a girlfriend sent me this article the other day…“dressing casual at work: does it matter?“ written by alan vinson…who is a custom clothier and men’s clothing designer…first of all…bravo alan for writing such a great piece…
don’t get me wrong…there is nothing wrong with dressing casual for work…if that is what your job allows…but i think the problem is…that “casual” has somehow turned into sloppy & ill-fitting clothing…and i don’t think that was ever the intention for businesses…when they started allowing casual dressing…
“Style choices, designer labels, accessories and grooming all play a role in how we perceive ability, competence and intelligence.
Whether we like it or not, we are all regularly judged by the way we look.”
oh…if i had a quarter for how many times i have said this…thought this…i would be a rich woman…whether we like it or not…people form first impressions…before they even speak to you…so what do they have to go on? your appearance…so what is yours saying about you? sloppy? lazy? put together? confidant?
“Many people are embarrassed for their business peers to see them arrive in a beat up 10-year-old lower-end car and yet they dress themselves in the clothing equivalent of a beater car.”
i highly suggest clicking on the link above to read the whole article…because the 2 to 3 paragraphs on the analogy of the car…are brilliant…
now let me say…looking good does not mean you need to buy the latest designer labels…not many can afford that…but you can afford to look good…well put together…on any budget…believe me…i’ve worked with clients in all price ranges…
depending on how casual your work attire can go…if you want some direction…click on two of my pinterest boards for inspiration… style: for the office and style: casual chic
for a short stint…i went back into the corporate world part time for 3 years (ended january) to help a colleague out…that i used to work with…while taking public transportaion into the city…i have to say…it amazed me what people were wearing to head into the office…now i know these were not tourists…or anything like that…this was commuter trains…packed with people heading into the financial district…and the pic below…was more evident that i thought could be possible…
that is not casual dressing for the office…
so…if your office allows casual dressing…take some pride in your appearance…if not for the business…for yourself…
who is it that said? “when you look good…you feel good…”…i will add…and when you feel good…amazing things can be accomplished…
