Leveraging Fashion to Unlock Career Milestones

Leveraging Fashion to Unlock Career Milestones

Cover Photo by Chris Ainsworth on Unsplash

Many people go about their life without knowing about the various ways they can leverage fashion to maximize success in their career and workplaces. A study conducted in 2016 found that across genders, attractive and well-groomed people earned 20 percent higher than those deemed to be of average attractiveness. Using fashion to unlock career growth encompasses dressing better according to your own features, being well groomed and so much more - some of which this article will help you achieve! Read on to learn how you can use the secrets of fashion for your career. 

Interviews

Dressing well for an interview is highly important as first impressions matter. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should wear your fanciest formal attire. While dressing for your interview, it’s important to understand the workplace culture and role requirements at the job you are interviewing for, as dressing expectations differ widely across different industries. Your outfit dictates what kind of person you come across as - something you should be mindful of when picking what to wear. 

Conducting research on the industry, company and role you are planning on interviewing for is a crucial first step. Not only will this help you ace your interview, but it will give you an idea what kind of outfit the interviewers expect to see you in. For instance, if you are interviewing for a corporate role, it is important to dress formally in a simpler looking dress or suit with formal shoes but if you want to work at a fashion magazine, you should highlight more of your personal style while balancing the outfit with the culture of the workplace. Note that even among companies that are in similar industries have dress codes that will vary. We recommend checking the company’s social media profiles or information on websites such as Glassdoor on the company culture you’re interviewing for.  

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In addition to striking a balance between style and company/industry requirements, you can leverage color symbolism while planning an outfit. Align the color of your outfit with the role you are applying for. For instance, darker and deeper colors such as navy, dark green or chocolate brown can show that you are authoritative and are capable of commanding power, and warmer colors like yellows and oranges can make you appear like a welcoming team player. Use colors in a subtle manner such as in accessories rather than making it the main focus of your outfit, as your outfit shouldn’t be distracting from your message- that you’re a strong, capable candidate that will suit the position well. Subtle accents of blue accessories, for example, may be a better idea than a full blue outfit (although this may differ by the type of outfit and industry you are interviewing for). 

In addition , follow general grooming guidelines on the day of the interview. Wear well-fitted clothes that don’t look worn out and be mindful of creasing, stains or fading colors, as well as the fit of your clothes. Remember to brush and style your hair in a simple style, as well as to ensure that you present a clean appearance. When it comes to makeup and nail polish, for more traditional companies, avoid anything eye-catching and avoid clothing that could be considered revealing or inappropriate. For masuline dressing people, shaving and beard maintenance, and having hair styled neatly is a good idea. While open-toed shoes and visible tattoos are also frowned upon in traditional interview attire, many of these norms are evolving and may not apply to where you are interviewing. These general tips should also be kept in mind in the workplace. 

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Promotions

In the study mentioned previously, it highlighted that while attractive people out earned and out performed those considered to be of average attractiveness, the same effects could be attained by being well-groomed. Crucially, grooming is important for workplace success and should be maintained even after your interview. One way to achieve the same results is to research how to dress for your body and skin tones to elevate your look. In addition to this, investing into higher quality pieces and tailoring the clothes you do have to fit better are all things that work together to make you look more attractive. 

An unconventional way of working towards success in a company is dressing similarly to a senior member. Doing so can acclimate you better to the company’s culture, as what better way to dress than to look at the company’s leaders themselves! In addition, even in roles that you have been in for a while, this can create a subconscious parallel between you and the leader, wherein your fashion alikeness can be used to highlight your general alikeness to the leader. 

This phenomenon is called conditioning psychology, where people draw parallels between two unrelated things if they appear together several times. In this case it may mean repeatedly wearing the color purple if your leader does too, as then the color purple may create a link between the two of you. Further, this could also make the leader take an interest in you as mirroring leaves people with positive feelings according to a 1998 study. Another psychological study found that the impacts of such mirroring are subconscious and will not be attributed as the source of the positive regard for you! However, remember to not go overboard where others may think you are copying them or lose your personal style in the process.

Photo by The AW Creative Digital Marketing on Unsplash

While in the workplace, it is important to give off a powerful image. For many people, especially women and minorities, it can be harder to be respected and taken as an authority. Carrying yourself well, including how you dress, is an important consideration to garner authority in the workplace. This includes wearing higher quality clothes, straying away from softer colors and sticking to deeper shades like navy or black. By carrying yourself well, you can stand out when a promotion opens up.  

Your outfits might not break or make your chance at a job or when gaining a promotion, but they certainly may be able to strengthen it! Dressing for success can help all your work shine through as you leverage your own personal style as well as psychological theory to improve the way you and others perceive yourself to unlock your career milestones. What did you think of our tips on using fashion in the workplace? Is there anything we missed? Comment below!