Today I will share with how I dress professionally in Corporate world. I know from my personal experience the importance of professional attire for women. Woman who is dressed professionally not only feels confident but commands respect. The suggestions in this post are from my personal experience & they have helped me grow in my Corporate job including promotions and raises. Let’s dive right in.
Professional Women’s Dress in 80’s
Though times have changed & women no longer dress up in frilly frocks to work we still like to dress well.
Professional Dress Code
Another term for professional attire for women is professional dress code.In 2014 Yale did a study that “Why Dressing for Success Leads to Success”.
In this study three groups did a mock negotiation.
- one that dressed “poorly,”
- second that dressing neutrally
- third that dressed professionally.
So, this should be a motivation enough for you learn about different types of professional dresses.
4 Types of Professional Dress Code
Basically there are four types of professional dress codes and the one who masters them will always come out well-dressed.
Business formal is the most formal attire that one wears to work. Something that you would wear to an interview, while giving a presentation to the Angel Investors or going to court.
Business suits are the most basic building block of business formal attire. They consist of a blazer and either a pair of trousers or a skirt in a matching fabric. It is best to suits in a neutral color, like black or dark grey, and in a season less fabric like wool.
Since I work for Financial industry I wear business professional attire. It’s the common dress code in industries like accounting, banking, finance, government or law.
When dressing for business professional, we women should wear tidy dresses, skirts or slacks. Tops can be neat button-down shirts or blouses with a blazer.
Personally, I always wear a blazer with my trousers, skirt or a dress. That immediately gives me a professional look.
I usually buy from Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack or H&M. I love Calvin Klein jackets but you find the one that fits you & don’t worry too much about the brand (if you want tips reach out to me).
Business professional shoes are either loafers or tidy flats.
Me being petite I love to wear heels but not higher than three inches. I like to accessorize with minimal jewelry.
Casual dressing in a business environment is very different from a casual outfit that one would wear in non-work settings.
Business casual attire is ‘casual Friday’. It is also referred as smart casual. In the State of Washington Fridays are referred as Blue Fridays for Seahawks.
For instance pencil skirts and a-line skirts are the most appropriate options for a business casual environment.
JCPenney carries a nice selection of Liz Claiborne pencil skirts and Macy’s has a great choice of a-line skirts from brands like Charter Club and NY Collection.
For example, if it’s a Corporate picnic or a BBQ where you will be intermingling with your Bosses but in informal settings then the expectation is that everyone is in smart casual.
Smart casual means neat chinos or a pair of dark-colored jeans with a shirt, a blazer, and a pair of leather shoes.
Personally, I wear blue jeans with white lacy blouse with a blazer. That way I am not too dressy but formal enough to be smart and feel confident.
Conclusion
In conclusion dressing up for work is important for success as there is a definite corelation between the way we dress and the success we achieve.
Now I would like to hear from you.
Which of my suggestions today are you going to try?
Or maybe I didn’t include one of your favorite tips for dressing up professionally?
Either way let me know by leaving a comment below.
Really useful information. I share your blog with the women I work with. They love it!!!