Dressing professionally can be a very stressful thing. Unlike on your casual days, where you get to throw on whatever casual clothes you want with no one judging you, the professional world requires more effort and mindfulness. Before you communicate verbally and interact with other professionals, your clothing communicates first. What you communicate, therefore, depends on what you wear, so you need to be careful about your fashion choices if you want to send the right message to your colleagues and clients. Here is a list of some fashion don’ts when it comes to the professional fashion world.
Over-accessorising
Accessories can be the perfect friend for your outfit as they help enhance the aesthetic, making the outfit better looking and more sophisticated. However, if you are dressing for professional settings, you need to master the right amount of accessories to use. Instead of looking professional and sophisticated, over-accessorising will make your outfit look cheap. It may look like you are overcompensating with jewelry. For every outfit, it may be wiser to opt for two statement pieces at most, as this will keep you looking professional and clean-cut. Don’t overcompensate with too many accessories.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Footwear
The common bias is that once your clothes look perfect, your outfit can look complete with any shoes you add to the outfit. The truth is, your shoes and their state are important as they contribute to your overall desired look. Don’t be fooled into thinking that no one looks at your shoes because they do and because of this, they may judge you because of them. Ensure that you wear the right shoes for the right professional occasion. If it's athletics, stick to sporty shoes and if it is office wear, also ensure that you wear the right shoes. Don’t just put on any shoes for a polished professional look but instead, put on the right matching shoes.
Wearing Visibly Labeled Clothing
If you had a meeting with someone you wanted to hire and they came to the meeting wearing a shirt that has the label of your business rival, would you hire them or would you rather keep your options open? This is the same thing with potential clients and associates as you may oppose their views and violate their cultural beliefs by wearing unnecessarily labeled clothing. Although this may be unintentional, it is still something that compromises your business standing. To avoid such unnecessary situations, you should avoid wearing imprinted clothing.
Mismatching Clothes
You need to look a little more into the clothes that you pair together. When possible, ask friends and family about your pairings and give them room for constructive criticism. This is because, although it may be a simple thing, mismatched clothes can communicate disorganization, causing people to question your ability to handle your professional responsibilities. You should put a little more effort to ensure that your clothes are a perfect fit for each other and that they match well.
Wearing Revealing Clothes
If you are in a professional setting, you need to dress appropriately and ensure that your clothes remain respectful to everyone that is around you. Avoid wearing clothes that show your cleavage or a lot of leg skin, as this may cause people to misjudge you and undermine your professional abilities. Wear modest clothes in professional settings to ensure that you get the respect that you deserve. You don’t want your colleagues to question your intentions based on what you wear, do you?
Wearing Transparent Clothing
Although you may not have noticed, most white clothes have a transparent undertone. This means that if you pair them with bright-coloured underwear, you run the risk of revealing more than is of a professional standard; you, therefore, need to make sure that you wear dark-coloured underwear with your light-coloured clothes to avoid looking unprofessional. When necessary, you should layer your clothes accordingly so that you avoid any unintended mishaps.
Wearing Clothes with Wrong Stitching Colors
A common mistake that people make is improperly stitching clothes and this can affect your professional outlook. You need to ensure that when your clothes need to be repaired, you do so with the right color. Isn’t it weird to find only one button on your purple shirt, stitched with bright red threading? Due to this, you should be mindful of the repairs you make to your clothes. It may make you look disorganized and not attentive to detail, all of which are qualities that can make other professionals judge you. If repairing clothes is difficult, consider letting a professional do it.
Wearing Too Much Makeup
When it comes to makeup in the workplace, simple always beats complicated. Most workplaces even have policies against heavy make-up as this may distract other people and clients in the workplace. It may also be perceived as a lack of confidence in oneself and thus the use of make-up to cover up for lack. Besides all of this, it may be time-consuming to continuously maintain the heavy make-up look throughout the day thus it becoming time-consuming. A simple polished look is much neater and easier to maintain, making you more focused during work and confident.
Wearing Uncomfortable Clothing
Despite having to look professional, you need to make sure that you are comfortable in the clothes that you wear. Find clothes that will make you look professional while also ensuring that you are comfortable. This will help you become more confident and capable of taking on all your professional roles without wasting time on insecurities. Your lack of comfort will affect the way you walk, talk and generally handle yourself at work. So, to avoid unnecessary discomfort, you need to find professional clothes that not only suit you but are comfortable for you.