What Do I Wear?

The first important question for any intern, interviewee, or new employee is “What do I wear?”.  How do you know what to wear? What is the differences in all the styles of dress? This section will help to shed some light on that.

Why?

Professional dress is defined as dressing in a manner that is dressier than casual and required for a professional work environment (Glassdoor Team, 2021, Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).

So why does it matter?  It matters because (Glassdoor Team, 2021; Indeed Editorial Team, 2023):

• Impressions matter, especially the first one.  Dressing professionally gives the outward appearance that you take what you are doing at the workplace seriously.  It can have a positive effect on the people you will be interviewing or working with.
• If you appear that you take your presence at the workplace seriously, that can effect the respect you get from those already employed at the workplace and it increases your credibility.
• It can help your self-confidence. As the old saying goes, “If you look good, you feel good”.

If you are unsure what to wear, make a call to the company’s Human Resources department (Glassdoor Team, 2021; The Washington Center, 2023).

Dressing Basics

Independent of the type of dress, clothing should have a specific appearance (Emily Post Etiquette, n.d.).

1. Clean clothes free of stains or tears
2. Clothes should be neat and wrinkle free, so bust out that ironing board
3. Have a lint roller handy especially for those with furry friends

Always check with the employer regarding their tattoo and piercing policies (Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).

Types of Professional Dress

Now that we know the whys, we need to know what the different dress codes mean.

Casual

Casual is informal dress. There is no fuss with this type of dress (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023).

Attire (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023):

• Pants – vary from long pants including jeans and khakis to shorts
• Shirts – t-shirts, blouses, hoodies
• Shoes – sneakers, sandals

Smart Casual

This style is becoming more popular.  This style is distinctive because it aligns with more in style trends (The Washington Center, 2023). There is more flexibility and not as dressy.  It is more relaxed than a business casual, but you still look more put together than a casual look (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023).

Attire (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023):

• Pants – Nicer jeans or pants, khakis
• Dresses or skirts
• Shirts – blouse, collared, button down, sweaters, untucked shirts
• Shoes – vary from dress shoes to clean lifestyle sneakers

Business Casual

Business casual is common in most office settings (Keiling, 2023).  It is not as formal as the business professional, but should be “polished” (The Washington Center, 2023).

Attire (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023):

• Pants: Dress pants, khakis
• Dresses, skirts, or sweaters
• Shirts – button down, collared, blouses, tucked in shirts
• Sport coat or blazer
• Nice shoes
• Optional ties

Business Professional

Business professional is the most dressy of the dress codes – think high level office jobs such as attorneys.  Generally the key word here is “conservative”.  Suits are well fitted or most often tailored (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023).

Attire:

• Suit and Tie Style (Keiling, 2023;The Washington Center, 2023)
  • Dark colored suits with matching pants/skirt
  • Button down shirts that are ALWAYS tucked in
  • Tie – bow tie or necktie
  • Shoes – dress shoes that match the suit (most often black or brown), heels or pumps
  • Panty-hose or tights, dress socks

Watch: 

Other Things to Keep In Mind

The clothes are not the only thing to concentrate on.  There are other aspects of your outward appearance that must also be considered (Emily Post, n.d.; Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).

1. Grooming
   • Daily bath or showers
   • Deodorant or antiperspirant
   • Wash and comb hair
2.  Breath
   • Brush teeth daily and after meals
   • Flossing
   • Breath mints or gum
3.  Perfume/Cologne
   • Use sparingly or avoid
   • Use light scents
4. Nails
   • Neatly trimmed
   • Clean
   • Don’t forget the feet!
5. Make Up
   • Natural, not overdone
6. Environment
   • Dress for the climate inside especially office jobs.  It may be 110° outside, but inside it may feel like the Artic.
   • Open toed shoes may or may not be allowed.  You will need to check with the employers.  Open toed shoes are definitely a “no” in healthcare settings for hygienic and safety reasons.

What To Avoid

Now that we have discussed the “do-s” of dressing, let’s talk about the “don’t-s”

Things to avoid (Frank, n.d.):

• Flip flops
• Low rise pants
• Visible bra straps
• Spaghetti strap tank tops or tank tops in general
• Showing cleavage
• Athleisure
• Clothing with political statements, crude sayings
• Not wearing undergarments
• Clunky, noisy jewelry

Check Yourself

References

The Washington Center. (2023, June 2). What should I wear? The workplace dress codes. The Washington Center. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://resources.twc.edu/articles/what-should-i-wear-to-work.

Emily Post Etiquette. (n.d.). Good grooming and personal care. Emily Post Etiquette. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://emilypost.com/advice/good-grooming-and-wardrobe-care.

Keiling, H. (2023, February 16) Guide to business attire (with examples). Indeed Career Guide. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/guide-to-business-attire.

Frank, A. (n.d.). What not to wear to work. Monster. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/things-not-to-wear-to-work-ca.

GlassdoorTeam. (2021, June 29). How to dress professional: what it is and why it’s important. Glassdoor. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-to-dress-professional/.

Indeed Editorial Team. (2023, March 10) The importance of dressing professionally at work. Indeed. Retrieved July 13, 2023 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/importance-dressing-professionally-at-work.