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The Casual Quandary

One of the biggest elements of my business is helping women choose the right clothes for their business wardrobes. That has proven to be a huge challenge. What in the world is proper business wear these days? You’ve got traditional business suits, business casual wear and casual wear. And it's the casual style that's the most difficult most difficult for women to dress for .

Even in today's casual environment, you will need to look like you belong in the executive suite before you will ever get there. When you have a professional image you represent yourself and your company in a professional light. It shows management that you are committed to your career. And studies show that when you look like a leader you tend to behave like a leader. Soooo, it stands to reason, when you look like a slouch...Think about a time when you went to work in really casual clothes. Maybe it was cleanup day or moving day or maybe you just felt like being super casual. How did you behave? What was your posture? What was your speech like? Did you behave casually? Sit kind of slouchy? Less formal casual, weekend type speech?

So how do you dress professionally in a casual environment? I suggest that you always dress on the formal side of the casual equation. That means, dress pants instead of khakis, blouse instead of a knit shirt and always keep a jacket handy, just in case.  Now what if, your entire office dresses in khakis and knit tops? Why shouldn't you just go with the crowd? Let's talk about the consequences of not maintaining a professional image. When you are dressed too casually, there is the chance that your suggestions may not get taken seriously, even though they have merit. Because you don't look professional, you could get left out of important meetings with clients or management. You could see the consequences in your pay raises just because you look subpar.

In fact, according to a survey conducted byCareerBuilder.com 75% of American workers say that clothing or personal appearances influence attitudes about professionalism. Did you know that in the first 3 seconds of a person meeting you, they have made judgments about your profession, education, income, intelligence and personality! And they base these judgments on the way you dress, speak and carry yourself.

If you don't feel that you are projecting the most professional image, give Polished Professional Image a call. I'll assess your professional goals, your work environment and your wardrobe. Together, we will make sure you always look your professional best!