When you get ready for work, pay attention to what you put on. Your appearance matters. It’s a direct reflection on your professionalism. You need to wear the right things to work if you want to be taken seriously.
What you wear to work depends on several criteria. It is dictated by what you do and where you work. For example, a lifeguard may be able to head to work in flip-flops and surf trunks, while a bank manager may be required to wear a suit. Another example is that a hip social media company may have looser dress codes than a Fortune 500 company. And, of course, life’s easy when you get to wear a uniform!
Generally, there are no written rules as to what you can or cannot wear to work, but use a bit of common sense. If you’re grabbing yesterday’s stained and wrinkled shirt from the hamper, you might need to reassess what you’re wearing. Every professional needs to be neat, clean, and look the part.
Regardless of what job you have, here are some general guidelines on some of the worst things to wear to work:
- Don’t wear anything that’s too casual. – Things like sweatpants, tank tops, or flip-flops are almost always a no-no in the workplace.
- Don’t wear revealing clothes. – People have a hard time respecting co-workers that show too much skin. Unless you work at the beach, keep yourself covered up.
- Don’t wear clothes that are dirty, filthy, wrinkled, or stinky. – If you’ve worn it recently, give it a good clean before wearing it again.
- Don’t wear anything offensive. – T-shirts are usually a bad idea, especially when they have rude slogans or inappropriate pictures.
- Don’t wear anything that makes it impossible to do your job. – Wear functional clothing that allows you to get your job done quickly.
- Don’t wear the same clothes you wore out last night. – From formal wear to disco clothes, change up your wardrobe before you head to the office.
- Don’t wear inappropriate body piercings. – In the professional work environment, keep the piercings to a minimum.
Whether you’re working as a ski instructor or have a job on a cruise ship. Use these tips to help get yourself ready for work. If you’re heading to a job interview, make sure you DO wear these three things!
Pay attention to what your co-workers wear to work. Try to blend in. Let your personality stand out, not your wardrobe.