Finally, a useful article! No, but seriously, how many times have you walked passed Schaefer gym during a career fair only to see a long, winding line of identically dressed, white and navy worker ants? Of course, your clothes won’t get you the job, but if everyone tells you to make your résumé stand out, why not your outfit too?
Before you even get dressed you need the right tools. You can’t enter the workplace looking like you slept in your clothes, if you have space, you might keep an iron and board in your closet. If not, I highly, highly recommend purchasing a travel steamer. Most go for around $20-30 and they’re easy to use and quite compact.
You should also make a habit of hanging up your nice clothes. Be warned, though! Hanging up heavy knitted garments, like sweaters, can leave hanger indents in the shoulders. So hang up your shirts, jackets, and dress pants and fold your sweaters, knits, and tees, please!
Also, if you can read, don’t wash your clothes like you can’t. That tag poking you in the side all day was actually not put there just to torture you. Never put dry clean-only items in the washing machine. If that’s too much of a hassle, then don’t buy dry-clean only garments. When you do wash clothes, be careful what colors you mix, your white button-down should not be in the same load as your Stevens-red sweatshirt. And finally, don’t keep your dress clothes in a heap after you wash them. Hang that shi(r)t up!
Okay now that you are all responsible work clothing wearers, what should you wear?! Keep in mind the type of job you are interviewing or working for and whether or not they have a formal or casual dress code. In the strictest settings, business formal means you better be wearing a suit. For guys, this is a three or two-piece suit. For girls, it can include pants, a skirt, or sometimes a dress with a jacket. Your suit pieces should match. Pants for either gender should be loose or slim-fitting, never tight. Heels should be low, hemlines long, and jewelry minimal. Stick to dark, solid colors or a pinstripe with a white, cream, or light blue shirt/blouse.
Luckily, in this day and age, business casual is becoming the norm, especially in engineering. In the extreme case, you can get away with a pair of either nice-fitting dark wash jeans or khakis, with a polo. To get a bit dressier, you might want to swap the polo for a button down with a tie and a blazer.
If you still need to wear dress pants, you might try the suit 2.0: In a casual setting, you have more freedom to wear slim/cropped pants or a skirt that isn’t part of a suit. My personal favorite casual suit set is a patterned skimmer pant, which cuts off at the ankles, and has a tapered fit. You can also start experimenting with classic prints like windowpane plaid, herringbone, checkerboard, tweed, and even small florals. Bonus points if you find a matching blazer! On the other hand, you might opt for solid suit pieces with a patterned shirt or shoe. Tommy Hilfiger currently has a woman’s classic plaid blazer and a pair matching cuffed ankle pants that are “to die for.”
Lastly, we have to talk about sweaters – the happy medium of comfort and style. A sweater can be worn with anything from dress pants to jeans, and provides another opportunity for pattern play. Because your shirt will mostly be covered, you can get away with some pretty wild patterns underneath. Guys might consider a pair of either American Eagle khakis or tan jeans, with a gingham button-down shirt and a solid, Ralph Lauren sweater.
Business casual is also the time to get more playful with accessories. For girls, you can add interest to an outfit by adding a statement necklace or shiny watch. Don’t forget your shoes are another blank canvas for pattern and color. Business casual shoes range from loafers and oxfords to flats and low heels. Guys can accessorize with belts, ties, and watches. Classic shoe options include lace-up dress shoes, loafers, oxfords, brogues and short boots.
Next time you have an interview or show up to work, think about the type of impression your clothes give your coworkers and superiors. Following a dress code doesn’t mean you have to forsake fashion!
