It is a question without a clear answer; but if you follow these simple guidelines, you do not ever have to worry about being the lady in the office that does not look appropriate. Here are the three styles that are not appropriate for the office the Hooker, the Homeless Lady and the Clown aka Makeup Face.
Some of these tips may seem obvious but countless times we see women not following them in the office setting and they risk looking like the Hooker. You are in the office for work, so unless you are the manager at Hooters, you should never wear short shorts or shorts skirts to the office. A general guideline is no more than a few inches about the knee. Also, avoid knee high boots, too much jewellery especially rings. One ring per hand is more than enough. Another obvious one that is often overlooked is too much cleavage; you are at work not the nightclub. Its unfortunate that women get objectified as sex objects at work but its a fact! Make them appreciate your brains not you boobs. Stylists always recommend a no cleavage policy at work.
Dressing too casual at work has become a problem also ripped jeans , pyjama bottoms, stained t-shirt are obvious no-nos. However a lot of women break other office wardrobe rules such as showing up looking like a homeless lady with worn out baggy clothes. How is your boss going to take you seriously and consider you for important projects or promotions if you dress like you dont care. It is imperative to have proper fitting clothes. There is nothing wrong with second hand clothes or a nice suit passed along from a friend but all clothing must fit properly in an office setting. Find a good tailor; the few dollars spent on getting alterations probably wont even be close to the cost of new pieces. Remember, people judge on how you look. Its not fair but its the truth.
Makeup; wow you would think they are giving it away free by the way some women wear the stuff. Most office areas have good lighting so any excess makeup you wear can easily be seen compare to the dark nightclubs where women will most often use lots of makeup. Remember you will be close to people in a well lit area so if you give them the impression you have a mask on your face or dramatically over done eye brows, outrageous color of lipstick you can actually make other people around you uncomfortable. Its like standing beside a Clown. Again if you dont know what amount of make up is appropriate to wear other people will wonder what else you dont know subconsciously you will give people bosses the impression you dont know what you are doing.
So to re-cap, yes I agree its unfair that women are judged based on their looks or clothes but these are the facts we have to deal with. So, get the opinions of your trusted friends, research online and use a little common sense. After all its your career and it deserves a little effort.
By Sammy A with
LemonLash.com where you can always find great styles and free fashion advice at style@lemonlash.com
