To wear or skip pantyhose is the most hotly debated topic I cover in professional dress. It’s human nature to want to be ultimately comfortable and to also follow what others are doing; however, this is an area where you should really stop to think about your environment, superiors/peers and your goals. Something you may not know is that study after study shows that women who wear hosiery are viewed as more capable than their bare legged peers. They also typically earn more money. Why, you may ask? A couple of reasons…Hosiery gives a more finished look to professional clothes; they give you a barrier so that you’re showing less skin (another pro dress guideline,) and they send out a non-verbal (subconscious) message that you take care of the details. Those are pretty darn good arguments for pantyhose! The cons? Of course, they uncomfortable and especially hot in warm weather. (I probably didn’t need to point this out, right?) The other con to wearing pantyhose is that a lot of people view them as frumpy and old fashioned—No one has ever told me they’d like to be perceived as either of those! I think this may have a lot to do with the (Read more...)

The other day I picked up a copy of the NY Times and came upon a review, (Beyond a Simple Fashion Statement by Roberta Smith) of a Photography exhibit titled "Dress Codes." Naturally, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I can't just jet off to New York to see the exhibit, but there were some interesting quotes on dress and image in the article that I thought I would share. "Clothing is a language that we study carefully and read almost reflexively, like the expression on a person's face. What we wear is an interface between our bodies (and our selves)--" "From Diane Arbus: 'Everybody has this thing where they need to look one way, but they come out looking another way, and that's what people observe.'" (I don't necessarily agree with this quote.) "I'm afraid I like my  movie stars, especially female ones, to dress the part." (In response to her disappointment of "lack of sartorial display" in a video featuring Cate Blanchett.) To see the whole article, visit NYTimes.com

October 27, 2009 4-6 p.m. What can employers ask you to wear and what should you wear?  Interviewing for a job and dressing for success is stressful.   When you pick one outfit or another, you are sending a message.  And, whether you like it or not, employers are receiving that message.  This seminar will provide helpful tips and tricks for assembling professional attire that will help you convey the image you are looking for. We’ll also provide a quick summary of the employer’s point of view.  Employers speak to the world through their employees, and they want to set the tone for those conversations…starting with your appearance!  What can employers require, within the confines of the law, by way of dress code and appearance policy? This seminar will help employees learn how to give employers what they want, and will provide employers with a guide to what they can regulate, so that both employees and employers find what they seek…success! This presentation will be in cooperation with Laura Hazen. Laura is a Director with the law firm of Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC. She serves as the head of the Child Care / Early Education Practice (Read more...)

“To suit or not to suit?” That is the question. It used to be a given, before business casual and casual dress codes came to be, that an interview always meant donning a suit. It’s not so simple anymore. Especially in the tech field, dressing for work sometimes practically means “come as you are.” So how do you know what you’re supposed to wear for an interview at a company with a casual corporate culture? First, it’s crucial to find out everything you can about your potential employer before ever stepping foot into the interviewer’s office. This includes learning about preferred dress for interviews. In today’s tight job market, many of you are networking your tails off and have contacts within the company. Ask them! Find out what they wore for their interview. Find out about the normal interviewing protocol. Getting information on interview attire is just as important as any of your other research on the company. It’s very important to be specific when researching the preferred dress for interviews not just what the dress code is at the company. It would seem to make sense that if the dress code is business casual or casual that the hiring managers wouldn’t (Read more...)