How Stylish Should Your Wardrobe Be?
Know how to add fashion to your wardrobe without going over the edge.
by Rita P. Gworek

Five to ten years ago it would have been easy to advise someone how to dress for the workplace. But now the fashion industry has gone crazy with its designs. I say crazy but what I mean is that the designers will do almost anything to get noticed. They want you to purchase their clothing. 

And even movie stars and singers are jumping on the designer band wagon. They know a lot of young people are eager to purchase something with a brand name on it. I noticed a young gentleman in a suit with the brand name label still on his jacket sleeve. And he recently wore a baseball cap with NIKE on it, which I assume meant he figured it was the right thing to do. Maybe he’s right. Maybe it’s OK to advertise for these companies.

Way back when, people wanted to wear brand name clothing, but they were very subtle about it and they would name drop. But now they don’t have to name drop. The brand name is shouting off their clothing. I may be old-fashioned but I have a feeling that this is not what was intended. I’ve noticed that many companies’ dress codes mandate that men wear collared shirts with no lettering. That helps eliminate tee-shirts with sayings, and the same applies for females. Many young people grew up hanging out in the malls. They’re also influenced by MTV, singers and movie stars and the way they dress. The problem is that these celebrities don’t work in a business environment. They’re entertainers. If you plan to entertain during your job, then it would be appropriate to dress accordingly. But that’s not the case. So you should dress in a classic style that befits your job.

It’s important to separate how we dress for a job versus how we dress to appeal to others. The dress codes at companies help people interact in a professional manner. If some people are dressed as if they’re going to a night club and others are clad in business clothing, they’re not sending out the same signals. That’s right. Clothing sends messages. How we view people has a lot to do with how they are dressed. Generally, we treat someone in a suit with respect, while taking a more casual approach to someone with a top and pants. That’s human nature, and it doesn’t mean that one way of dressing is right or wrong. But we do need to be aware of that and decide how we want to be treated. Companies have dress codes to help ensure that all people are treated fairly, and to project a certain image to other companies and to customers and clients. So employees should understand that the firm is not trying to take away any rights. It’s just that a company has a right to ask people to wear certain clothing and to refrain from certain clothing. After all, they are paying their employees to work for them.

Since there can be many different generations working together in an office, it would be best to say that classic styles will always prevail. Still, younger employees can show their fashionable side by adding accessories that are in style. There will always be acceptable clothing that’s not too short or too tight, or that doesn’t show cleavage or belly buttons.

And there will always be fashionable clothing that says business. For women, suits are leaning to the more feminine side with skirts that have some flounce to them. For men, shirt colors are all over the rainbow, and ties match these shirts with more designer labels having distinct patterns. That is being fashionable with good taste.