Dress for success in workplace and on campus

Picture this: The CEO of a Fortune 500 company ditches the suit and tie — or pencil skirt and blazer — and arrives to work in an old baggy T-shirt, coupled with that infamous favorite pair of sweatpants and beyond-broken-in Reeboks that haven’t been on shelves in years. Imagine a bank teller, car salesman, lawyer or professor doing the same.
Would each of them lose credibility and respect? Yes.
Unfortunately, Mom was right on this one — it is crucial to dress for success.
Make a lasting impression
Everybody wants to be remembered. In order to make a good impression at a job interview or when meeting your significant other’s parents — whatever the case may be — it’s important to appear polished and put together. People are more apt to remember somebody who takes pride in their personal appearance.
Improve self-confidence
When a person looks great, they feel great too. A person’s confidence is affected by the image they project to others. Someone who is well-groomed and nicely dressed will always appear more confident than someone who’s not, even if that’s not necessarily the case. It’s the “fake it ‘til you make it” approach to improving your self-confidence.
Get better service
As cliché as it sounds, a person whose appearance is put together is perceived to have greater purchasing power than someone who’s not. This will naturally attract the attention of a waiter, flight attendant, etc.
The bottom line is that it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. This is not a shallow matter centered on material possessions or outward appearances, but about being taken more seriously in today’s society. Dressing for success does not entail running out to buy Nordstrom’s latest fall collection, but instead taking pride in personal appearance and hygiene. This does not mean tromping around in high heels or a suit in an effort to portray yourself as someone you’re not. Ladies, try trading your plain v-neck for a blouse. Men, the next time you go to throw on a T-shirt, grab a nice button-up instead.
Dressing professionally is not just for adults in the workplace, but for students on campus as well. College is, after all, the preparation stage for the “real world.”
It’s never too soon to dress for success, so start now.

About the Author

Britt Kiser News editor Junior in Public Relations Can be reached at [email protected] or 208-885-7715

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