“Dress up for the job you want, not the job you have.” is one piece of advice I swear by. It places emphasis on visualizing where you want to be in your life with time. Manifesting that by designing your wardrobe around that lifestyle is another way of investing your efforts in your dream. As much as we want to be evaluated on what we have to offer over what we look like, it is human nature to size up a person within seconds of meeting them. It is not petty, it is evolutionary. Thus in order to derive the greatest impacts out of all your professional endeavors, it is important to make a positive visual impression, and that begins with your professional wardrobe. 

Whether you’re redoing it, building it up from scratch or just trying to upscale it, I have come up with a checklist that will ensure you are ready to put your best face forward no matter what!

Here’s a guideline to refer to while building a professional wardrobe:

How formal is too formal?

Unless there is a written dress-code, you are free to decide how formal your wardrobe has to be while selecting pieces that go into it. Decide on the austerity of the workplace situations and your role in it. Consider your own personality and tastes when selecting pieces for yourself. You don’t want to be caught goofing around in a severe suit and you certainly don’t want to be caught handling important meetings in ripped jeans. So determine the atmosphere at your workplace and fuse it with your own personality.

Factor In Seasons:

Do you really want to be wearing a thin linen shirt in the dead cold of the winter? Or even in summers, when the temperature in your office is set at 16 degrees? It is as well to pick thin and breezy pieces that look great on the rack but will be of absolutely no use to you in a freezing office, but is it sensible?

Color Me a Color, Baby!

There are several factors to keep under consideration when picking out the right colors. You not only have to choose colors that complement your skin-tone and body-type, but you also have to determine what colors are off-limits at your workplace. Though these things are not glaringly obvious, it is wise to have a look at the communal style at work and determine what doesn’t work. 

• Determine your undertone and pick out colors that will look best on you.
• Have pieces (shirts, skirts, pants, shoes and suits) in neutral colors that you can pair with brighter ones. Neutral colors are also a great choice when it comes to building a capsule wardrobe (more on that in the upcoming weeks!). You can mix and match these pieces with brighter colors.

• Add pops of colors to your formal attire. Bright ties, shoes, scarves and purses can jazz up a sober outfit within seconds. 

Here’s how to get started with your professional wardrobe!

Formal mostly means well tailored, conservative (conventionally speaking) clothing. To get started, pick out pieces like:

Women:

Business Suits: Find your style out of the many available types of business suits and make heads turn!

Skirts: Skirts are feminine. The right kind will help you establish the power of femininity in a professional environment!

Blouses: Sleeveless, full-sleeves, laces, ruffles, take your pick and express your statement without speaking at all!

Dresses: Formal dresses that highlight your features and establish your power are a must-have in any professional wardrobe.

Shoes: Have heels that will complement most of your outfits and you are already a showstopper! Save the embellishments for a cocktail party and make your workplace shoes moderately high and solid colored. 

Men:

Formal Suit: No, it’s not just for James Bond (although, he is James Bond). Pick out the right patterns, colors and cuts to compliment your frame.

Dress Shirts: Dress shirts have the ability to make or mar your professional statement so choose the right fabric and colors to make the best out of your professional impression!

Shoes: Black and Brown. Baroque and Oxford. End of story.

Ties: Different fabrics, widths and colors. A slim, neutral tie can dress up a sober attire and immediately make you look more powerful. 

Keep in mind that whatever statement you are looking to make, your Professional Wardrobe will make the first impression you want the rest of your message to ride on. Though it is a long and tedious task to pick out what works best for you, it is a task worth undertaking. If you have trouble, reach out to me and let’s do it together!

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