Dress for Success

What is so important about

dress?
 Objective:
 4.1 To understand the importance of a
first impression.
 4.2 To be able to describe the
appropriate dress for a job interview
and why.
 4.3 To be able to describe appropriate
dress after you have been hired.
(Business dress vs. Casual dress)
 What’s So Important about
DRESS?
 First impressions are CRITICAL!
 You are marketing a product – YOURSELF!
 Dress is the first thing an employer sees when
greeting you!
 Will dressing properly get you the job? NO, but
it will:
 Give you a competitive edge
 Provide a positive first impression!
 The Reality
Should you be judged by what you wear?
PERHAPS NOT
 THE REALITY:
 You ARE judged
 With the job interview, it’s HOW YOU ARE
DRESSED that sets the tone of the interview.
 How Should I Dress?
 Conservative is ALWAYS the safest route
 BUT – do some investigation of the employer
 What you wear should make you look as though
you FIT IN with the organization
 If you overdress or under dress, the employer may
feel that you don’t care enough about the job!
 Ways to find out the proper dress:
 Call the Human Resources offices and ask
 Visit the company’s office and observe the attire
current employees are wearing
• Make sure you are not there on a “casual day”!
 Hints for Dress Success

 Make sure you have:

 Clean and polished conservative dress shoes
 Well-groomed hairstyle
 Cleaned and trimmed fingernails
 Minimal cologne or perfume
 No visible body piercings beyond conservative ear
piercings for women
 Well-brushed teeth and fresh breath
 No gum, candy, or other objects in your mouth
 Minimal jewelry
 No body odor
 Dress for Success- Women
 Wear conservative colors
 Matching blazer and skirt or pants – dark colors with
light colored blouse – nothing low-cut
 OR
 Dress/khaki slacks (pressed) and long-sleeve
button-down shirt
 Skirt length should be a little below the knee
and NEVER shorter than above the knee
 Avoid wearing tight clothing
 Shoes should be low-heeled
 Make-up should be minimal
 Lipstick and nail polish in conservative tones
 Bring a briefcase rather than a purse
 Dress for Success - Men
 Wear conservative colors
 Conservative suit or sports coat and pressed
dress/khaki slacks
 White long-sleeved button-down shirt
 Conservative silk tie (optional)
 Polished dress shoes
 Belt that matches shoes
 If you have a beard or mustache:
 Make sure it is neatly trimmed
 If you have any visible body parts pierced or
tattooed:
 Remove all piercings and cover all tattoos if
possible
 Target Practice 4.2
 Overthe next few slides you will determine
weather an outfit is appropriate or
inappropriate for an interview.
 Which is appropriate?
A) B) C)
 Which is inappropriate?
A) B) C)
 Which is appropriate?
A) B) C)

D) F)
E)
 Which is inappropriate?
B)
A)

C)
 Which is appropriate?
B)
A)

C) D)
 Dressing ON THE JOB

 Once you’ve landed the job…

 Consult your supervisor as to what is acceptable
dress for his/her department
 Ask about any “casual days” and what type of
dress is allowed on those days
 When in doubt, DRESS CONSERVATIVELY!
What is too casual?
What is Inappropriate Attire for Work?
Male Business Professional
Male Business Casual
Female Business Professional
Women Business Casual
 Examples of Unprofessional and
Inappropriate Attire
•Midriff baring clothing
•Miniskirts
•Excessively high heeled shoes
•Caps (headwear) indoors
•Very tight clothing

Clothing that reveals cleavage, your

back, your chest, your stomach or
your underwear is not appropriate
for the workplace, even in a business
casual setting.
Slacks, Pants, and Suit Pants
Slacks that are similar to Dockers and other
makers of cotton or synthetic material pants,
wool pants, flannel pants, and nice looking
dress synthetic pants are acceptable.

Inappropriate slacks or pants include jeans,

flannel (or other material) pajama pants,
sweatpants, exercise pants, short shorts,
shorts, Bermuda shorts, bib overalls, leggings,
and any spandex or other form-fitting pants
such as bike clothing.
Skirts, Dresses, and Skirted Suits
 Casual dresses and skirts, and skirts that
are split at or below the knee are
acceptable. Dress and skirt length should
be no shorter than four inches above the
knee, or a length at which you can sit
comfortably in public.
 Short, tight skirts that ride halfway up the
thigh are inappropriate for work. Mini-
skirts, skorts, beach dresses, and
spaghetti-strap and strapless dresses are
inappropriate for the office.
 Shirts, Tops, Blouses, and Jackets

 Casual shirts, golf shirts, dress shirts, sweaters

tops, company logo shirts , and turtlenecks are
acceptable. Most suit jackets, sport jackets, or
company logo Jackets are also acceptable attire
for the office.
 Inappropriate attire includes tank tops;
sweatshirts; midriff tops; shirts with potentially
offensive words, terms, logos, pictures,
cartoons, or slogans; halter-tops; tops with bare
shoulders; and t-shirts unless worn under
another blouse, shirt, jacket, or jumper.
 Shoes and Footwear
 Loafers, boots, flats, dress heels, and leather
deck shoes are acceptable. Wearing no
stockings is acceptable if the look is appropriate
to the outfit.
 Conservative athletic shoes and sneakers may
be appropriate for some job functions (i.e.,
umpiring recreational activities) or for health
reasons, but are generally inappropriate.
 Flashy athletic shoes, thongs/flip-flops, and
slippers are not acceptable in the office.
 Closed toe and closed heel shoes are required
in the vocational and recreation areas of
facilities.
 SNEAKERS: What is appropriate (for those
authorized by duty/assignment to wear athletic shoes)

 Appropriate, conservative athletic shoe

 Inappropriate, flashy athletic shoe

 Jewelry,
Makeup, Perfume, and
Cologne: Should be in good taste,
with no visible body piercing other than
pierced ears.

 Fingernail Length: fingernail length

should not interfere with the
effectiveness and efficiency of your job
performance. Nails should be well
maintained with polish or natural color.

 Hats and Head Covering: Hats

and caps are not appropriate in the
office. Head Covers that are required
for religious purposes or to honor
cultural tradition are allowed.
There is a time and a place
for all attire. Clothing that
works well for the beach,
yard work, dance clubs, trips
to the mall, exercise sessions,
and sports contests may not
be appropriate for a
professional appearance at
work.
 Violations of Dress Code
 If an employee’s supervisor determines that an
employee’s clothing fails to meet these
standards, the supervisor shall ask the
employee not to wear the inappropriate item to
work again. The supervisor may send the
employee home to change clothes and shall
issue a verbal warning for the first offense. All
other policies about personal time use will apply.
Progressive disciplinary action will be taken for
further dress code violations including
termination.
 http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/11/07/dres
sing-too-sexy-for-work-could-cost-you-
your-job/
 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14pc06
_dress-for-the-job-you-want_lifestyle
 Target Practice 4.3

 What is the difference between female

business casual and business
professional?
 What is the difference between male
business casual and business
professional?