Dress for success

Mark Twain once said, Clothes make a man. It is certainly true in the current social setup. Clothes are the man and are body only fills them up.

This is especially true when you are in office. What you wear becomes crucially important. Executives dress a certain way (formal, primp and proper, well groomed), creative people appear differently (a little ruffled, casual, artistic), professors look different (philosophical, long beard, hair, simple but sophisticated), a dare devil gives a different first impression (bold haircut and bold and loud dressing sense). There is no wonder women break their wallets for the daily fashion show in office. The cost starts to become a problem. You are not forced to buy branded, costly garments to make a impression. But is is true that naked people have little or no influence on society. Pretending that appearances don’t count is a well trod position but especially in the work world it is particularly naive.

In his recent book, Spent, psychologist Geoffery Miller takes pains to show how designer handbags, and designer credentials – such as elite MBA programs  contribute to the “hotness factor” to potential mates.

Thousands of years of evolution have ensured that we’re all exquisitely primed to show that we’re better looking, healthier, kinder and smarter than the competition – which in your case means other women in your office. These races among teh status conscious are the reason why barnds like Prada, Armani and Juicy Couture have a decent market share. This is because packaging matters.  “Take the exact same product and place it in either cheap or fancy package. Consumers will end up with completely different quality perceptions even though the product is exactly the same, wrote Gad Saad, an associate professor of marketing at John Molson school of Business.
BUt you dont have to go bankrupt to look good, some brands are “designed for real life”, Reitman clothing for instance. There are feel good purchases, such as scented candles and pricey lipsticks. During recession women gave up big purchases and replaced them with cheaper ways to pamper themselves and show off – especially to other women.
More ideas on this can be found in http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-openmind

Remember: head to toe—maintain your shoes.

Remember: head to toe—clean, well-groomed hair.

Iron out the rough spots—press your clothes.

Clark Kent had a superhero outfit—be prepared for emergencies.

Some career experts recommend keeping a “business professional” outfit on hand at your office. Just in case an emergency stakeholder meeting or last-minute client presentation comes up. Better to dress the part than to wear something inappropriate and feel awkward. It doesn’t hurt to keep a sewing kit on hand either, even if it’s just a needle, some thread and a few buttons in an empty plastic film canister.

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing—go easy on the accessories.

Count what you have on: earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets/bangles, brooches, belt. Career experts advise against overdoing it. Wear one ring on each hand (unless you wear an engagement ring and a wedding band), one earring in each ear, and only one neck chain. Wear your watch on one wrist and only one bracelet on the other. Large, dangling earrings and ornate brooches can often be a distraction. It’s better to err on the side of conservatism.

Who wears short shorts?—”business casual” doesn’t mean super mini!

Remember that on “business casual” days, your skirt or shorts (if you’re permitted to wear shorts, culottes or skorts to work, that is) should never be shorter than on “business professional” days. Looking fashionable is important, but dressing professionally to ensure you grow with your company is important too.

Follow the leader—don’t wear slacks if the top female brass don’t.

Take your cues from the top-level women in your organization. If you’ve never seen any of them wear slacks, take the hint. Again, if you want to succeed and if you aspire to positions higher up in the company, be sure you dress the part.

Dress for succcess.

This means dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. Suprising as it may sound, it often happens that although people may have the skills and talents necessary to climb the corporate ladder, if they don’t dress the part, they are passed over for promotion.