Getting dressed for the office doesn't mean leaving your personal style behind. Here are some tips from www.about.com on dressing professionally for the workplace.
Your goal to getting dressed for work is to project a professional, competent image, regardless of your employment level or career path. The styles, colours, lengths and fit of your fashion choices will speak volumes about your ability to do your job. If you are concerned about your career, you'll be more concerned with looking professional than looking cute or trendy.
In general, the more distracting a piece of clothing or jewellery is, the less appropriate it is for office wear.
- Colour plays a big part in professional image. Traditional career colours include red (aggressive), navy (trustworthy), gray (conservative) and black (chic). Most of these colours work well in pantsuits, skirts and shoes.
- Jewellery that jangles (chandelier earrings, stacks of bangles) is distracting. Opt for stud earrings or single bracelets.
- Choose structured style handbags - these project an organized image.
- Most of what constitutes a polished image is in the details: manicured nails, run-free pantihose, scuff-free shoes, neat hair.
- Fit is everything when you are talking about tailored work clothes. Pants should be fitted, but free of visible panty lines. Skirts, especially straight styles like pencil skirts, should be loose enough to sit down in comfortably. Jackets should be able to be buttoned. And blouses shouldn't gap between buttonholes.
For further tips, visit our website and have a look at our latest free tips section here.
