How Your Clothes Might be Keeping You From a Promotion

With the seasons changing, many of us are stocking up our wardrobes with cold weather staples. Here's a popular blog with some great tips on what to wear to work:

love style! I have always distinguished myself as authentic by what I choose to wear to see clients. I dress for appropriateness, the occasion, the weather, and what message I want my clothing and style to convey. When I came up the ranks in my corporate career, we had a very conservative dress code. Today, business casual or just plain casual dress codes reign supreme. 

We’ve all taken it as common sense that our clothing is important to the impact we have with others. Now, a study confirms it. In a survey from OfficeTeam, an independent research firm who conducted telephone interviews with more than 1,000 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees, 80 percent of executives said clothing choices affect an employee’s chances of earning a promotion – and some respondents gave some pretty hilarious examples of outfits that missed the mark. Here are some choice examples, arranged from least offensive to the most extreme:

T-shirt and flip-flops
House slippers
See-through dresses
Fishnet stockings and stilettos
Yoga pants
Tube tops
Pajamas
Coveralls
Parachute pants
A chicken suit

To avoid seeing your attire added to this list, follow these office-apparel tips and keep your advancement plans on track.

Don’t dress too suggestively. Showing cleavage or too much leg can be distracting. Summer is a season that opens the door to a slew of potential fashion landmines for working women, including spaghetti-strap tops and gladiator sandals. Avoid this unless the dress code is so laid back that everyone, including executives, wears flip-flops. Dressing too sexy can also have psychological effects on your peers. Peter Glick, a professor of psychology at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, conducted a study that indicates that women in high-level positions who dress in too-sexy attire are viewed as less competent, regardless of their skill sets. 

Wear clothes that fit properly. Clothing that is too big or not tailored properly is a fashion snafu that can be easily avoided by buying clothes at department stores with on-site tailors or finding one of your own. Get a second opinion from a friend or colleague you trust if you can’t judge for yourself. 

Assess your work environment. Look around to see what is and what is not appropriate to wear in your office. Are the female VP’s wearing stockings in the summer months? Does your manager rarely take off her blazer or does she favor skirts and skinny jeans? As a consultant, I always stick to the rule of dressing more conservatively than required. This raises your credibility and keeps you from being under-estimated. 

With the proper attitude, you can match your company’s fashion culture without having to dress “boring.” Find stylish yet appropriate items that assert your individuality and personal style to boost your confidence to demonstrate that you are the whole package – smarts, skills, knowledge, attitude, and impact. 

–Andrea Zintz, Career Coach