LOOKING THE BUSINESS!

One of my clients this week was a young woman who had recently completed her studies, gained her professional qualifications and had secured her dream job. She admitted that, during her studies, clothing hadn’t been a priority and that a casual wardrobe had seen her through university and most of her social outings. She pointed out that for her job interviews she had purchased a reasonably priced dress but realised that full time employment in a professional environment meant that she needed to give consideration to her working wardrobe.

So what is a working wardrobe? It’s two things: 1. a wardrobe that fulfils the demands of your lifestyle and allows you to express your personality and 2. a wardrobe of clothes that are appropriate for your work and help you to showcase your skills, competence and value in the workplace.

Being well groomed, smart and comfortable gives you confidence and reflects reliability and trustworthiness, qualities that you would want to project to your boss, client or colleague. Giving the right impression and paying attention to detail can pay dividends. Scuffed or dirty shoes could infer that your work could be shoddy and your attitude unprofessional. The bottom line is that the way you look can affect your career. 

If you are new to the company find out what’s expected. Most employers have a minimum standard of personal presentation and you need to find out what that is - ask if they have a dress code.
If necessary, pay a visit and observe workers leaving the premises and check out what they are wearing. You may work in a creative environment where traditional business attire may  be inappropriate, therefore, you need to ask what’s acceptable.

It may be that you have a work uniform but you can still look at ways in which you can make it look individual. Neutral colours are great building blocks for any wardrobe but a splash of colour can inject glamour and personality. If you don’t know which colours suit you best, get your colours analysed and also find out how colour can impact on your audience.

Next

Back to my client! What did we buy for her? We started off with a trouser suit. It’s practical, hard working and versatile. She can wear it with different tops and for more options she can separate the trousers and jacket to mix and match with other pieces.

Topshop

A classic coat like the trench will help her deal with the British climate  and still look stylish. 

Jaeger

Wallis

Jaeger

Wallis

Accessorize


All photos courtesy of prshots.com

A tailored dress, a couple of pencil skirts, a white blouse and fabulous belt mean she can still look feminine. 

 A great pair of shoes and quality handbag can elevate an outfit; a simple structured bag can give the impression of being organised.



Job well done!