Dressing for the Professional World (For the Ladies)

My creative flare helps me form innovative concepts but continuously leads me astray when choosing professional attire.  I don't have that keen sense of style especially when faced with which tweed suit would look the best on someone in their twenties.  It's difficult to browse any department store for something that will impress the bosses but won't make me feel like I'm buying an outfit my mom would rock.

If this sounds familiar I found a great article that features some simple "Do's" and "Don'ts" to keep in mind.  I'll have some work cut out for me to keep my behavior off of the "Don'ts" list.  Oh giant filigree earrings, you are my weakness!

Sometimes Your Clothing Says More than You Do
The way you dress speaks volumes about who you are as a person and as a business communicator. Let's face it, clothes talk. Whenever you enter a room for the first time, it takes only a few seconds for people you've never met to form perceptions about you and your abilities. You don't have to utter a word; people peg you one way if you're dressed in black leather, another if you're squeezed into gold lamé, and yet another if you're sporting a classic suit. Regardless of who you really are, your clothes and body language always speak first.

First Things First

Some of the perceptions people can form solely from your appearance are:

• Your professionalism.
• Your level of sophistication.
• Your intelligence.
• Your credibility.

Whether these perceptions are real or imagined, they underscore how your appearance instantly influences the opinions of strangers, peers, and superiors. Being well dressed in a corporate setting can influence not just perceptions, but also promotions.

Do's and Don'ts to survive the formal dress code.

DO:

§         Always look professional

§         Dress for the audience, the circumstance, the corporate culture, and yourself

§         Wear clothes that fit

§         Make sure your clothes are pressed

§         Keep jackets buttoned (formal)

§         Err on the side of conservative

§         Keep your hair neat and trimmed

§         Mild (or no) fragrances

§         Wear heels (up to 1 1/2" to 2"), with a high vamp, with formal attire

§         Hose should be skin color or darker (carry an extra pair when presenting)

§         Conservative business make-up, stressing the mouth and eyes more if presenting

§         Check for lipstick on your teeth

§         Simple manicure

DON'T:

§         Wear clothes that talk louder than you do

§         Undo too many buttons on your blouse

§         Wear clothing that no longer fits

§         Wear wrinkled clothing

§         Fabrics that have a noticeable sheen from wear

§         Hair that falls in your face or obscures your eyebrows

§         Hair that requires continual adjustment

§         Fragrance that smells from a distance

§         ID badges when you're presenting

§         Busy patterns

§         Anything too bright, tight, sheer or short

§         Toe cleavage (open-toed shoes)

§         Heels so high you're unsteady

§         Light hose or light shoes

§         Too much makeup

§         Wear big, shiny buckles or jewelry

§         Earrings that are large or dangle

§         Bangle bracelets (or else anything noisy)

Copywrite: EGC Inc. Source: PS for Business Communicators