The manager’s comment?  “Good grief Lisa.  I understand her business strengths but there’s just no way I could put her in front of the management team or customers for a presentation – they wouldn’t take her seriously.  Have you actually looked at her?”

So I did take a good look at her.  She mainly wore slacks and a blouse to work each day, her hair was long and straight (think 1960′s) and she rarely if ever wore any make-up or jewelry.  At the time, I was working in the medical industry for a Japanese firm.  The industry, as well as the company, was very conservative.  I wore a suit to work every day of the week and for trade shows, the appropriate attire for employees was a suit either black, navy, or dark brown.

“Jane” as I’ll call her, didn’t want to wear suits to work every day and she didn’t like having to take the time to apply make-up.  She wanted to wear comfortable clothes and she had the attitude that no one could make her do any differently – and she had apparently told this to our manager several times when he had discussions with her about her attire.

In Jane’s case, I watched as she sacrificed career promotions for what she felt was comfortable clothing at work.  It was a lesson I learned quickly…that to hold a certain position, you not only need the knowledge, skills, and experience, but you need to look the part; because in life, perception is often reality.  Here are some tips to help you maximize your appearance:

Tips to maximize your appearance

• Take the time to invest in your wardrobe and your appearance. To do so, you must first analyze your industry to understand appearance norms.
• Look two to three levels higher than yourself at the company where you work and observe their attire. Begin building your appearance to match the higher level.
• Go to a good hair stylist and explain your position and your goals for moving up the career ladder by looking more professional and trying to “look the part” – good stylists will do wonders to help your appearance. Bring pictures and hair style ideas to discuss with your stylist.
• Go to a large department store and ask for a professional shopper to assist you in creating the wardrobe you need to climb the career ladder. They can then be on the lookout for the perfect pieces when they arrive in the store and give you a call. I have used the same personal shopper at Nordstrom for over 10 years and she’s absolutely amazing!

Now that you’ll look your best, work at being your best.  Focus on the knowledge, skills, and experience you’ll need to be successful.  Find mentors within your company or industry who can help you learn and grow.  Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and create a career development plan that will allow you to achieve your dreams. 

~ Lisa Quast

Key survey results from the article:

• How employees dress at work directly affects their prospects for a promotion (survey of workers and HR professionals by Yahoo HotJobs and Banana Republic)
• While employees who dress casually are perceived to be more creative and fun, they also run the risk of being taken less seriously (survey by TheLadders.com, and looking at executives’ attitudes about dress code)

The article also included good suggestions for clothing attire at work:

• Pay attention to what your boss wears
• Make sure your clothes fit well
• Tone down your look for work
• Keep a nice pair of shoes and a blazer in your cubicle/office so you’re prepared for high-level meetings
• Always be ready for an unexpected meeting with the CEO
• Even on “casual day,” dress stylishly and professional

Not sure what’s appropriate attire where you work?  Ask your manager.  According to the Yahoo survey, “61 percent of workers admit they either don’t know or don’t care about their company dress code.”  I don’t think it’s worth risking career success over clothing.  Do you?

~ Lisa Quast

Many young women entering the workforce don’t own a dress coat.  It’s just not acceptable to wear your leather jacket or ski shell over your business suit.  Sorry ladies, but when you show up at a client’s office wearing a silk blouse, wool skirt and pumps paired with your winter fleece, it doesn’t create a very put together look.

But don’t worry.  It’s not like you have to invest in every color of the rainbow to cover your outer-wear wardrobe.  I’ll tell you what I’ve built up in my work wardrobe over the years.  I’ve worked in the technology and services industry for most of my career, which is pretty conservative, and this is what has worked for me:

• A long, heavy coat with buttons up the front and pockets – this was my largest coat “investment” but I wear it all winter, especially when on business travel to very cold locations.  I chose black because it’s less likely to show smudges or wrinkles.  And, mine doubles as my blanket when I’m freezing on airplanes.
• A knee-length, mid-weight coat, in black or tan is excellent for fall and early spring.
• And a thigh-length, lightweight trench-style raincoat in tan is perfect for spring and summer anywhere in the world, especially on rainy days back at home in Seattle.

The key is to start with one fresh, flexible, classic coat and build your wardrobe as you can afford to do so.  Everything you wear to work, including your outer wear, is part of your business persona and presentation and helps to define you externally to your boss, co-workers, clients and customers.

Lisa Quast

2.     Get a clear idea of what you need to purchase to update your wardrobe (a new white blouse, or some added color via scarves, or updated jewelry to accompany your recent promotion).

3.     Prepare a donation of professional wardrobe items (suits or separates) to assist disadvantaged women move forward in their quest to pursue professional status.
The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.Founded in New York City in 1997, Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help clients find a job and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or separates when she finds work.

Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000 women around the world. Each year they reach more than 40,000 women in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. All Dress for Success organizations are not-for-profit entities, with Dress for Success Worldwide and its U.S. affiliates having 501(c)(3) charitable status.
To suit their clients in style, Dress for Success currently accepts new or nearly-new and cleaned:Coordinated, contemporary, interview-appropriate skirt and pant suits
Beautiful, crisp blouses
Gorgeous blazers and jackets
Professional shoes

While these items are vitally important and enable Dress for Success to help clients with their first step towards self-sufficiency, the organization also needs funding to keep their doors open and to sustain their effective employment retention programs.
Dress for Success relies on financial and in-kind donations from a range of supporters, including individuals, foundations, corporations and other organizations, among many others. To donate, please visit their website at http://www.dressforsuccess.org/supportdfs.aspx

Lisa Quast

In this news article, Betsy Thompson, fashion spokeswoman for Talbot’s brings up a good point to keep in mind when selecting your summer wardrobe, “Be sensitive to things that detract from the great job you are doing. If it is too tight or too revealing, it can call attention to things that have nothing to do with your competence at work.”

If you travel to vendors for work, be familiar with their dress codes. While your company may have “casual Fridays,” your clients’ office may not. Have a great jacket to throw on over your dress to be safe.

The Style for Success website offers the following tips to enjoy the summer without undermining the power of your image, plus one of the best career-enhancing moves I’ve heard yet when it comes to dressing for success: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

Summertime wardrobe tips:
 
1. Sandals or Mules
Sandals are okay if your corporate culture is creative/less formal, but your feet will become a focal point so they should look like you’re getting regular pedicures.   
 
2.  Revealing Victoria’s Secret
With more whites and summer’s sheerer fabrics, select undergarments that are smooth with a ‘skin tone’ shade so they don’t show through.
 
3. Capris or Culottes
Best worn for casual Fridays. If you’re in a more conservative office environment, team them with a coordinating jacket to maintain your authority.
 
4. Don’t Bare All Your Assets
It’s all about your business credibility.  Your face should be the center of communication.  Do the dip test for cleavage, remember the creep factor for short/slit skirts and think twice about bare shoulders.

5. Casual Hair
Don’t neglect to maintain your hair.  Just pulling it back in a ponytail may be fine for the weekend; at work it will diminish your professionalism.

Lisa Quast