Dress for success
11/02/2010 send to a friend
Nancy Stevens has been running Altered Image, an image consultancy, from home since 2003. She believes in creating a professional first impression and an image of success. Here’s some tips from Nancy on how to achieve a look that will get you noticed and secure new business.
What is the most flattering colour for a man/lady to wear?
Your colour has nothing to do with what sex you are but skin tone, hair and eyes. Olive skin tends to go with stronger colours, e.g. primary colours. If you are freckly and have red in your hair, you will suit warmer, more autumnal shades. Psychologically, colour makes us feel better. If we feel better, we look better and then it has a knock–on response into all aspects of our lives. Black, which is a firm favourite for most of the working population, can have a negative effect on others.
How does someone know the colours that suit them most?
When I am carrying out a colour analysis for a client, I hold a series of drapes whilst they are facing the mirror. This is carried out in natural daylight and what I aim to do is to show how the right colours enhance skin tone, hair and eyes. Colours are grouped into season; Spring and Autumn (warm and yellow-based) and Summer and Winter (cool and blue-based), Most clients say “I can’t wear red” but any season can wear any colour; it’s the shade that counts.
What do you think the ‘must have’ home-working fashion item will be this year?
My top tip would be to dress as if you were going into the office in smart casual clothing, so that if someone came to the door you would not be ashamed! It is proven that the better you look, the more successful you will be. Dress for success and you will come across as confident, assertive and self assured. Wearing your dressing gown, no makeup or trackie bottoms will only serve give you a slob-out attitude. Imagine you are on webcam!
For Women, I strongly recommend wearing make-up. Women who wear makeup to work are 35% more likely to be promoted than those who don’t. Not wearing make-up makes it look like you can’t be bothered. Even if you only apply a small amount at home, it will make you feel more professional.
When meeting clients what 3 tips would you offer on how to convey a professional image?
- For men and women, tailoring is the key. You have to spend in order to reap the rewards. Buy the best you can afford, whether you need a suit, smart jacket or trousers. Go higher end like Ted Baker, Paul Costelloe, French Connection and Gant for men and for women, Hobbs, Reiss, L.K Bennett. We have 30 seconds to make that first impression!
- For men ‘shoes maketh the man.’ Invest in decent footwear, and when it comes to looking smart, men’s shoes really should shine.
- Personal preening and a good hair cut are seen as a vital tool in winning new business. For women, long-lasting lipstick is perfect for meetings and presentations when you want the confidence of colour, knowing it’s not coming off on your glass of water or your teeth! Learn how to accessorise. Wearing accessories really finishes off your outfit. Scarves tied at the neck or a statement piece of jewellery will get you remembered.
First impressions really do count - dress for success and you’ll be surprised at the difference it can make!
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Comments
Author: San Sharma
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: I agree, to an extent, that you have to make an effort, even when you work from home, a) so that you're not ashamed to answer the door! And b) because it helps productivity.
But it's a bit of old fashioned, I think, to perpetuate the idea that women are more likely to be promoted if they were makeup!
Women should be promoted on the strength of their work - and this won't change if we uphold these myths of gender.
What does everyone else think?!
Website: http://www.sansharma.com/
Author: Claire Brown
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: I agree that if you're meeting clients, you should always make the effort - after all, you're selling yourself as well as your product.
However, I am pretty horrified that the idea of "wear make up and get promoted" is being touted by anyone, let alone another woman! What an old-fashioned notion! What next, a low cut top and a short skirt to meetings? ;)
As has been said over on Twitter by many, one of the benefits of working from home is not conforming to that sort of idea - being your own boss, setting your own working guidelines.
As a 5-9er, I work in an office where we have a casual dress code and wear jeans most days to work. I still "make an effort" with my appearance but it's rare I wear much make-up and the first thing I do when I get home to start my next job (my home business) is usually to get changed into comfortable clothes or as I work late shifts, sometimes my pyjamas! I still put in a hard day's work and just about every single other person there wears the same as me - jeans and smart/casual clothing.
It makes no bearing at all on how I conduct my business - I work as hard as I can to promote my work regardless of what I'm wearing or where I'm doing it.
I'd be interested to see what the back up stats are for the claim "Women who wear makeup to work are 35% more likely to be promoted than those who don’t." ??
Website: http://www.misofunky.com
Author: San Sharma
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: Claire mentions a conversation about this going on over Twitter, which you can join on the link below.
I've got to agree with you, Claire - and it's a great point that it's a benefit of working from home that you don't have to conform.
If it's true that women are more likely to be promoted if they wear makeup, maybe a discussion like this and a way of work like ours can bring that statistic down, if not take it down altogether.
Website: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23watercoolermoment
Author: Claire Brown
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: But where did the statistic come from in the first place? Who researched this and how did they reach this conclusion?
Website: http://www.misofunky.com
Author: Colin Shelbourn
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: Agree that smart casual makes you feel more professional in the office (unless, as in my case, i'm throwing ink around). Puts you in the going-to-work and less of the hmm-the-lounge-needs-hoovering frame of mind.
Video Skype opens up the possibility that you only need to be smart from the waist up, of course, as well as introducing the temptation to wear a false moustache (for men only, usually).
Website: www.shelbourn.com
Author: Colin Shelbourn
Date: 11/02/2010
Comment: Agree that smart casual makes you feel more professional in the office (unless, as in my case, i'm throwing ink around). Puts you in the going-to-work and less of the hmm-the-lounge-needs-hoovering frame of mind.
Video Skype opens up the possibility that you only need to be smart from the waist up, of course, as well as introducing the temptation to wear a false moustache (for men only, usually).
Website: www.shelbourn.com
Author: Luc Benyon
Date: 12/02/2010
Comment: Fascinating post, of course we live in a society dominated by the image, so appearance (whether we like it or not) is often more important than reality.
It's a real shame that the post included the statistic about make-up. I think it's more likely to reflect that people who spend a longer time preparing themselves for work in the morning are more likely to be successful.
eg., getting up 1/2 an hour earlier, doing some excersise and eating breakfast, then not rushing to work means you are more likely to be focussed. it also means you may have more time to put on make-up.
Also you don't mention body language, a positive attitude or being friendly which also have a massive bearing on your appearance.
Follow: @enterpriseinfe
PS. I wish I could work from home!!
Website: www.enterpriseuk.org/fe
Author: claire
Date: 24/03/2010
Comment: Personally I feel you should be comfortable and wear what you want when working from home as it has no bearing on how productive you are! However for meetings with clients etc yes dressing to impress is very important and whether we like it or not a bit of colourful make up does indeed help! Why don't we put any feminist principles to one side and embrace our femininity?
Website: www.opportunitynow.me.uk/claire