After commenting on a fellow P.R. student’s blog about dressing professionally in your public relations career, I decided to look a little further into the subject and write my own post.
It seems that over the years, people have become more lax about what they wear to work. Maybe it has to do with fashion trends, such as the way jeans have become a staple in American fashion. It has become perfectly acceptable to wear jeans on the weekend, to school or even to a fancy restaurant, depending on what is worn up top. Celebrities have been seen wearing jeans to more “laid back” award shows, like the MTV Music Awards, for example.
This brings up the question: how much does appearance really matter? In addition, what is appropriate to wear to work?
According to Dawn Rosenberg McKay’s career planning blog, it’s human nature to “judge a book by it’s cover,” as they say. She points out that while a person wearing jeans may be as competent and as intelligent as a person dressed in a formal suit, it is most likely that these qualities will be assessed based on appearance.
Knowledge, preparation, and appearance are necessary to make a good impression.
I would also say that it is important to dress professionally, but also dress in a way that is appropriate to your specific field of work. Dress codes and norms will be different depending on the environment you work in. The safest bet is to be clean, neat and dressed in something classic without a lot of distracting frills. This doesn’t mean you can’t be stylish. It just means you should go with a more classic, less-revealing version of the latest styles.
For women, McKay suggests wearing a nice skirt and jacket. For men, she suggests dress trousers and a jacket. She also suggests avoiding large or glitzy jewelry, and frosted or glittery make-up. Hair should be neat and clean, and swept away from your face.
By following these simple suggestions, McKay claims, you will project an image of professionalism and confidence that will allow you to shine in any career.
