Top 10 Tips for Dressing For Success

Top 10 Tips for Dressing For Success Top 10 Tips For Dressing For SuccessPosted October 13, 2011, by Andrea Riddell While working in an amtsstube environment, its crucial to adhere to the dress code. After all, the way colleagues and clients view you can help make or break your professional reputation. Dressing for work if you dont have a uniform, or work in a business casual environment can often seem like a tedious and difficult chore, especially when performed five days a week, forty-odd weeks in a year. However, such an irksome routine of getting dressed in the morning can easily be mastered by following these ten tips. 1. Be prepared Planning your outfits the night before can help you avoid looking like you got dressed in the dark. This can also help to eliminate any stress that can arise in the likely event that your go-to pants are in the wash and you have to put together an award-winning outfit in five minutes or youll miss your bus. Planning ahead can also reduce the chanc es of you committing the number one fashion crime of wearing the same outfit twice. Plus, you can use the extra minutes in the morning to catch up on some zs. 2. Invest in an iron If you plan on being taken seriously by your colleagues then the first step is to take your own appearance very seriously. The way you dress yourself each morning portrays your attitude to work and life. If your creased and crumpled shirt is telling your boss that you couldnt care less if you got that promotion or leid, then why on earth would they give it to you? Ironing your clothes is not something you should just pull out for job interviews it should be mandatory for all occasions. 3. Dress like your boss As the saying goes, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. The best way to gauge the dress code of the office is to emulate the people who zustrom the place. If your boss has a penchant for the jeans and collared shirt combo then you too should happily indulge however, caution must be tak en when venturing into the territory of golf-themed ties and socks emblazoned with Bart Simpson. 4. Dont forget to polish Leave scruffy shoes in the past with your school uniform. As an adult you have no excuse for not being able to see your reflection staring up at you when you peer down at your feet. Polish will take years off your leather and instantly signal you as a serious player in the company. That said, dont forget to team your black shoes with a nice clean pair of black socks unless, of course, youre one of the Blues Brothers. 5. Overdressed is better than underdressed This does not mean that you should dress as if you are heading out for a night in Kings Cross. Instead, plan your daily outfits as if you have an extremely important meeting with an extremely important client. This way youll be prepared for anything, including if that important client just so happens to be in town. And have no qualms about looking ridiculously overdressed. In the words of stylist to the sta rs Rachel Zoe, Whats the worse that can happen? Youre the best dressed at the party? 6. Quality over quantity Investing in quality basic office apparel will not only save you money in the long run but also help you look like the star employee that you are. The last thing you want is to enter a meeting with a client only to find the button on your bargain bin shirt has popped off right at chest level. Suits in classic colours black and navy that are tailored to your body will help you avoid looking like a 5-year-old playing grown-ups. 7. Less does not equal more Unless you make money from wearing less clothing than the average human, it is advised to take a conservative approach when dressing for the corporate world. Immediately eliminate anything your mother would deem too tight, too short, too see-through in fact, anything that is described with a too in front of it needs to be thrown into the weekend pile. Leaving things to the imagination can be the difference between respect and ridicule. This also goes for fashion faux pas such as Visible Panty Line, plumbers crack and black bras under white shirts. 8. Comfort = confidence If you spend most of your workday literally running in and out of the office, scaling large flights of stairs or visiting building sites then make sure your outfit accommodates your daily activities. Leave the towering high heels for days when youre comfortably sitting at your desk instead of chasing taxis. Wear your favourite shirt on a day that you know will be particularly stressful. If you feel comfortable then this will help you to relax and focus without being distracted about whether your new tie matches your shirt. 9. Dare to be different It is so easy to fall into a rut when it comes to your office wardrobe, but dressing for todays workplaces is no longer black and white. A whole new playing field has opened up in office dressing, so dont be afraid to inject a little bit of fun into your outfit with colour, prints, detailing and accessories. A brooch attached to your blazer lapel can be all it takes. And as frivolous as it sounds, sometimes an exciting outfit can be all the incentive you need to get up and slog through a hard days work. 10. Be yourself Dont lose yourself in the rules of office dressing. The fashion world is the fiercest advocate of the rule that rules are meant to be broken (especially top 10 lists). While dressing appropriately is key, this doesnt equate to forgoing your personality or sense of style. Whatever the dress code is, personalise your outfit with your own brand of magic. Life is too short to look boring. If youre baffled by what a smart casual dress code looks like, check out our tips on dressing for success in a business casual environment. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchestop universities of australiaworkplace etiquette tipstop answers to job interview questionscareer tipshow to ace your next interview CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineAndrea RiddellRelated ArticlesBrowse moreEntrepreneurshipStart-upForget the workforce, create your own employmentDont wait for redundancy, think about starting your own business nowCareer inspoDream jobsWhat did you want to be when you were a kid?To celebrate Childrens Week, we find out what the Career FAQs team dreamed of becoming when they were were youngsters with skinned knees and bigs dreams.CoworkersDressing for workHow To Cope With Your First Day At WorkStarting a new job? Follow our guidelines and youll breeze through your first day with ease.