A Career Minded Woman's Guide to Work Attire

When you are starting a new office job, or entering the work force for the first time, dress code and attire policies can be a real gray area. On one hand you want to be comfortable, but on the other hand you want to be successful and you want to be taken seriously. If you think about the women in your life who are the most successful, you will probably see a common thread between them, they are all great dressers.

Don't get me wrong, it is ok to wear jeans sometimes, but never should they be stained or ripped. If you are going to wear jeans you should match them with a nice, business style, button down shirt or a nice fitted jacket.

Never, ever, should you wear sneakers to work. Even if your company offers a dress down policy on Fridays or weekends which allows you to wear them, sneakers are too casual for the office. A comfortable pair of flat shoes or a nice casual boot is the way to go.

Another major taboo for women is the tank top. A successful business woman never wears a tank top or other shoulder bearing shirt in the work place. No matter how ice or how fancy the material is, a tank top in not appropriate unless it is under a suit jacket.

While we are talking about baring skin, never wear a skirt to work which falls more than an inch above the knee. The work place is no place to be showing off you legs. No matter how progressive of a thinker someone is, a woman in a short skirt does not seem as creditable as a woman in a longer skirt, or better yet dress pants.

Now that you have your shirts and skirts in order, let's talk about sandals. I know how tempting it is to wear a really cute pair of sandals to the office during the summer, but know matter what, stop your self. Only wear heeled sandals to the office, and even then take care, and wear them sparingly.

One last thing to remember; stick to basic colors, don't wear anything nothing too wild. You want to stand apart, not stand out. Keep jewelry light and tasteful.

Last but not least, when buying your work clothes, make sure that they are machine washable. Chances are that, if you are just starting out, you are not going to want to spend the time or the money on dry cleaning.

So, keep it simple, and give it a try.