7 Dressing Tips That Will Help You Look More Professional




























Professionalism is a word that can send shivers down the spines of many a millennial. Millennials are often associated with casual dress and demeanor, which can make it challenging to be taken seriously in professional environments. However, being taken seriously is something that you will have to work hard at. You don’t want your career to suffer due to the way you dress or present yourself. Luckily, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to appear more professional in your everyday life as well as on interview days and first dates. If you’re ready to up your game when it comes to dressing for success, read on for some helpful advice on how best to do so!


Always Wear Dark Colors

This is something that you will hear over and over again when it comes to dressing professionally. If you are wearing a dark-colored suit, it will make you appear more authoritative, even if you are not feeling authoritative on the inside. If you wear light colors, like pastels or khakis and white shirts, people will see you as more approachable and friendly, which is great for some contexts and not so great for others. When dressing for a job interview, it is always best to err on the side of being a little bit more formal than you think you need to be. This means that you should wear dark colors like black, navy, and grey. Viewing with a creative team or want to be a little more casual, you can wear a dark shade of blue or khaki, but you should always err on the side of being a little more formal than you think you need to be. This is because you want the person interviewing you to see you as someone who takes their job seriously and is ready to get to work. Wearing a light-colored suit does not give off that same vibe, whereas a dark suit makes you appear authoritative without being stuffy or intimidating.


Stick To Solids

The same rule that applies to coloring also applies to patterns. If you are dressing formally, you’ll want to stick to solids, as patterns can make you look more casual. For example, wearing a suit that has a pinstripe pattern, while it may be a great color and fit, will make you look more casual. You might even be able to get away with wearing a patterned tie if you are dressing casually, but it won’t work for a formal setting. When dressing professionally, you want to make sure that everything you are wearing goes together. This means that your suit, shirt, tie, and even your belt and shoes should be one cohesive outfit. To make sure that your outfit is cohesive, you want to make sure that it is all a solid color.


Update Your Wardrobe

If you’ve been wearing the same outfit for years, it may be time for an update. Wearing the same outfit on repeat can make you look like you are not interested in progressing in your career or that you don’t care about your brand. For example, if you are interviewing for a job in marketing, it may be a good idea to ditch your old engineer’s uniform in favor of something more fitting for the marketing industry. For many millennials, the wardrobe that they have in their closet was purchased in college. If you are dressing for a professional setting and your wardrobe consists of jeans, graphic tees, and hoodies, you may want to consider purchasing some new pieces. You don’t have to empty your bank account, but you should try to update your wardrobe with some more professional pieces.


Get A Professional Cut And Styling

You can’t go wrong with a classic suit. If you can invest in a suit that is professionally cut, you’ll be able to wear it for a long time. Additionally, if you can get a suit that is made of high-quality material, it will last you even longer. Not only that, but you will be able to wear it in a variety of settings, from job interviews to client meetings and even interviews for graduate programs. You can also get it professionally dry cleaned to extend its life even further and keep it looking crisp and clean. When it comes to your shirt, you want to make sure that it is a solid color and is long enough to tuck into your pants. You don’t want to be wearing a shirt that is too short or too open. This will make you appear unprofessional and like you are not taking your career as seriously as you should be.


Ditch The Trainers

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe how many people still wear their old sneakers to work. If you are dressing casually at work, that is perfectly fine, but if you are dressing formally, you will want to ditch the sneakers in favor of dress shoes. This can be tricky if you are on a budget as many pairs of dress shoes don’t come cheap. However, there are plenty of online resellers that hold sales on name-brand shoes like Zappos and DSW, so you can often find great deals there. If you are wearing dress shoes, you will want to have your pants cuffed so that your ankles aren’t showing, or you can wear long pants that come above your ankles. This will keep you from having to worry about what to do with your pants that are too long.


Don’t Skimp On The Smell of Good Stuff

Another aspect of dressing professionally is making sure that you are not only dressed appropriately but that you are also smelling appropriately. You don’t want to walk into a meeting or an interview smelling like you just came from the gym, as it will make you seem unprofessional. For a meeting, something like a light cologne or deodorant with a light fragrance will do the trick. For an interview, you want to go a little heavier on the fragrance, but remember not to go overboard. You want to smell like you but not like you just sprayed yourself with perfume or cologne.


Conclusion

Dressing professionally is one of the best ways to get ahead in life and it doesn’t require a lot of money. All it takes is a little bit of planning and a willingness to upgrade your wardrobe. With these tips, you’ll be able to improve your professional image and show that you mean business.