Dressing Appropriately for Your Position
By Anne Dreyer, South Africa
“Human Resources professionals estimate that 95% of people dress inappropriately for their jobs!”
Sloppy Dress
Image vs. Talent
- Complying with your request
- Trusting you with information
- Giving you access to decision-makers
- Hiring you and determining your compensation!
Image Audit
Develop your unique style!
- you only need a few pieces of quality clothing that can mix and match.
- reconcile what suits your height, shape, and age from what’s currently in fashion.
- understand which ‘looks’ are appropriate for what occasions.
Self Confidence
For a woman to create a lasting and enduring style, she must discover what suits her and find her ‘special signature.’ If a woman does not have her own ’look,’ she may either become a fashion victim or continue to wear styles of her youth…
True confidence is built on ‘knowing yourself.’ Self-confidence never grows from perfection- it is only when we know our weaknesses, learn to control them, and then build on our strengths. If we can accept the way we look and feel about ourselves, this will enable us to reflect true confidence and style!
This confidence tells others that you respect, love, and dress up for yourself and nobody else.
Style comes from knowing who you are and what you want to be in the world: it does not come from wanting to be someone else, or wanting to be thinner, shorter, taller, or prettier.
Age Appropriateness
Dress for your age…
Women are reinventing themselves; many are entering new careers and working well into their seventies. (I salute you, Judi Moreo!)
Appropriate covering is the key to aging gracefully. If your upper arms, thighs, and décolletage have seen better days, it’s time to cover them up instead of sharing the wear-and-tear with the world.
Extremes are best avoided at a certain age, as they exaggerate your less-than-positive features. However, that does not mean frumpy. It means you must modify some aspects of your style as you do during the month when you feel bloated… it’s all about adapting.
As we age, rather than being trendy and following the latest fashion, no matter how much it might not suit us (as we may attempt to do in our teens and twenties), what we need is to develop our own style – a style that suits us, our lifestyle and our time of life.
Be stylish and professional at any age
Be aware of fashion without the urge to buy the latest trends. A new, modern haircut and a tremendous new-season shoe and handbag will go a long way toward making you look modern and timeless without making you look like “mutton dressed as lamb.”
Style at any age
Develop a more sophisticated look as you age, but retain some fun elements.
Many factors may influence our “sense of style, “ and this is part of the knowledge of knowing ourselves better—to embrace our uniqueness and become confident and beautiful no matter what age!
Simplicity
Simplicity, good taste, and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing, which are not expensive.
Your clothes should allow you to comfortably eat, move, sit, and breathe. Try a different size if something is too constraining, rides up, or slides off. That means that the size of your garment should be at least an inch bigger than your body. This is a small amount, and you should be able to “pinch an inch” of fabric when wearing the garment.
Make sure you have enough coverage at your neckline and hem. Give yourself a minimum of half an inch safety margin. Check that you can get in and out of the car, bend over, or sit down easily without your undergarments exposed!
Make sure your clothes fit your body, and have them altered to your shape.
Jeans are a great wardrobe staple. Look for darker denim; these are dressier, more classic, and won’t date too quickly.
Higher-quality fabrics are essential for a professional look…
Think like a French woman, “quality is essential to elegance.” Aim for quality over quantity. Sound quality is not an extravagance; it lasts for a long time and may be the better investment because you get more uses for each item.
“Your clothes should be tight enough to show you’re a woman, but loose enough to show you’re a lady.” – Marilyn Monroe
Nothing will transform a look from classy to cheap faster than clothing that’s too tight or too revealing. When underwear lines show through tight pants, cellulite can be clearly seen through stretched fabrics, and any visible color or lace shows through your blouse, you know that you’re sending out the wrong message.
It is worth investing in getting some help from a professional. This will be an investment in your Wealth. The Payoff: if you look good, you will feel good—and the best jobs and contracts will be yours!
“Dress shabbily, and they remember the dress. Dress impeccably, and they remember the woman.” – Coco Chanel
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of CHOICES Magazine
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