How to Dress for Work

 Photo credit: Associated Press
 
I enjoyed listening to this story on NPR's On Point about workplace dressing today. I've never had a job that required me to dress a certain way, so it is sometimes hard for me to relate to people's struggles over what to wear to work. However, I do understand there are complicated and often mixed messages people get from their employers about what is appropriate and what is not.

Go here to read an excellent New York Times article on this topic. Times are different from the 1970s, when women dressed like Mary Tyler Moore in her eponymous TV show (pictured above).

Dress Your Best (When You Travel)

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I came across this smart article from Slate.com about traveling in style and want to share it. The author, J. Bryan Lowder is not haughtily insisting that people to dress in fancy clothes when they get on a plane. However, he does suggest that "when traveling by public means, each of us dress 'nicely' or 'respectably' according to our means." He goes on to offer some very practical reasons for dressing well when taking public transportation, along with this sage observation: "When we dress well for travel, we are not only making ourselves look good; we’re also signaling that we are invested in making this shared experience pleasant for everyone around us."

Bravo, Mr. Lowder!

Wardrobe Wisdom via lifehacker

Image Credit: lifehacker.com

My husband is a big fan of lifehacker, a website that offers "tips, tricks, and downloads for getting things done." He sent me this link about dressing better. I think you will indeed gain some ideas from this post on how to become a more spiffy dresser. 

Some highlights of the post are:

Be sartorially prepared for many social situations;

Audit your own closet before shopping for clothing;

Get clothing information by reading fashion sites (regularly): 

and

Find a group of people or fashion advisor to provide feedback.

Thank You, Esquire Magazine

Photo Credit:Geoff Charles Collection at the National Library of Wales

Sure, I get annoyed when I open up Esquire magazine and find exploitative photos of women. I also don't appreciate the chauvinistic tones of some of its columns and have to remind myself that I am not the magazine's target audience. Still, the writing is overall very good, and I frequently find informative, up-to-date stories about men's clothing and investigative journalism which is often outstanding.  It may sound like a snooze, but this article, "Do We Really Want to Live Without the Post Office?" was terrific.

Anyway, a small piece in May's issue caught my eye: "How to Be Gracious, and Why." Although this article was aimed at businessmen, its advice is universal. Here, according to writer Tom Chiarella, is what you should do "when wandering the world:

      Stay interested in others;

      Smile. If you can't smile, you can't be gracious;

      Stand when someone enters the room; and

      Introduce people to others with pleasure in your voice.

If you can't muster enthusiasm for the people you happen upon in life, then you cannot be gracious."

Here is why you should behave graciously:

       "The return--the payback if you will--is the reputation you will quickly earn, the curiosity of others, the sense that people want to be in the room with you. People trust the gracious man to care. The return comes in kind."

I read this article to my 12 and 14 year old daughters and will quote it when I talk to groups about dressing professionally. Our world can benefit from more gracious behavior. 

      

When I Was a Girl. . .

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My daughters start to groan whenever I start a sentence this way. I am sure that I did the same when my mom spoke about how much things had changed from the time when she was growing up. Oh well. Today's post is about a very thought provoking article from the Conselle Institute of Image Management.  The author argues that as standards of dress have declined in America, so have our productivity and individualism (and our morals!). 

What follows are some excerpts from the article. To read the entire piece, go here. 

Demanding to wear only what is "easy," we lose the ability to coordinate what is comparatively harder. We don't, can't, and then won't rise above the level of T-shirts and jeans—where anything goes. Fashion or wardrobe skills and creativity are lost and gradually devalued to make those without skills and creativity feel better than those who do.

When was the last time you got "dressed up" in something you really like. Think back on where you went and how terrific you felt. Did you step out on the town, visit friends, or go to a movie or a meeting with more than your usual enthusiasm and self-confidence? Were you pleased with the way you looked and felt? Did you stand a little taller? Did you speak with others a little more often or longer? If so, then your sense of self was getting some healthy exercise. Why should that experience be relegated to just a few times a year—if ever?

But, you say, getting dressed up is something you do only when you have to because it's uncomfortable, expensive, time consuming, or not really you. Nonsense. Dressing up doesn't mean giving up comfort or personal style. Common sense says that comfortable knits and softer fabrics are fine. Clothes that don't have to be ironed are okay, too. You don't have to sacrifice your values or your time for fashion or style.

Consider that when you give some thought and effort to dressing in a variety of ways for a variety of moods and occasions, you become more individual, creative, confident, and competent. Within the time available, you become more involved with more people, in more places, and in more pursuits. Life becomes more interesting. Productivity increases. You are more likely to become self-actualized and to accomplish satisfying goals.

What are your thoughts about this article? Please comment.

Let's Talk about Work

Photo Credit: bananarepublic.com

Last week I spent an hour at UCSB's Career Center, talking to students about how to dress professionally for job interviews and beyond. It's an important topic, and I will be giving similar talks in other departments this winter and spring quarter. It is always interesting to hear the students' questions about appropriate dress, and I come away with information on what to add to my presentation.

To read a beautifully written and detailed article on my presentation, by Grad Division Senior Writer Patricia Marroquin, go here.

True Service

I am revisiting this topic since questions seem to arise around it. Sometimes it is hard to know how to answer when the cashier asks, "Was someone helping you?" Though not all stores give commission to salesclerks, most have some sort of incentive or bonus program tied to what a particular salesperson sells on a given day. So being aware and sensitive to this is important. However, there is helping and there is true service.

Some salespeople must be repeatedly asked to look for certain sizes and express fatigue or irritation at the thought that they are there to help customers. These are not the folks whose names you need to give the cashier.

Other salespeople are superstars, checking in on you while you are trying on clothes without pestering, offering to find clothing in other sizes or styles, helping you put together outfits, etc. When you have such a person giving you such great service, do let the cashier know that person's name. He or she deserves to be singled out for her or his excellent attitude and efficiency and of course deserves to be compensated monetarily by management.

Be Kind to Your Fellow Women

A friend and I were sipping coffee one day in a little cafe when a woman walked by. She had on a simple white t-shirt, chic jeans, and a bright yellow scarf standing in for a belt. Unfortunately her fashionable look was marred by the fact that the scarf's ends had fallen between her legs, creating a canary tail. The right thing to do would have been to let this women know that her scarf had gone astray. Yet since my friend and I were engrossed in a conversation, we just looked at her, expressed compassion, and continued to chat.

Since that time I have vowed to not let such a thing happen again. Allowing women to walk around looking silly is no better than letting a friend talk to people at a dinner party with parsley in her teeth.

My friend, who is always running late, rushed out of an airport bathroom just in time to make her flight. Her path from the restroom to the check-in counter was a long, arduous one, involving many walks down long corridors. But did one person stop her, telling her quietly that her skirt's hem was tucked into the waistband of her tights? No, no one did the right thing. Of course she was mortified though she is able to laugh about this event now.

So I am imploring you to, in a friendly manner, let a woman know when one of her outfits has gone wrong. I know this is not always easy to ascertain, but you will be thanked in the end.