Redefining Business Casual for
Success
By Angie Miller
Business casual is dead.
As they do, times are changing and as the economy remains
in a state of constant flux, maintaining a current
position, earning a new job, or climbing the corporate
ladder has become increasingly competitive. Gaining
a competitive edge is central to the livelihood of
successful and upwardly mobile business men and women
alike. The job market remains challenging and job seekers,
in particular, are forced to develop ways to position
themselves above the competition.
Millions of dollars are spent each year by men and
women trying to gain this competitive advantage by
attending self help seminars or by downing miracle
pills and elixirs. But what is being missed? Appearance.
All things being equal, one of the easiest way to gain
an edge is how you project yourself in the marketplace.
As the saying goes, "the clothes make the man
(and woman)" – the days of business casual.
The high tech and dot com revolution ushered in an
increase in technology and communication in the workplace.
Unfortunately it also ushered in a significantly more
relaxed attitude regarding appearance and office decorum – and
ultimately the '90s equivalent of the leisure suit – business
casual. This adjustment in the way things are done
also led to a shift in attitudes of workers. At all
levels of business, workers began to desire more convenience
and more relaxed work environments, including their
style of dress.
Some say that taking the focus off professional dress
provides comfort, which in turn increases employee
productivity, creativity and morale. This shift in
focus was also viewed as a company perk. Others say
that dressing casually at work poses problems with
quality of work equating how you dress to how efficiently
you perform. While both cases have merit, there are
strong disadvantages to dressing down.
It is your brand. Similar to how marketing executives
for years have come up with new packaging to attract
attention and coveted shelf space, employees must do
the same in a choice laden market. How you wish to
be perceived, putting personal beliefs aside regarding
superficiality can depend on the package.
Dressing inappropriately or sloppily is simply no longer
acceptable in the business office, as client or internal
meetings may come about unexpectedly, or in presenting
oneself to fellow employees. In addition, as your personal
brand, being associated with untidy attire may go counter
to the outward brand you wish to project – detail
oriented, organized and professional. There is simply
no substitute for a well pressed suit or slacks and
blouse when setting an example to leadership, to clients
and to coworkers that you are a "buttoned up" employee.
In addition, understanding how a prospective employer
defines casual dress can be tricky, particularly during
an interview. How one person interprets casual dress
may not be the same for someone else. Hence, many employers
run into the problem of having an employee show up
in jeans or with wrinkled clothes that are missing
buttons. In this highly competitive job market, this
is not the image that should be projected to a current
or prospective employer. As you try to get ahead, is
this the attire that instills leadership and confidence
as part of your brand? No.
Now, this is not to say that an expensive suit takes
the place of competence and personality, but rather
all things being relatively equal, taking pride in
one's appearance is definitely a plus. The real skill
is finding the style of your work environment, your
comfort level, and what is realistic to wear in an
effort to set yourself apart without being overly flashy.
Even The Learning Channel has devoted an entire series, "What
Not To Wear," on this very topic. To find the
niche for your work environment, simply follow some
basic guidelines.
Take a look around your office. What are other people
wearing? More importantly, what does your boss wear?
What is the company's style? Who is the audience that
you are representing? Who will see you during the day?
How do wish to represent yourself and what are your
short and long term business goals? What clothing styles
are "trendy," as opposed to what styles are
more timeless? What do I need to purge from my overstuffed
closet and why?
When you answer these questions, keep in mind that
you want to dress to impress and be comfortable in
your own skin at the same time. Wearing a suit or shirt
and tie should not be uncomfortable, but rather an
outward extension and expression of your brand and
your product – you. And, dressing to impress
doesn't necessarily mean a tuxedo or evening gown,
obviously, but it's much more acceptable to be considered "overdressed," in
a business setting than embarrassed by being "underdressed" when
a situation arises.
Make sure that you keep yourself looking clean and
crisp. A good dry cleaner will help you with that and
save you a lot of time in the process. Slacks and skirts
should be dry cleaned and pressed, with all the buttons
intact and seams are sewn. Look for a reputable cleaner
that will provide all of these services to you as well
as be on the lookout for clothing problems that you
may not have noticed. Dry cleaning is an investment
in success, not to mention it keeps your professional
clothes looking newer, longer. Having professional
attire cleaned professionally also saves a significant
amount of time, time that could be spent "networking" with
those sharp outfits.
View your dress as a business communication tool. Choose
clothing that will reflect that you are serious about
the job you do and that employers and clients can be
confident that you will represent them well and they
can be confident in you. In reality, putting on the
power suit is like suiting up for battle. Admit it,
you feel more confident and ready to take on the world.
You are what you want people to see you as, and first
impressions don't reflect your charming personality.
In fact, what you wear and how you present yourself
can be self fulfilling. Plan ahead. Before getting
dressed, think about who you will be interacting with
that day. Will you be out of the office on appointments
or will someone be visiting your office? Like a well
orchestrated stage show -- dress the part.
Represent the company you work for and your most important
brand – you. You may be the only contact that
your customers or clients see as spokesperson for your
company and in an effort to climb the ladder or get
it out of the garage in the first place, first impressions
are indeed lasting impressions. People equate how you
dress to how much you care about your job and in reality,
how much you care about yourself. Whether trying to
get that first job or advance in your career, brand
packaging is as important with business people as it
is with laundry detergent.
Angie Miller is the Marketing Director of Appearance
Plus Cleaners. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business
Organizational Studies from The University of Northern
Kentucky. She has been with Appearance Plus since 1993.
Appearance Plus, headquartered in Anderson, opened
its first store in 1984 and has a 20 year history of
commitment to making Greater Cincinnati look its best.
The dry cleaner provides convenient and free pick up
and delivery service throughout the Greater Cincinnati
area and has storefront locations in Anderson, Downtown
and Hyde Park. The Appearance Plus name and the bright
white vans are synonymous with the highest quality
dry cleaning, offering complete care of clothing and
home goods, same day express service at no extra charge,
and a dedicated staff committed to their customers.
More information can be accessed at www.appearanceplus.com or
by calling 513-231-5540.
Contact:
Jeff Drum, Account Executive
Justice & Young Advertising and Public Relations
513.388.4700 x3012
jdrum@jypublicrelations.com
