Power-dressing: Do the clothes make the man?

One's external features will always tell people how he is as a person. From head to toe, people always scrutinize people around them. An individual who usually stands out from a crowd will always be on the spotlight of gazes. Nowadays, business professionals dress up not only for the sake sporting the overrated “professional” look, but to feel good about themselves as well. They always think that whatever they where is a part of them and will complement their personalities in the vast corporate world.

Degrees of Dressing

A business attire comes in two levels of dressing. First, the business professional attire which is considered the most conservative corporate dress. Second, the informal business professional which is a more relaxed version of the business professional look (Ebony.2005). Here are some pointers to distinguish the business professional look form the informal business professional attire:

• The business professional look - a conservative suit in a solid or pinstriped pattern. Preferred colors are navy, dark brown, gray and black.

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White and pastel-colored blouses are acceptable. Pumps with a closed heel and toe accessorize your suit. Prim and proper look is exhibited (Ebony.2005).
• The informal professional look – incorporates an air of flamboyance. It augments your look with more color in jackets, sweaters and blouse styles. And even dresses and skirts in silky prints combined with tailored jackets and sweaters as well. Casual look is showcased (Ebony.2005).

Sense and Sensibility

In order for one to have a standard way of dressing, He or she should be aware that each company has an unwritten rule of dress codes (Ebony.

2005). Assess the dress code and standard of dressing of your office. One should always on the lookout on what the head honchos of the company wear. This is to avoid the subject of the office grapevine which will deter the formation of potential friendships among your co-workers. One should dress to impress and not to intimidate. Remember that in the office environment, not all people have similar mentalities in perceiving a person on how he dresses up.

Fashion Pointers for the Neophyte Job-Hunter

• Suit - The proper and usually suitable suit colors are black, navy and charcoal. Your buttoned-up blouse or shell should not be sheer; silk and cotton impress best. Fashion experts say that a skirt should be worn at the initial interview, and then a pair of slacks for the succeeding interviews (Ebony.2005).
• Shoes - Shoes are to be in good condition and polished as well. For ladies, shoes with 1- to 2-inch heels are a standard. Flamboyant designs for stockings aren't proper for the office environment (Ebony.2005).
• Accessories - You can enchance your look by wearing accessories but not to the extent of sporting a party look with exuberant and fancy jewelries. Unusual piercings aren't proper and is acceptable in the office environment (Ebony.2005).
• Hair - One's hairstyle should complement his or her skin tone. Again, flamboyant hairstyles aren't proper in the office setting (Ebony.2005).

Fashion vs. Grooming: The Verdict

A person's sense of style in terms of dressing either complements or deters his worth as a person. Not all power dressers are geniuses, some of them only dress up simply for the sake of compensating their unproductive performance in the office. Whereas, a handful of people who don't give a premium on dressing are usually a company's asset. Dressing up should not always be associated with a person's worth and significance to a company. A person's fashion sense reflects a portion of his personality and should not be confused on how he performs in the office. Each person has a unique sense of fashion and style that he owes to his standard of grooming.

Works Cited

Ebony. 2005. Power-dressing for professionals: corporate, casual and chic. January 2005 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_3_60/ai_n8700562>