The Professional look

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The Professional look

1. Consider the setting. Whether applying for a job, attending a regular day at the office, or appearing at a formal school function, one should always dress to match the setting. Some offices/events will provide a dress code (business casual, business formal, or black tie), otherwise the individual needs to assess the seriousness/intimacy of the event. Daily dress code is generally business casual for less formal jobs (teaching, office work, state jobs), while business formal is used for more high-profile jobs (government, managers, accounting).

• Black tie for special events, and will almost always be specified.
• The higher ranked the job is, the more professional one should be dressing for it.

2. Dress for the weather. Based on the seasons, the professional dress code slightly changes based on different types of weather. In winter, it is proper to wear several layers of appropriate clothing and even throw on a nice scarf. In summer, women may wear skirts that hit the knee, while men can remove their jacket and sometimes wear a short sleeve shirt.

• Keep in mind that the amount of added skin you show will be slightly different in business casual/formal settings.
• If you choose to remove layers of clothing, make sure you are in no way being revealing or inappropriate about the skin you choose to show.

3. Know what colours to wear. Although different offices are more acceptable of different colour schemes, in general one should try to stick to a neutral colour palette. In each outfit, try to incorporate a classic neutral tone of either: black, brown, gray, tan, or navy blue. One can use bright or bold colours as well, but make sure that they are not distracting or gaudy. When in doubt, stick to pastels and muted tones.

4. Pay attention to those around you. If an individual is not quite sure exactly how formal/casual to dress, try looking at the clothing choices of those in your profession, at your office, or attending the same event. In general, it’s better to be overdressed than it is to be underdressed. If you are not able to get a good glimpse or have a chat with someone in your field, try searching images on the internet for your job/event profile. Pay attention to the appearance of people in these images, and mimic those whose style you can relate to.

5. Remember to complete your look to appear professional. If you have an incredibly professional outfit but are lacking personal hygiene or have wild hair, the overall essence of the attire will digress significantly. Treating the entire appearance, including hair, skin, and hygiene, with the same professional care is necessary.

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