You know all about dressing to impress at work, right? You know the benefits it can bring, such as self-confidence and an improved image amongst colleagues and bosses alike. But, do you actually know how to dress to impress at work? Do you know what clothes should and should not be worn? Do you know what kind of preparation has to go into dressing to impress?

If not, then make sure to read on.

Preparation must start the night before

If you truly want to impress with your clothing choices for the day ahead of you at work, then you simply must be preparing your attire the night before. Yes, even if you’re tired from the previous day at work, you must be putting plans into place in regards to what you’re going to wear the next day of a nighttime if you are to stand any chance in impressing with your clothing choices. Mainly, prepping your clothes the night before will mean you forgoing having to rush in doing so in the morning, and rushing with clothing choices is the enemy of good clothing decisions. What’s more, it will give you a clearer memory of exactly what you wore during your previous day at work, and that will help you to successfully circumvent wearing the same clothes two days running which will then in turn help you to portray a fresh and dynamic image of yourself in the workplace.

Ironing is key

Your iron is your key to clothing success in the workplace, there is absolutely no doubt about that. You see, without your iron you would be going to work with crumpled and creased clothing, something else that is the enemy of good clothing choices no matter how good your clothing choices may be. This is because you would be seen as somebody that has no attention to detail and no respect for appearance, two things that are seen as vital in the world of work. So, when you are doing your nightly clothing preparations, make sure you are incorporating ironing into them. Well, Cersei Lannister (spoilers) certainly didn’t make it onto the Iron Throne with crumpled clothes, did she, which is why you should be wielding your iron as your weapon of choice in the fight against creases.

Take clothing inspiration from your bos

If you want to be successful in your place of work, then you should be modelling yourself on your boss in all aspects. You should work like them. You should respect the business like them. You should match them for hard work and work ethic. Basically, you should become a mini, not-so-power version of them. And, this should extend itself to way your dress. Yes, you should take clothing inspiration from your boss, first and foremost, because this will mean you will be dressing the exact way that they expect people to be dressing in their workplace and you could never be accused of doing otherwise. If they take a more laid back approach to the dress code, then adopt a similar style. Or if their style is far more corporate, then go corporate yourself. Simply, observe what he or she wears and then take their lead.

Keep your shoes polished

If you want to take steps forward in your career with the business that you work for now, you simply must ensure that your shoes are always polished. You must do so because polished shoes are very much a sign of attention to detail, and as previously stated this is a vital component of business that many employers look to to assess the suitability of an employee. So, keep those shoes of yours in pristine condition, keep them shining and gleaming in sheen and, most importantly, remember to use them as a weapon in your boss-impressing arsenal.

Underdressed equals bad, understated equals good

Underdressing is okay in a certain and minute portion of the world of work, but for the most part underdressing is bad. In businesses underdressing is bad because it is not the message that most businesses wants to portray about themselves. So, don’t underdress and make sure you are always displaying modesty in your dress sense and that you are leaving some things for the imagination. What’s more, make sure you are not dressing as if you are going out on a night on the town. This means forgoing big, 5-inch heels and instead going for a more understated heels, such as those found in a pair of Alana Blacks which themselves can be found at Billini Shoes. Simply, by not doing so you will show yourself to be far less interested in working your way to the top, and far more interested in cutting corners to get there; neither of these things will bode well in regards to either actually making career advancements or building up a rapport with your co-workers.

Always opt for quality

The age old adage of quality over quantity rinks truer in regards to clothing choices for work than it does for most other things. It does so because, quite simply, a quality array of clothes for work will show you to be somebody that values the aesthetic appeal of a business and because it will stop you from constantly having to buy new clothes due to issues of wear and tear.

So, if you want to create a persona for yourself that tells people that you are a person of class, and if you want to save money in the long run, make sure to always opt for quality clothing.

Always be comfortable

All of the advice above is good and well, but being comfortable in what you wear is the most important piece of advice of all. Simply, if you are not comfortable in wearing something, especially if you’ve been told to wear it by your officials, then do not wear it. You see, comfort leads to confidence, and confidence is key to success in the workplace. So, make sure you are dressing in a way that makes you feel comfortable, make sure you are dressing in a way that makes you feel confident and make sure you are dressing in a way that is appropriate for your day-to-day activities.

Finally, just be you

There’s nothing better than a person at work who is themselves and brings their own flavour to the workplace. And, you can do just that, and impress a lot of people along the way with your awesomeness, by being you when it comes to choosing your clothing. Yes, of course, this does not mean that you should wear your pyjamas to work, whether they are you spirit clothing or not — this just means that your personality should shine through everything that you wear. This could mean only ever opting for a certain array of colours, or it could mean accessorising your outfit with jewellery that is sentimental to you or that that you have in fact made yourself.

So, there you have it, comprehensive advice on just how you can wield the powers of your wardrobe and up your fashion game in order to get ahead at work. Just, whatever you do, do not think that dressing well is going to instantly fire you to the top of your business or industry. No, behind every good set of clothes there needs to be a hardworking person, and you need to make sure that you are just that!

Amy x