Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

There is nothing quite like a good outfit. Even if you don’t know fashion, even if you don’t care about it, seeing someone who looks well-dressed automatically makes us think that they are attractive, neat, and above all, confident. Putting on a tailored suit does wonders for how we are perceived, and if you want to be taken seriously it’s very important for you to dress the part, especially if you are in a leadership position. It will help you make a lasting good impression and give you a motivation boost to keep being the powerful girl boss that you are. For tricks on how to dress well enough to command the attention of the room and look polished, here are some tips that should help.

Go for quality over quantity

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

It’s better to own a single perfect garment that looks and feels good rather than ten things that you got off the sale rack in a blind rush to fill up your closet. Variety is great, but it doesn’t mean much if all you have are various shades of ugly and misshapen. Simply put, don’t waste your money on cheap clothing, because the thing that might sound like a bargain at first actually ends up being a really bad deal once you realize you look terrible in everything you bought. So, plan it out. Invest in good, high-quality clothing, especially when it comes to suits and shoes.

A good fit before all

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

Having said that, even the most gorgeous Chanel suit will look like a lumpy mess if the fit is off. It absolutely does not matter how pretty the garment is – if it doesn’t fit you, you’ll look terrible. It’s even more important when it comes to business outfits because nothing screams polished and professional like a well-tailored suit that compliments your body shape in just the right way. If you have a body shape that doesn’t respond well to conventional fits in the clothing industry, it’s always a good idea to invest in a tailor. They can take your measurements and make something that’s specifically for you, that will hide any problem areas and enhance your best features.

Don’t be afraid of color

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

While basics are always a safe bet, bear in mind that not everything needs to be black, grey, or navy in your ensemble. In fact, the best way to look stylish is to bring a pop of color here and there and break the monotony. Look for women’s clothing with a print or in vivid colors, and match them with your suit to create something that shows that you’re both fun and entirely professional. For example, a red patterned top or a pink blouse will look splendid when paired with a black blazer, but you can also do it the other way around and pick a very basic button-down shirt and pants and make them interesting with the help of a brightly-colored jacket.

Bring accessories to the game

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

And here is where most of your skill should lie – good accessorizing. Let’s face it, we’re all very busy. We’ve got so many things to think about, and picking out a vastly different outfit every day might take up too much time. But then how do you switch it up and keep it interesting? That’s where accessories come in. Scarves, shoes, handbags, and jewelry can contribute so much visual interest to your look that changing them up can completely transform an outfit. Have a good selection of scarves and learn how to wear them in different ways each day and you’ll already have an easier time putting outfits together.

Have a signature piece

Dress for Success: How Clothes Influence Our Performance

Whether it’s a lipstick shade or a pair of pearl earrings, have something that people will recognize you by. This works by almost creating a brand, by making you stand out and making you memorable to those around you, which is really important in the work environment. Perhaps you’re the gal who always wears MAC’s Ruby Woo on your lips, or maybe you’re known by your green scarf.

 

While office-appropriate generally means modest, it doesn’t actually have to be boring. Knowing how to wear fashion and look good is a very useful skill to have that will draw people in, so don’t be afraid to play around and put together interesting outfits that make you look and feel good.

 

** Guest Post by Amy Mia Goldsmith. 

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