. No one will tell you. Dress appropriately, and it will be a visible sign you have a plan to be a professional. It isn't caving in to the old people, it isn't selling yourself out, it's being business smart.
Everything must be clean: your clothes, your shoes, your hair, your fingernails, your ears (yes, mama was right), your underwear. Everything must fit properly. No matter what you weigh, if it fits well, you look better.
For women: It is not cute, admired or career building to emulate current trendy fashion or television business apparel at work. It is never good for your clothes to get more attention than your work. Never show cleavage. Linen will not hold it's press or shape for a whole day of work; save it for outside business. Extremely high heels, exposed toes, flip flops, and super trendy shoes should not come to work. Shorts, mini skirts, high slits, sleeveless and any jewelry that makes noise should be left for your social life. Your purse should never be larger than your head.
For men: Iron it if it isn't permanent press. Nothing you can wear says "I'm a sloppy worker" more than wrinkled clothes and unpolished shoes. If you are loosing your hair, accept it as a part of your person. A man that is bald and proud of it says he has a good sense of his own worth. Pony tails and other trendy hair fashion should be modified unless it is the accepted by upper management.
If you can't afford really good suits, pants, coats, shirts/blouses, shoes and accessories, buy a few good pieces of neutral colored clothes. Hit the sale rack or second hand stores but get yourself something that says, "I came here to help this company succeed" and "My work will be as professional as the way I look."
Some work environments are more casual. Some highly creative atmosphere's will encourage and accept unusual or highly stylistic clothes. It is a mistake to assume you have entered that environment in the beginning. Wear conservative until you see the officers. Don't pattern your dress on lower level employees or the house rebel. Look at your boss's boss or the President/CEO for what they consider appropriate. They dress the way they do because they feel it makes them look professional. They will use the same gauge when looking at you.
If you wear a uniform or something not office attire, make sure it is clean, not stained and neat. Repair tears and get new when it begins to wear out. The tattered look only makes you look sloppy when in a business environment.
You may say, "They shouldn't judge a book by it's cover" or "It's business casual" or "I'm young and we dress this way." No one said corporate/business was fair. Take a cold hard look at your motives. Do you want to stay employed? Do you want to advance within the company? Do you want your work respected on it's own merit? Do you want to be taken seriously? Ignore how to dress properly at work and you will never know why these things didn't happen. No one will tell you. Dress appropriately, and it will be a visible sign you have a plan to be a professional. It isn't caving in to the old people, it isn't selling yourself out, it's being business smart.
posted by Diane Gibson at
12:36 PM
