Dress for Success

One question that often comes up in our workshops is, “Does how I dress matter?”

Our answer is “Yes.” How you dress is one of many signals that can influence how people respond to you. However, it’s not so much the style of dress that matters; it’s the apparent qualities that your choices convey, such as attention to detail, awareness of company culture, and the ability to represent yourself well.

While there is no one way to dress for success, we encourage our clients to consider the following tips when selecting their wardrobes:

• Dress for the job you want. If you see yourself at the executive level, dress that way.
• Dress for the best day on that job. Going into a meeting but unsure of the dress code? Imagine the high end of what people might wear in that environment and “follow suit.”
• Give at least as much thought to what you are wearing as your colleagues and/or clients have. From “business” to “casual” attire, every situation has guidelines; give thought to the environment you’re going into.

Additionally, how you dress can affect how you feel about yourself. When you are confident in your personal look, you are likely to be more engaged and exhibit more courage!

If you’re looking for assistance to find the right look for you, we highly recommend personal stylist, Jill DeWan of Flair Shopping. Like SpeechSkills, Jill places a high value on authenticity. Her goal is to “help people love their wardrobe and always feel confident leaving the house, no matter where they are going.” Jill successfully helps her clients create a look that inspires genuine confidence on the inside, so that they can more easily reflect that on the outside.