Do you dress for success? Is your wardrobe complete with the clothing and accessory items that you need to look professional? Is it at least proper for your current position and adequate for the position that you are trying to attain? There are many coaching resources available for wardrobe, fashion, and overall appearance. I would suggest that you be very attentive to successful people and make note of how the look. Try to look appropriately professional all the time.
Don’t take the easy way out and default to what is comfortable or cool. Dress appropriately to the success level that you hope to achieve. Dress to command the kind of respect that you want. If you are striving for increased professionalism, your wardrobe will help.
You can certainly develop your own style as long as it is designed for your own growth and advancement. The best advice that I have learned is from self-help expert, Shawna Schuh. She tells us that the way we look is a gift to others, not ourselves. She advises us to use color and dress appropriately in every case.
People recognize how you look and you want them to remember you for your outstanding appearance. Again, don’t just default to what others are wearing or what feels comfortable for you. Remember that your clothing is a huge part of your appearance. People will judge you on your appearance whether that is appropriate and correct or not. This something that you can control. So do so.
Dressing up can be difficult at times because the default can often be to wear what is convenient. How often do we see people in public with sweats or non-matching clothes, or hair or makeup that is out of order? What can one gain from that? Nothing. On the other hand, a little effort to improve your appearance at all times at least has the potential at all times to help you. Fix yourself up the best that you can in order to make a good impression on others and to extend that gift of your best self to others.
2 comments:
This is one of my pet peeves. It's SO simple, yet people don't seem to ever get it. Here it is ... drumroll please ...
If you want to be regarded as a serious professional, then dress like one!
Does your style say, "I'm an up-and-comer" or "I'm inept"? See what these fashion statements say about you at work:
1. You're headed off to your job at a young, fast-paced, high-tech company and show up in jeans and gym shoes. What your style says about you: 'I'm lazy and not really interested in advancing in this position.'
2. You come to work every day with a crumpled shirt and 20-year old slacks, thinking nobody probably notices anyway. What your style says about you: "I'm messy. If I'm this careless about the way I dress everyday, imagine how much I will mess up any projects I'm assigned."
3. You wear "club attire" to the office because you're meeting friends out after work. What your style says about you: "I dress provocatively because I'm hiding my lack of professional qualifications."
4. You see no harm in maintaining your individuality amidst the homogenous corporate crowds. (Besides, the pink hair dye is only temporary.) What your style says about you: "I'm thumbing my nose at the prevailing company culture and don't care if I'm not taken seriously."
5. The bulk of your wardrobe is beyond retro, looking more like it came from your late uncle Lenny's closet.
What your style says about you: "I'm out of the loop. I rarely poke my head out of my cubicle and fully expect to retire from this same position years from now."
Most people make initial decisions about you in the first five minutes they meet you. That abbreviated window could be an excellent opportunity to project a confident, professional image or just enough time for them to decide you're not management material.
The key is ... knowing what is acceptable in your industry. If you want to be taken seriously, then dress like it.
Great points Sharon!!
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