There is a necessity for every working woman to dress sharp. One cannot risk appearing casual and sloppy in your professional life, nor do you want to wear the wrong clothes. Also, many offices have specific dress codes to follow. Fortunately, there are plenty of options in women’s workwear for you to choose from.
From business formal and business professional to business casual, there are many ways to dress up for the workplace. If you have ever looked for tips on what type of attire you need to wear at your job, here’s how to do it right.
The Dress Code
Nearly 38.8% of the workforce is women, and with more women pursuing higher education, the number is only going to grow. Therefore, the competition will be high, and you need to follow some etiquette if you want to excel in your career. One of the critical aspects of professional life is the dress code at offices.
Not all workplaces have them, but you need to stick to them if yours does. There are some simple guidelines to acting following it, though.
Usually, there are four types of dress codes in an office. They are as follows:
Business Formal
Most jobs in high-level positions, such as law firms or executive jobs, require you to follow this dress code. It is also known as a boardroom attire and is the most professional of all dress codes.
Women’s workwear that goes along with this dress code includes well-tailored pantsuits, conservative skirt suits in a neutral colour, white button-ups, etc. You can wear dark tights too. However, you should try avoiding bright coloured heels, dark red lipsticks, and skirts that are too short.
Business Professional
This is a bit mellowed version of the business formal. However, it still requires you to dress conservatively and traditionally. You do have some freedom regarding the fittings and colours, though. This type of dress code is also known as traditional business attire.
Some women’s workwear that complies with this dress code includes light-coloured dress pants, patterned suits, and conservative ties. You can wear matching watches and cuff links with your dress. However, you should wear dark coloured oxfords or loafers instead of heels.
Business Casual
This dress code is the most common in workplaces and lets you showcase your true personality more. You also have the opportunity to add more colours, patterns and accessories to your workwear with this dress code. However, you need to discuss with the HRs first your organisation’s concept of business casuals.
This is also known as executive casual and allows women to wear full suits, skirts, jackets, cardigans, coloured blouses, etc. However, you need to avoid low-cut shirts and skirts and overly bright patterns. The safe choice would be to wear muted patterns and solid colours.
Casual
This type of dress code offers you the most freedom in your workplace. If your organisation allows you to wear casual clothes, consider yourself lucky. However, you need to be smart about it and should avoid going overboard with it. Being too “casual” at the workplace creates a wrong impression with your bosses and even in front of your colleagues.
As you cannot risk looking unprofessional, you can tweak some tricks to make even the most casual of clothes work for you. For instance, ensure that the skirts are at least knee-length and not shorter than that. Make sure all your shirts, blouses, and tops are well-fitted and ironed. Remember, your attire should never be too tight, loose, or revealing.
The office dress code is a guideline for you, and if your organisation has provided you with one, it is helpful for you. However, even if you are not provided with any dress code, it is important to dress professionally for the workplace. As an ambitious working woman, you must dress right.
With the above tips, you should have a clear idea about what to dress. So, if you want to crack the next interview or impress your boss at your next meeting, you know what to do now.
