Five tips for dressing for success

By: StatePoint Media | Morganton News Herald
Published: February 26, 2010

Regardless if you are going on a job interview or you already have the job, make sure you dress the part.
Neatness and dressing appropriately are the two golden rules for both white and blue collar workers. It's all about looking professional — even on casual Fridays!
Here are some important dressing tips for the workplace:
Dress Right For Job Interviews.
Dress conservatively for an interview for an office job. Men should wear a solid color, conservative suit with a long-sleeve dress shirt, staid tie, dark socks and professional shoes. Women should wear a conservative suit, coordinated blouse, light hosiery and go easy on both jewelry and make-up. When dressing for a blue collar or service job interview, go business casual: meaning, slacks and shirt in reserved colors. Looking good makes you feel good and exude confidence.
Never Be Rumpled
Nobody wants to hire, promote or have customers meet a messy employee. Crisply pressed clothes project a professional image and show you pay attention to detail. Use a clothing iron with a pointed tip and a double-pointed soleplate to smooth out tight spots like collars, buttons and cuffs. These spots are the first things people notice and you don't want them wrinkled.
Grooming Matters.
Especially when you wear casual clothes, grooming has an impact. Your hair should be tidy, you shouldn't skip that shower and men should be cleanly shaved or have a well-trimmed beard. Business casual isn't grooming casual.
Fix It Fast.
Late for a job interview and rumpled? Clothing get wrinkled in your luggage? If you're in a hurry, use the steam setting on an iron and gently hover over wrinkles, smoothing out the warm fabric with your hand. If a complete ironing is needed fast, use an iron with a bigger surface area, more steamholes and a double-pointed soleplate, which will cut 25 percent off ironing time. Always travel with a sewing kit to repair hems and reattach buttons.
Save on Dry Cleaning and Still Look Great
Dry cleaning is costly and adds another errand to your list. Some items labeled dry clean only, like sweaters, can be washed at home in a garment bag on the gentle cycle using gentle detergent. If shirts and slacks aren't dirty, just wrinkled, return them to perfect condition with a precision iron. Other ways to avoid dry cleaning include using various settings on your iron, such as for silk, or smoothing out the front crease of your pants with your iron after working all day. You'll extend the life of these items by dry cleaning them less frequently.
Pay attention when you're complimented. If a co-worker says you're looking good or asks if you lost weight, take note of your outfit and repeat that look again.

Five tips for dressing for success

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