Dressing for work is something most people have to do every day, and it’s actually more important than you might think. Although it’s easy to just get dressed without putting much thought into your outfit (especially if you work from home, when you might not even get dressed at all), the difference it can make when you do is startling – you’ll feel more professional, more focused, and more successful, and that can only lead to good things. With that in mind, here are some pointers about how to choose clothes for work – put some in place, and you’ll immediately feel the difference.
Know The Dress Code
The most important part of dressing for work is to know your workplace dress code. If you don’t pay attention to it or take the time to work out what it is by reading your employee manual, your contract, or asking your manager for clarification, then you’ll never be able to know for sure if you’re wearing the right things.
When you know that your dress code is casual, formal, or anything in between, you can make choices that work along those lines, and this can help to narrow down your options (always useful when you’re choosing clothes as there are so many to look at!) and allow you to focus on finding garments you really like.
Buy Some Wardrobe Staples
When it comes to dressing for work, you probably don’t want to take too much time over it, even though it’s important. After all, when you get home at night, you’ll be tired and not particularly want to think about your clothes for the next day, and in the morning, you’ll more than likely be in a rush – it’s just how most people are.
That’s why buying some wardrobe staples like black trousers or skirts or a black dress and some attractive tunic tops for women in a variety of colors can really help. In this way, you’ll have some stylish clothes that feel comfortable and that you know are ideal for work, and you won’t have to think too much about them because they’re all good wardrobe staples. Plus, don’t forget you can always add accessories if you need to to change the look a little.
Prioritize Comfort
There are some gorgeous outfits available that you might have seen in a store, online, or perhaps someone in your office wears things you think are great. However, are those pieces of clothing actually comfortable? Do you think you would be able to sit at your desk for hours at a time and work, keeping your focus, while wearing them? If not, it doesn’t matter how great and fashionable they are, they’re not going to be good work clothes.
If you want to choose good clothes for work, comfort has to be a priority. Look for breathable fabrics and clothes that fit well but that have some stretch and give to them, so you can move around as you need to. Uncomfortable clothes are awful to wear and very distracting – they can even lower your confidence because you’re thinking about how you look much more than you should – and not liking the results.
Photo by Craig Adderley
