The clothes you wear affect more than just your physical appearance. According to a study cited by
Scientific American, they also affect your heart health, negotiating skills and overall attitude. If you're looking to get ahead in your career, you should reevaluate your wardrobe choices. While wearing the wrong clothes can hurt your job prospects, wearing the right clothes can increase your chances of scoring the job that you've always dreamed of. So, consider the following do's and don'ts of dressing for success.
Do Wear a Suit
There's no substitution for a suit when dressing for success. Wearing a high-quality suit jacket with a pair of matching trousers creates a formal, classic appearance that reflects positively upon your work ethics. It shows employers and job recruiters that you are serious about working. As a result, they are more likely to give you the job. Regardless of the job or position that you are looking to score, wearing a suit will help you get it.
Don't Wear Sneakers
Some people make the mistake of wearing sneakers or other athletic shoes with a suit. They either don't own a pair of dress shoes, or they don't believe that anyone will see their sneakers. The truth is, however, that shoes play an essential role in your overall appearance. Even if you wear a suit, you won't be able to create a formal appearance without the right shoes. So, wear a pair of dress shoes -- Oxfords, loafers, etc. -- with your suit to create a formal, cohesive appearance.
Do Press Your Suit
A suit is only beneficial in creating a professional, formal appearance is it's clean and wrinkle free. Unfortunately, many people ignore this otherwise basic form of maintenance, instead choosing to wear a wrinkled suit. If your suit is wrinkled, it will look messy and unflattering, thus hurting your efforts to create a formal appearance. To prevent this from happening, press your suit with a steamer or hot iron before wearing it. Alternatively, you can take your suit to the dry cleaners, assuming this won't damage the fabric. You can check the care label of your suit for more information on how to clean and maintain it. Generally speaking, though, most suits can be safely dry cleaned without damaging the fabric.
Don't Wear Perfume or Cologne
Another common mistake to avoid when dressing for success is wearing perfume or cologne. There's nothing wrong with smelling nice, but body fragrances such as these are oftentimes overwhelming. To create the perfect outfit for success, you should avoid wearing perfume or cologne.
Do Wear a Button-Up Dress Shirt
You should wear a button-up dress shirt underneath your suit jacket. Some men assume that it's okay to wear a traditional polo shirt or even a standard t-shirt underneath their suit jacket, believing that no one will see it. Even when your suit jacket is buttoned, however, your shirt will still be visible. And if it's a generic polo shirt or t-shirt, it won't look right. The bottom line is that you should always wear a button-up dress shirt with a suit. A high-quality dress shirt will compliment your suit's color and style, creating the perfect professional outfit that will help you succeed in your respective career.
Don't Wear Bold Colors
What's wrong with wearing bold colors? Nothing if you're dressing for a night out with friends. But if you're dressing for work or a job interview, you should stick with traditional, neutral colors instead. Cold colors are simply too flashy and often have a negative impact on your level of professionalism.
Do Wear Matching Colors
While speaking about color choices, it's also worth mentioning that you should wear matching colors. Some people wear suit separates, meaning their trousers and suit jacket were purchased separately. In many cases, this often leads to a mismatching combination in which these two garments clash with one another.
Don't Leave Your Suit Jacket Unbuttoned
Proper suit etiquette requires you to button your suit jacket. Leaving it open creates a more casual appearance -- and that's exactly what you want to avoid when dressing for success. You don't have to fasten all the buttons on your suit jacket, however. A good rule of thumb is to fasten all except for the bottom-most button. If your suit jacket has three buttons, for example, you can fasten the top and two while leaving the bottom button undone.
Do Wear Clothes that Fit
You can't expect to create a professional, formal appearance by wearing oversized or undersized clothes. If your suit is too big, it will look awkward and unflattering. If it's too small, it will look equally as awkward while also restricting your ability to move freely. To prevent problems such as these from occurring, you must choose a suit that's sized specifically for your body. Here at
StudioSuits, you can order a custom-fitted suit. You tell us your body measurements, and we'll use those measurements to create a custom-fitted suit. Assuming you already own a suit, you can take to a professional tailor to have the size adjusted. But even then, it may still not fit right. Ordering your suit here at StudioSuits ensures that you get the perfect fit.
Don't Wear Animal Print
Whether it's zebra, leopard, tiger, etc., you should avoid wearing clothes with animal print designs. Animal print is simply too bold for a clean and formal professional appearance. You can wear it for casual occasions. For professional occasions, though, it's best to stick with single colors or stripes.
Do Wear Accessories
Finally, you should complete your professional outfit by wearing the right accessories. For men, accessories to consider include a necktie, wristwatch, cufflinks and a tiebar. For women, accessories to consider include a handbag, watch, necklace and earrings. Wearing accessories will help to enhance your appearance with a touch of added style.
