Dressing formally at their first job can be a tedious task for some women out there. When a woman kick-starts her career, there are many things she has to focus on, like- how is she going to manage her work-life balance, how will she manage her deadlines, how will she fit in the company, how will she befit the “gender-discriminative” norms and last but not the least, how will she manage her formal dressing wardrobe?.
When it comes to formal dress for women, what usually comes to everyone’s mind is either skirt-suits for women or pant-suits for women. This is because suiting up has been the traditional way of professional dressing for women and men too. But nowadays, the bar of professional dressing code has been raised considerably for women. From pantsuits for women to jumpsuits for women, everything is considered professional as long as you follow the ethics.
Choosing a formal dress for women is not a hectic job nowadays; you can easily find the right outfit for your workplace and rock your look. The main part that comes after finding the right outfit for your office is to follow the right tips, as no matter how great or professional your outfit may be, if you don’t follow the right code of conduct, you may come out as a bit unprofessional and unethical at your workplace.
So, backing you up in that area, I am here with some amazing tips that you surely won’t wanna miss before stepping out in formal wear to your office! Below we have mentioned those must-know tips for you that will keep you safe in your formal wear journey!
Tips to follow while wearing formal wear for women:
- Dress to Express: Unless you’re a lawyer, doctor, a military woman, or wear a uniform to work, you should never dress up in a certain way and manner always. When you get the freedom of dressing up however you want to at your workplace, take that opportunity and experiment with your formal wear wardrobe! Dress as you own it; if you’ve noticed the dressing style of your seniors, you might have noticed they always follow a top-notch cut-to-cut dressing sense. So, follow those steps and try to express yourself through your clothing style!
- Don’t copy-Be unique: You become what you wear. Make sure you never become a cloner! When you work in an employee-rich environment, there is a high chance of you picking up your styling sense from your colleagues, but you’ve to make sure that you don’t do it too much. Please make a note of how your colleagues normally dress up, what patterns, colors, or designs they follow and wear regularly. And try to avoid those practices as far as you can, because we understand avoiding the fashion sense of, let’s say, a number of 20 employees is just like fishing in a goldfish’s aquarium and trying not to catch a goldfish!
- Don’t blend in, Stand out: Some people try to go overboard with being loyal to their company and start dressing up according to the brand colors! And some go over the top and start matching up the interiors or furniture of their office! That is why we say an office is where you need to stand out and not blend into the interiors. Instead, try experimenting with other shades and prints that don’t blend in with your office’s interior walls or furniture and, in fact, compliment them.
Pro-tip: Try to avoid wearing too bright shades at your workplace and go for more neutral and pastel shades while purchasing your outfit or getting it stitched. As bright shades may come off as too vibrant, the pastel and neutral shades will give an eye-soothing and warm set of vibes!
- Never compromise with fitting- The most important part of dressing up in formal wear for women is to be considerate of the size and fit of your outfit! Avoid wearing oversized or too fitted formal wear to your workplace as they may look shaggy and give out unprofessional vibes, respectively. And in order to avoid buying any such oversized or fitted piece of clothing, I recommend you get your formal wear stitched by a custom tailor who will make sure that your outfit embraces your body well!
- Experiment frequently: Wearing the same kinds of clothes and formal outfits regularly to your office can make you look dull and boring. So, never ever stop experimenting with your formal wardrobe and try new trends. For example, apart from sticking to a Formal skirt suit for women, try including jumpsuits and evening dresses in your formalwear wardrobe too! This will ensure a new and fresh appearance of yours every once in a while.
- Never compromise on rules: If your workplace is one of those where you’ve to follow a certain dress code or wear a uniform to work, never ever try to modify that in any way. Even a little tweak here and there can make your outfit become unprofessional suddenly and make you the bad one in your superior’s eyes. So, always respect your company’s formal wear code or uniform, if any!
- Jewelry and accessories: When it comes to your jewelry and how you want to accessorize yourself, always go for simple yet elegant pieces. Picking up noisy accessories can disturb others at your workplace and make you look highly unprofessional. So, make sure to pick some elegant and classy fashion jewelry!
- Go minimal: Now, when it comes to your make-up and hairstyle while going to work, you must stick to the minimal make-up look, and a well-groomed hairstyle will do the work! Make sure that you never go overboard with your make-up no- matter what the occasion is; even the official events are a place where minimal make-up and a good hairstyle can make you stand out from the others!
- Never wear wrinkled outfits to work: No matter how early you’ve reach work, never choose to go to work wearing wrinkled formal clothes. Wearing wrinkled clothes in a professional setting may come off as highly unacceptable and unprofessional behavior. Your outfit should always be clean and perfectly ironed.
Pro-tip: If you have a busy morning the next day and have to reach at work on time, plan your outfit the night before and keep it ironed and ready for your day at work. This will save you some time and also help you reach the office at the perfect hour!
So, these were some amazing tips that every woman should follow while dressing up in formal wear for women. Managing work-life balance can be a tedious task for you, and as we know, the corporate world has not always been welcoming for women; you might have to face discrimination at some minor or major levels, but trust me with your high spirits and belief in yourself, you will shine bright like a diamond! Ladies always remember a thin line between being professional and casual, so try not to cross that line with any such unprofessional practices.
Rest, you go, girls, and kick-start your career with high hopes. All the best to you ladies!