How to Dress Appropriately for the Office

How To Dress Appropriately For The Office

Often times, the clothing worn to the office can create quite a bit of jealousy or hostility with your co-workers or clients. The 'Erin Brockovich" movie, touched on this kind of cattiness, with her tight skirts and peek-a boo blouses.

Although the movie was extremely over-done, you still get the point. It's easy to see how something as simple as how you dress can be turned into a real issue. If your mode of dress in the office becomes too much of a problem it could even cost you your job.

Common sense always comes to mind as one way to avoid being the object of conversation, at the water cooler. The first thing to do would be to inquire if your office has a dress code. You could also observe what the other women in the office are wearing and try to adjust to those standards.

This does not mean that you need to completely re-do your wardrobe. Most office workers wear blouses and skirts, while others are dressed in more tailored suits. It is of course accepted dress for slacks and casual tops in some offices. It depends on what kind of office you are working in, and the types of people you will be coming in contact with.

Many ladies clothing stores, have a section for career-oriented women. Although you don't have to make major purchases from these stores, you can shop in them, for items that will update what you already have in your closet.

Another way if avoiding issues of proper attire is to put yourself in the place of your co-workers, or customers. Since the way you are dressed effects your appearance, it often reflects your personality.

For instance, a school secretary wearing an expensive suit in the attendance office might appear superior, to the mothers of the students, which are usually dressed in various forms of casual wear.

If you work in an accounting firm, your clients may think you are unreliable, if you are wearing jeans and tee shirt.

If your are working for a larger company, you may create positive, or negative, criticism from the women working in other areas in the building. It is possible that you may appear overdressed, provocatively dressed, or dressed too casual.

What is casual dress? To some it would be, slacks or skirts, with a nice blouse or sweater. To others this may mean, good old comfortable jeans, that were worn to paint the house, and a tee shirt with some weird slogan on the back.

The best advice is to use good judgment, observe what the others are wearing, and long as you don't go overboard with your attire, you will be accepted where ever you work. Just keep it simple, neat and clean.