The Fashionista’s Guide to Professionalism

16Mar10

I recently splurged my tax refund check to buying a new wardrobe for a gig in the East Coast. All I kept thinking while at the check out counter was loans… rent… movers…

The fact is though, as much as I hate to admit it, looks matter. The way you present yourself in a professional environment will define how others perceive you, especially if you work in the B2B/B2C realm – think of it as high school 2.0.  You don’t need to wear the latest trends or brand names – simple cleanliness comes a long way.

Golden rule - always read up on your company’s guidelines and see if they value the corporate stickler look (suit + tie) or if they are pretty chill (the Google way).

Here are some DOs and DONTs:

Fellas

- No shorts. Let the ladies handle showing legs at work. Stick with slacks, and make sure you have your khakis, navys, blacks, and greys pressed and ready to go the night before.

- Lay low with the tats and earrings. If you have them it’s fine, but understand that it’s simply attracting unnecessary attention to yourself than the work you have to present.

- Tuck in your shirts, especially the collared ones. It just looks messy if you don’t.

- A nice belt, is the best and most attractive accessory for a guy. This is one way you can showcase your personality, yet still be classy.

- No tennis shoes, sneakers, or cowboy boots (unless you work at a ranch or Google).

- No Hawaiian/silky shirts. Be GQ, not “the Situation.”

Ladies

- Tuck in the girls before going to work. Unless you want to be known as “that girl” who gets what she wants because of what she has, make sure that you look chic instead of exuberating sex appeal.

- Do away with minis. Save them for a night out, and find skirts that hit your knees. My favorites are pencil skirts since they define your shape.

- Don’t overdo jewelry, it just makes you look flashy. If you have your ears pierced, try nice diamond (or sterling silver) studs. They will match every outfit, and if you’re on a budget are cost effective.

- As girls, we have so many options with shoes – Wedges, Peep toes, Boots. Here are some online shoe portals that sell name brand shoes at a fraction of the price: Endless, Bluefly , the OutNet, Net-a-Porter, Zappos

- Remember, “A girl should should be classy and fabulous” ~ Coco Chanel

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Tags: business casual, discount shopping, fashion, interviewing, professional attire, work