4 Rules of Workplace Fashion That Can Impact Your Earning Potential   

“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”  – Mom (and countless career-coaching websites) 

We’ve all heard the above piece of advice a time or two…or ten. And this career-related counsel is so useful that it has almost become a cliché. Why does it have such staying power?

Because research shows that you have just seven seconds to make a first impression. In those seven seconds, people are judging you, evaluating you, and categorizing you. We all have strengths and skills and something to contribute, so it makes sense to set yourself up, via your dress, for those attributes to come through faster and easier.

And anecdotes from the professional world bear this out: for instance, years ago, I worked at a tech start-up where a smart, capable man breezed through phone interviews and was flown in for a face-to-face interview with the executive team. He was interviewing for a high-profile sales position, where he would be calling on (in person) the biggest and most lucrative accounts, with the possibility of making a huge impact for the company and a great deal of money for himself.

What did he wear for the interview? A tweed jacket and khakis. He did not get the job because one of the interviewers felt his casual attire gave the impression that he did not value or comprehend the importance of the position.  It showed (to them) that he didn’t understand the level of the role.

“Dressing well is a form of good manners” – Tom Ford

Another example: I once worked with a recruiter who felt open-toed shoes were unprofessional in a business setting. Now, I personally don’t think he was correct, but it was his opinion. As the lead recruiter and the first (human) hurdle in the interview process, he was someone you wanted to impress. Why would any interviewee (especially someone from within the company) risk an opportunity to get a job over something as simple as open-toed shoes?

The Silent Language of Attire Speaks Volumes

Dressing properly can impact your ability to be promoted, as well as your earning potential (possibly extending into hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a career).  So, if you approach your career as if every day were an interview, in effect, you will maximize your success over time.

Over the years, I have seen people passed over for both projects and business travel when they didn’t show up to work every day wearing appropriate business attire.  After all, how can their boss be sure that they would represent the company well outside of the office, say at a customer site visit, if they haven’t dressed appropriately for the office?

 “You can have anything you want. If you dress for it” – Edith Head

But dressing for success doesn’t just influence how you are perceived in the eyes of others. The mind-body connection goes both ways, and that extra effort can impact your attitude and performance. It gives you confidence. When you look good, you feel good.

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress. Dress impeccably and they remember the woman” – Coco Chanel

Here, then, is how to tip the scales in your favor:

• Dress one to two levels above your audience (clients/colleagues/management) and the average co-worker. This simple rule will ensure you are seen as one of the players in the room; your professionalism will be noted right from the beginning, and you will always be dressed to sit at the table.
• Wear a suit, or at least a jacket once a week. Adopting this practice will keep the vision of you as an executive or executive material. It will also keep a necessary component of a business- professional wardrobe ready in your closet!
• Plan your weekly wardrobe the weekend before. Look at your schedule to see what important meetings you may have. Pick your outfits for each day, then iron them and have them ready to go. Next, add shoes and accessories. This leaves you without the fall-back of “I’ll just wear what’s clean” or “I’ll just wear what’s comfortable.” This is a routine that I began early in my career and it has eliminated wardrobe stress, allowing me to focus on my day.

To look pulled together, pay attention to these three things: fit, accessorizing, and hair/make-up.

• Fit. Your clothes must fit properly, so you may need a tailor. When buying a suit, if you fall in between two sizes, get the bigger one and have it custom-tailored to you. If your pants need to be hemmed, wear your shoes to the tailor and have them tailored to cover most of the heel. Dresses need to be the right length; best practice is between the knee and two inches above. And wear nothing too loose or too tight.
• Accessories. Accessorizing is the difference between wearing clothing and being fashionable. Take a quick inventory of your outfits. Too many solids? Add some printed scarves or a fun shoe. Too little or too much jewelry? Well, that’s a tougher one. Good rule of thumb: one set of earrings, one necklace, two rings, one watch, and a bracelet.
• Hair and Make-up. Always fix your hair and put on some make-up. The finishing touches are what that make you look pulled together. Personal preference dictates what you should do, but in general, at a minimum, wear gloss and mascara, and invest in a great hairbrush like a Mason Pearson to make you look sleek and well-groomed.

“The way you dress tells the rest of the world how you expect to be treated” – Clinton Kelly 

The Capacity of Style to Signal Your Status

Combine your skills and talents with a killer wardrobe and sense of style, and you will make an impression. You will exude executive presence. You will get noticed over someone who isn’t paying attention to the sartorial aspect. You will show that you focus on the details and the total package from the get-go, and people will thus be more inclined to trust you to do that on the job. Now, go suit up for your day!