Carol Kinsey Goman says that in an era of casual work clothes and ‘dress-down Fridays’ what you wear still matters on the road to business success.
My friend Joyce is an entrepreneur, and one of the secrets of her success is the way she dresses.
Even when traveling to and from a vacation, Joyce is in a dress and heels.
Her motto: “Wear great clothes. You never know whom you’ll meet!”
She may be onto something.
Everything you do makes some kind of statement; you can’t not communicate.
The fact Joyce travels in a dress instead of jeans and a tee shirt, even when she’s not on a business trip, sends a message.
The old saying: “You can’t judge a book by its cover” may be true, but packaging designers have created an industry betting that people do judge products based on how they look.
Career counsellors still advise their clients to dress for the job they want not the job they currently have.
Still, the question: “How should I dress at work?” comes up at every women’s conference I address.
Sharon Stone is a fashion stylist and personal shopper.
She has a flair for style that’s made her a top pick of celebrities. I asked her advice.
Carol: There are many different types of workplaces ranging from open creative offices to more traditional corporate environments.
Do you have some general guidelines about appropriate dressing for a professional woman?
Sharon: While we all know how to dress in our time off and for special occasions, appropriate dressing in the workplace can often be a bit of a grey area.
The basic guidelines to follow are simple: Proper fit, classic style and neatness.
In general, a proper fit goes a long way towards a professional look.
This may mean updating your wardrobe if you’ve changed sizes, as we all do, or if you haven’t replaced your wardrobe in a while.
Dated and faded attire belie your professionalism.
Keep it simple. Trends are great and lots of fun to follow, but the workplace is an environment where the understated is more appropriate.
In such an environment it is better to have your great performance command the attention, not your wardrobe.
Cleanliness and neatness are always in style, and never more so than in a professional environment.
Do some research on Pinterest, Instagram, and online for business dressing for inspiration.
Carol: I’ve presented my Body Language for Women Who Lead program at several successful firms, and I am amazed at the array of low-cut necklines I see on women in the audience.
What are your thoughts about this?
Sharon: The workplace should be a cleavage-free zone.
While there is absolutely a time and a place to embrace a plunging neckline, the workplace is definitely neither of those.
It is a distraction and unprofessional.
Carol: I’m all for women dressing in a fashion that makes them feel attractive and confident, but I also advise women to take themselves (and their professional reputation) seriously.
When I talk about ‘dress for success’, I mean dressing in ways that build, not diminish, their credibility.
Women in managerial positions who dress in sexy attire (low-cut tops and too-short skirts) are viewed as less intelligent.
Even other women take them less seriously.
Many workplaces have embraced a ‘casual Friday’ look all week long.
Does this make it easier to dress for success?
Sharon: While it is important to be comfortable at work you also want to make sure that your look is a polished one.
Unless you happen to work in the fitness or sporting goods industry there is absolutely no reason that ‘athleisure’ should be present in a professional workplace.
Slacks, pants, skirt or dress are the basic wardrobe from which to choose.
Carol: Thank you, Sharon, for these great tips.
Let me add that, as with every other piece of nonverbal communication, you need to consider first what ‘success’ means in a particular context.
Appropriate dress is a way of expressing respect for the situation and the people in it.
Therefore, your look may change depending on the business circumstances.
Teresa is a management consultant and a master at dressing for the role.
She loves to wear hot pink, turquoise and fire-engine red silk dresses with stiletto heels and lots of bling to work in her office.
However, the moment she has to meet with a conservative client, or one who is going through difficult times, Teresa transforms herself into a prim professional.
In her words: “The success I dress for is that of my client.”
One member of her staff recalls meeting Teresa at the headquarters of a non-profit religious organisation where they were to conduct focus groups.
The staff member barely recognised her stylish boss.
By dressing more like the client, Teresa fitted right in.
I know it’s superficial, but in a job interview, and indeed any business meeting, you are being evaluated, at least to some degree, by your appearance, clothing and grooming.
If you want to be judged as a consummate professional, you need to dress the part.
*Carol Kinsey Goman is a keynote speaker, leadership coach and faculty member for the Institute for Management Studies. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article first appeared on Carol’s webpage.
