Fashion for Young Women Professionals

This topic seems like a departure from the general theme of my blog, but fashion really is important, especially for young budding professionals who may be new to the whole “professional” bit. I mentioned personal branding before, where you take control of your image and market yourself as the “brand”. Well, who’s going to be interested in a “product” that has a dated, ugly, or inappropriate packaging?

Let’s face the facts. While looks really don’t matter in the long run, the first impression people make of you is based on what you look like. So it is important to look your best, especially when it relates to your career.

Changing Your Message

You know how they say “a picture’s worth a thousand words”? Adapt that to your physical image. The clothing you wear to work reflects you and sends a message to people who look at you. You should always dress for the job you want (or, at least, the next level up), rather than the job you have, assuming you are working your way up. This tells people that you mean business, you take your job seriously, and that you ought to be taken seriously, as well. You don’t even have to say anything for people to hear this message. Of course, your outfit isn’t going to do all the work for you, nor is it the key to your success or failure, but it would work to your advantage if you presented yourself in a positive way.

Now, you have to be reasonable; if you’re working on a job site where you’ll be getting dirty, don’t dress for the CEO position you hope to attain in 10 years. I shouldn’t even have to say that, but I know some smarty-pants would have brought that up otherwise! The same smarty-pants would likely also say, “There is no universal dress code!”, and they would be right about that. Every industry has its own expectations, and standards vary within specific workplaces. Know the dress code for the place you’re working or are going to work. (In the latter instance, the interview would be a great time to gather this information.)

Finding the Right Clothing

Young people face two general issues: 1) Finding clothes that both look good but also command respect, while 2) working with a limited budget.

Invest in a few key pieces. These are your basic articles of clothing that you can get a lot of use out of, will never go out of style, are good quality, and fit you well. If you shop wisely, you can mix and match a few key pieces to get a large number of outfits. For instance, let’s say you have a skirt, a pant, a blouse, and a sweater. You can wear the skirt/sweater, skirt/blouse, pant/sweater, and pant/blouse and be all set with four different outfits. Now imagine investing in six or eight key pieces; you will never have to worry about not having anything to wear, nor will you have to buy a “whole new wardrobe”.

While the initial cost of these items may be high, think of the usage you would get out of each piece –even a suit comes with 2-3 different pieces that can be mixed and matched to create new looks. “Think of your new clothes as investments,” says my colleague Jeannine Prats of Jean-9’s Fashion Sense, who also points out that these investments can “go a long way in [building] your professional image”.

You may spend $150+ on a quality suit that will last you for years, and having to pay for poorer-quality clothes every few months costs you more money in the long run. Think of buying a car; it’s expensive up front, but a reliable car that will last you awhile has a higher personal value to you than a cheap clunker that keeps breaking down every couple of weeks and costs more to repair than it’s actually worth.

Another good tip is to stick to the classic color set: black, navy blue, and brown. Why?

1. They will never go out of style.
2. They are versatile; you’ll always find something that matches one of those colors!

Remember the 80s, when neon green was in? One of my aunts has a suit in that color. While she probably wore it dozens of times into the early 90s, I doubt I will ever see it again. That color was just part of some trend that has thankfully died out. The moral of this story: Don’t waste your money on a trendy color scheme that looks amazing today, but that you can’t get a lot of use out of because it’ll look tacky next year. The only exception to this rule I will make is for charcoal grey. I find that it’s just as versatile as your classic black, but it’s not as harsh.

Does this mean that you’re stuck wearing the same three or four colors at work? Not if you don’t want to! The beauty of having key items is that you can always mix and match to create new outfits; this maximizes the usage of each piece of clothing. You can always use items you already have in your closet to accomplish this; a grey suit, for example, can be paired with a trendy fuschia blouse. Jeannine points out that skinny pants can go from casual to “boardroom perfect” simply by adding a blazer. Speaking of which, blazers come in a variety of styles and lengths that can work with any body type or personal style. Shop around!

And let’s not forget shoes! I once saw a woman wearing an all-black pantsuit with brightly-colored pumps. Accessories can really make a statement, and, as I said, you may already have some work-appropriate, yet fashion-forward accessories in your closet. Or your roommate’s closet.

Hopefully this gives you a sense on how to dress professionally for work while avoiding the unflattering neutral pantsuit trap (You’ve seen that unfortunate young lady wearing the “old lady” suit; I know you have!). I tried to stick to the basics, but after three years as a fashion consultant, I’ve got plenty of info, so feel free to ask questions or send some feedback my way. For more of Jeannine’s ideas about how to incorporate this season’s trends into the standard workplace attire, read her article!