Dressing For The Office

Dressing For The Office

Does your performance at work relate to the good job you do or is your performance dictated by your dress style?  

 Does your boss you take your job seriously or is he more concerned about the length of your skirt or the name of the brand you are wearing or worse still by the size of your boobs?  Are you confident enough in your own abilities to make a fashion statement of your own at work? Do you take your role seriously enough and believe in the good job you are doing or do you dress to impress your boss at work?

Now while in the Western world it is best to dress modestly, a corporate wardrobe does not have to be boring, or of poor fit or even attention avoiding. There are definite standards which need to be considered when dressing for work, but there are many ways you can express your own personal dress style and make a statement about who you are so that you are still taken seriously in your job.

There is nothing worse than being stuck in a job you do not like  while not being able to wear the clothes that make you feel comfortable. You can be creative whilst still dressing appropriately for the office. The additional confidence you will exude when wearing something that makes you look and feel good will show up in your performance and really make your boss sit back and notice you. It is OK to dress to impress at the office so long as it is done tastefully in the right way.

Here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts when choosing a wardrobe to wear to the office:

Don’ts

•  Don’t have your  hemline too short – you need to be able to sit down or bend over without showing your knickers
• Don't wear clothes too tight so you cannot move properly - they are too restrictive and may affect your performance
• Don’t bear too much skin by having the neckline too low or strapless dresses or low backlines or sheer see through fabrics
• Don’t be too flamboyant and look like a Christmas tree
• Don’t overdress or under dress. Formal outfits or party gear are not appropriate for the office, and on the other end of the scale nor are shaggy jeans or beach shorts unless specifically specified.
• Don’t wear unclean or unkempt clothes to work

Do’s 

• Do dress to impress in a business or professional way
• If new to the office access what everyone else is wearing and fit in with the general style. Business or Casual or Uniform?
• If on the road visiting clients find out what the clients expect from a supplier and dress accordingly
• Do wear dresses, skirts and pants made of quality fabrics which give you a look of wealth and success. Cotton, wool, linen are always good.
• Do keep your wardrobe well maintained and laundered and ironed
• Accessorize your business attire with jewellery and scarves which make a statement but are not over the top
• Do wear bold colors or patterns such as hounds tooth, plaid or minimalist floral which are ideal for work
• Do wear pastel colors with earth tones or suits
• Do mismatch blazers and pants but be sure that the tones complement each other. 
• If wearing shorts or ¾ pants team them up with a blazer or jacket and tights and trendy shoes or boots to make them look more corporate.
• Do choose blouses which are feminine and made of silk, cotton or satin which do not crease too much during the day.  
• Do wear looser silk blouses which are more feminine than stiff white button downs ones and big sleeves look great. A tie at the collar always adds extra elegance.
• Do wear jackets and blazers with unique contours, structures, padded shoulders, belted waistlines which are well cut and fitted
• Do wear trendy well cut skirts which flow well and are both feminine and corporate. Pleats or inserts are fabulous as well as A line or straight skirts.
• Do have your pants tailored to fit – whether straight legs, skinny legs or pants with a flare
• Do wear knee high leather boots which  really good look  under skirts or worn over skinny pants
• Do  keep your look tailored and professional - wear belts and scarves
• Keep a pair of high heel shoes at work to wear if you suddenly need to go out visiting clients or suppliers, or attend a board meeting etc

Whatever you do, dress appropriately for the office  - you want to be known for your intellect not for you sex appeal.

Dress To Impress

 My mother always told me that it was really important to always dress to impress and this lesson has lasted me throughout my life - a little word of wisdom from a ray of sunshine.

No matter what you are wearing it should always be worn to its full benefit. Whether you are dressing

formally or casually, or even if you are in uniform or going to a pyjama party your clothes should be as appropriate and fashionable as possible.

First of all make sure that the clothes you wear are clean and pressed because nothing detracts more from an outfit than if it is unkempt. Then ensure that your clothing style suits the occasion. If going to a wedding or the races or a red carpeted social event it is appropriate to wear long gowns and tails. Jeans are not acceptable. Dress codes for these events are dictated by the promoter and it is important to adhere to their requests.

If going shopping or visiting friends, casual clothing is called for. But in order to impress clothing must be well cared for and worn in taste. I was at a rugby game the other day and an attractive but rather chubby young woman was in front of me. Her skirt was so short that you could see the edge of her buttocks and it looked terrible. Now it may be acceptable for a Maori Warrior in NZ to bear is bare tattooed bottom to Prince William and his lovely wife Catherine but protocol and decorum must be followed. This girl was quite a pretty little thing but spoilt her whole look by appearing slutty. I am sure she didn’t mean to have that look and my mother would not have let me out the door in an outfit so revealing. Now I am not a prude but clothes worn in this manner do not impress but rather attract ridicule and criticism in stead. The Maori warrior certainly attracted a lot of media and social attention.

Take the case of Princess Beatrice who wore that ridiculous hat to William and Catherine’s in 2012. Her inappropriate fascinator did not impress but earnt ridicule and scorn from newspapers and social media comments from all over the world. Do you want to be the subject such negative publicity and a source of such derision? If not then choose clothes which make a good positive impression rather than bring in negative comments.It may not be related but it seems to me that this episode had a significant impact on social protocol with Royal Ascot announcing in 2012 that women will have to wear hats, not fascinators, as part of a tightening of the dress code in Royal Ascot's Royal Enclosure.

If at work it is not appropriate to wear clothing that reveals too much skin. A place of work is not a meat market, unless of course you work in a brothel which has an entirely different dress code requirement. Always dress demurely for work. It is more important to be noticed in the workplace for what you do in your job rather than how sexily you dress. Save the sexy look for when you go to a nightclub or out to dinner with your boyfriend.  

A good way to dress to impress is to accessorize to your outfit. Especially if you cannot afford a new designer outfit and the clothes you have in your wardrobe are tired and drab. An accessory  completes an outfit and if chosen carefully adds a unique sense of glamor and sophistication to the wearer's look.  Bold, glitzy, ostentatious and colorful necklaces, bangles and rings and other pieces of jewellery, scarves, shoes and handbags can be thought upon as lavish pieces of art, worn to attract attention. They are an important status symbol, because this type of body adornment is easy for others to notice immediately and says something about who you are.

Make sure that whatever you decide to wear is stylish and complements your base outfit and enhances it – not the other way. The good thing is that if chosen carefully to match your outfit, your accessories will not only be beautiful, trendy and stylish but they can be affordable as well and do not need to break your budget particularly if you buy it online.