Guidelines show how easy it is to dress as if planning for success.

Who, what, where, when and why are dependable keywords to keep in mind when it comes to dressing for success. Anyone exploring how to dress for success is bound to face some challenges but most obstacles are easy to overcome with just a few guidelines. Preparation is the best weapon for vanquishing nerves about inappropriate attire and for choosing with confidence the perfect ensemble for any occasion.

A review of any periodical from yesteryear shows the extremes to which people have gone in pursuit of fashion perfection. Women of days gone by at one time or another wore corsets with whale-bone stays and layered skirts supported by metal hoops that held the fabric away from the body lest no-goods be tempted to sin by peeking at her legs. Men also had their fashion trials?spats and cravats, for instance. Plenty of people back then were puppets who eagerly idolized the top fashion designers of the day. Today’s fashion divas also seem to worship various designers but elegance too often is replaced with the outrageous. 

Who are you going to see?

Some research is valuable when thinking about how to dress for success. The garb one wears to a job interview often is quite different than the attire worn on the job?after congratulations are extended. Corporate havens may require men and women alike to adapt a fashion style that calls for suit coats in somber colors.

Women will want to avoid open-toed, high-heeled shoes and wear instead stylish but dark-toned footwear with no more than a medium heel The corporate atmosphere certainly is less restrictive than it was years ago but it is not a good place for a fashion runway. Tailored styles matched with a subtle collection of sophisticated women’s accessories can be counted upon to signal the presence of a successful woman.

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What will you do on the job?

A multitude of job sites exist in addition to the offices and board rooms of the corporate world. People who labor for pay in any activity need to tailor their attire so that their coworkers and superiors recognize them as successful?and so they feel good about themselves. There’s an old adage relating to the belief that observing a painter’s shoes reveals a lot about the quality of the work the painter provides. The background for that old saw is this: painters who are neat and take pride in their work will not have splatters of paint slopped all over their shoes.

Choosing appropriate garb for the worksite sometimes depends on weather conditions. A worker who is in the construction field might feel comfortable in cowboy boots and denim jeans but that worker is not dressed for success. A better choice might be steel-toed safety boots and thermal-quilted coveralls. Dressing for success entails knowing all about a job’s requirements.

Where will you be working?

Another consideration in deciding how to dress for success is the location of the job. Heat, cold and humidity may call for drastic adjustments in one’s choice of clothing. The presence of chemicals might mandate protective gear such as gloves, aprons and face visors. Indoor work such as cooking at a restaurant calls for further refinements in attire. No cook worth his or her salt would ever wear droopy sleeves that might graze a fiery grill. Common sense as well as fashion sense must prevail when it comes to dressing for success.

When will you be working?

The time of day or night is a major factor in deciding how to dress for success. An office worker engaged in a traditional daytime shift may have fashion parameters far different than a person who works at night. Night shift frequently permits more casual attire, especially if the work is done when few coworkers are present.

Cleaning contractors, for example, might be directed to wear uniforms that can be professionally laundered and replaced on a frequent basis. But if the choice is theirs, casual is the way to go. In contrast, consider workers who labor outdoors at night; for them, white, bright yellow or fluorescent orange may keep them visible?and safe.

Why bother with rules of comportment to dressing for success?

It doesn’t matter what one wears if some rather universal rules of comportment are not followed. A thousand-dollar suit will look mediocre at best if the person wearing it is slouching. Likewise, a designer dress will look shabby if worn by a woman whose shoes have run-down heels. Nothing can make up for a bad impression caused by noticing in someone’s clothing a rip or a run that could have been repaired with a threaded needle and five minutes of time. Whatever you choose to wear, be neat. Be clean. And top off the selection with a smile.