Why You Should Dress For Success in a Smart Casual Office Environment

Why You Should Dress For Success in a Smart Casual Office Environment Can Dressing For Success Actually Lead To Success? Tips For A Smart Casual OfficePosted May 31, 2016, by Zahra Campbell-Avenell What you wear at work can have an impact on your performance. Hard to believe, right? Think about it surely what youre wearing cant actually improve your workor can it? In an era when even CEOs are no longer shackled to conservative dark suits (think Steve Jobs turtleneck and sneakers, Mark Zuckerbergs hoodie and Richard Bransons leather jacket), why should any of us bother dressing up for work? In an ideal world, we would be judged on our merits, and our outfits would make no difference to peoples perception or our ability to succeed in the workplace. As it turns out, this is far from the truth An increasing body of research on enclothed cognition suggests that donning a blazer or a suit can have a marked impact on our productivity, our sense of self and even our ability to negotiate. A 2015 study in Social Psychological and Personality Science demonstrated that wearing formal clothing increased abstract, big-picture thinking in cognitive tests. Perhaps this is not surprising given that people feel most authoritative, competent and trustworthy when wearing formal or geschftliches miteinander casual attire. The Journal of Experimental Psychology published a study in 2014 with similar findings that wearinginformal clothing can hamper your chances of a successful negotiation. But thats not all. Researchers at Northwestern University found that wearing an item of clothing with symbolic association measurably improves performance in the skill it is associated with. The study demonstrated that since a doctors lab coat welches associated with attentiveness, participants performed better when wearing a doctors coat in attention-related tasks. When told that the same piece of clothing was a painters coat, participants completed the task with less success. Using the s ame logic, if youre like most people, you would exude power and authority when wearing a suit because thats what you subconsciously associate a suit with. Mind. Blown. And of course its no surprise that peoples opinions of you depend on what youre wearing. Research has shown that women in traditionally masculine attire are mora likely to get hired teachers perceived credibility is impacted by their clothing and people make assumptions about your socioeconomic status based on the brand youre wearing. So your clothing choices dont go unnoticed by people around you, if only on a subliminal level. But wait You say. I work in a business casual environment, so I cant exactly wear a suit every day Given the career-boosting powers of the clothes on your back, Id say its never a good idea to let your work wardrobe and your weekend wardrobe merge into one. While companies are increasingly moving towards a more casual dress code (or the elusive business casual) it cant hurt to ramp up y our style game at work just a tad. Weve written about how to dress for success at work before, but if you work in a more casual arbeitszimmer schauplatz, here are some tips on how to look polished but not overdressed Tip 1 If in doubt, add a blazer Guys and gals, a blazer is your secret weapon. Ask yourself Would you wear it to the shops? If the answer is yes, you probably shouldnt be wearing it to work unless you top it with a blazer. This often-overlooked piece of clothing can take your jeans or sundress from slovenly to smart in an instant. Find one in a dark colour that fits you like a glove, and keep it at your desk for instant office cred. And since most offices tend to overdo the air conditioning, itll keep you warm while lending you an air of authority and increasing your performance to boot. Tip 2 No athletic wear ever. You might be one of those lucky people who work at a startup where the CEO wears shorts and sneakers. If you are said CEO, you can wear what you want (unl ess youre in a negotiation setting see above), but until then, the rest of us have to follow some basic sartorial rules. If your workplace is truly casual, and you notice people in higher positions wearing sneakers, then (and only then) can you wear sneakers to work. Even so, make sure that theyre non-athletic sneakers (i.e. you wouldnt wear them to run in) and preferably in a darker colour like grey, brown or black. Tip 3 Ill take one of each A good rule of thumb is to pair one dressy item of clothing with another more casual piece. For instance, a pair of jeans worn with a collared shirt elevates the jeans from something you would wear to the footy to more work-appropriate attire. Similarly, a t-shirt worn with a pencil skirt can make the skirt look a little less formal. Mixing up casual and formal pieces allows you to be comfortable while leise looking, feeling and being more competent at work. Tip 4 Jeans in a dark wash If your dress code allows jeans, youre in luck Darker je ans such as black and indigo are more sophisticated than a lighter wash, but are still relaxed enough to fit into a business casual setting. Bonus darker jeans are more flattering Tip 5 Future mother-in-law check Even if your workplace is on the extreme end of casual, anything thats too revealing or torn (even deliberately) is a definite no-no. If you wouldnt wear it to meet your potential in-laws, you shouldnt wear it to work. Its important to feel confident in your clothes, and its hard to do that in ripped jeans, short shorts or track pants. So go on, step up your business casual look a notch. Youll look better, feel better and work better. Its clear that clothes can have a profound impact both on how we are perceived and how we behave. What are your thoughts? Is there such a thing as too casual in the workplace? Share your experiences below ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in beco ming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searcheshow to make an advertisement for a request for humen resources manageroffice manager job description for resumeadvertisements for teachers in news employementadvertising office managerhow to make a recruitment advertisement for teacher in a school CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Zahra Campbell-AvenellZahra started writing at the age of 6, and hasnt stopped since. When shes not creating content about careers, learning and personal development, you can find her researching her next travel adventure, bingeing on Netflix or shopping online.Related ArticlesBrowse moreAU Labour LawsWork/life balanceAustralian employers should be bending over backwardsA re cent report has shown that Australian employees have the least flexible work arrangements in the Asia Pacific, but are organisations starting to limber up?WORKFORCE TRENDSChanges to the Skilled Migration List targets only the highly skilledImmigration and Citizenship minister, Senator Chris Evans, has put forward a newer, shorter Skilled Migration List (SOL) following advice provided by Skills Australia.StressWellbeingMental Health In The WorkplaceAn overbearing boss, unpleasant working conditions, unrealistic targets, personal health issues, and more can all affect our mood and stress levels in the workplace. 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