What do you wear when you wake up and go to work these days? For many women, at least half of the days each week are spent inside of a home office (or kitchen table, kitchen counter, bed, etc.). It makes it REALLY easy to just roll out of bed, get kids out the door, and sit down in front of the computer.
If this is you, I’m pretty sure you haven’t considered the very real impact that this has on your mindset, your energy, the voice you are speaking, and even the way in which you think. I will go so far as to say that if you are trying to get a promotion at work and you aren’t considering the clothes you put on your body even when you are working from home, you will be less likely to be considered for the promotion.
Dress for Success: How Your Outfit Sets the Tone for Your Day
The way we dress affects the way we think, the way we feel, the way we act, and the way others react to us.
~ Judith Rasband
It’s important to start your day with intention and purpose. If you roll out of bed and head to your desk in your pajamas (or some other version of loungewear), you will psychologically feel more lazy, more tired, less inspired, and less motivated. To start your day off right, you need to shed the clothes that make you feel that way. You may not love that I am saying this, but wearing these clothes is having an effect on your output, even if you don’t realize it.
By changing out of those casual clothes, you are upgrading your mindset for performance. The physical act of removing the pajamas, sweatpants, knit shorts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and plain t-shirts signals to your brain that you are ready to take on the day with intention. Without taking this step, you will be more laid back, relaxed, less focused, and you will hold yourself differently. Hear me out: you can still find comfortable bottoms that are dressed up (KEYWORD: Ponte!). Change into a blouse that makes you feel confident. Instead of your house slippers, throw on a dressy flat. Put on jewelry, do your hair and makeup. Does it take more time and energy? YES, it does! However, energy flows where attention goes. If you want to be more respected, more heard, more seen, and even get that promotion, it’s absolutely non-negotiable.
There is a psychological impact of dressing well. I have talked about this before, but it’s called Enclothed Cognition. What you wear impacts how you feel, which in-turn impacts how your brain thinks about your purpose, your confidence, and even how much you think you know. It’s a really big deal!
Dressing well, even on video, gives you a level of professionalism. If you show up to your calls wearing a zip-up sweatshirt or a band t-shirt, what does that say about how much you care or how much effort you put into showing up? If you look sloppy, that communicates that the work you do may be sloppy or that you may apply that same level of care to the work that you do. The company you work for wants you to represent them well and to communicate a level of respect for what you do and for the company when you come to work each day. If you want to be taken seriously, if you want to get a promotion, each of those experiences with you via video will be in-mind when you are thought of. So, instead, think about how your Manager dresses or to what level you would like to progress. Dress like THAT. Allow yourself to be seen in the role through your clothes. When you dress better, it is easier for you to be seen taking on that greater level of responsibility. In addition to all of this, when you go into the office on some days and work from home on other days, dressing as though you are going to the office, creates a cohesiveness. This helps people from being confused when they see you and not quite knowing or trusting you because the two ways you show up are so different.
You can find a balance of both comfort and style. As I mentioned earlier, you can team up Ponte pants or dressy stretch fabric pants or skirts with a more business casual blouse or blazer. Always buy the best quality you can afford and the fabrics will be more comfortable. In addition, you can create a capsule with more classic basic pieces and also some more fun and statement pieces.
Don’t forget to add personality to your style and express who you are. In a business environment, you can do this with colors, accessories, prints, and textures.
It’s important to have a routine. Routines can take about 21 days to lock into place. If getting up earlier to get dressed is hard, start by going to bed a little earlier. You could also plan your outfit out the night before so at least that is easy. Think about what you do on the days you have to go into the office. Keep that routine. Shower, do your hair and makeup, get dressed. Not only is it helpful for your circadian rhythm, but it will keep you in a consistent routine.
Ask yourself these questions about your style right now:
- What does how you dress say about you?
- What does what you are wearing make you feel like?
- Does your outfit communicate that you CARE about how you show up? Does it tell the people you interact with that you are willing to put the time and effort in?
- Do you look sloppy? What is that communicating?
- Does your outfit allow people to see that you can be taken seriously and that you take your job seriously?
If you can’t take the time to put a little effort into getting dressed, it will leave the impression that you may also let other things slide. Dress for the next level. Dress for the person you want to be. Dress for the job that you want, not the job you have.
I’m going to leave you with a quote by Louis Raphael that speaks to what this blog is about:
Dress like you own the bank, not like you need a loan from it!
Go forward and dress for the life you WANT!
Stylishly Yours,
PS – The colors you wear can make you look younger or older or appear to have an even skin tone or a blotchy one. This is the LAST CHANCE to snag my Virtual Color Analysis for the Introductory price of $225. The price goes up on November 1st! Find out your True Colors here!