Not everyone is that “I have to get my suit pressed and my nails done” type of girl, at least not until you’ve realised just how impactful details can be when you’re meeting someone for the first time and you need their support and recognition. Whether you’re headed for a job interview or you want to build your own startup from the ground up, you need all the confidence you can get. That, of course, means investing in yourself and your wardrobe, as well as your accessories.
Whenever you go to a staff meeting (with the exception of the Zoom ones during the pandemic), you can choose your finest business casual dark jeans and a clean shirt, and still look impeccable. You can then spruce this minimalist combo with a good purse and your favourite nail polish, and the effect would be even more powerful.
Only after being able to compare and contrast the Zoom meetings dress code with your office dress code will you be able to notice the difference in the focus and confidence for both. Here’s the go-to set of tips to master the art of dressing for success and helping yourself boost your confidence with the right details.
Wear red for a dash of power
Since your performance and your success primarily depend on how psychologically prepared you are, you should leverage proven psychological tips for boosting your productivity. For instance, using specific colours in your clothing and accessories can help you build up the right mindset.
Wearing red details or even a red power suit can give you a surge of confidence and focus that you need. Then again, if you need to “keep your cool”, then go for blue! You’d be surprised just how effective this simple change can be.
Pick smart and functional accessories
Not all accessories are created equal when it’s time to get down to business or to impress someone at a networking event, or a job interview. Instead of going overboard with your add-ons, such as piling on layered necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, choose accessories that make sense for the function that you’ll attend.
Both men and women can benefit from wearing a watch: it’s stylish, functional, creates that image of punctuality, prevents you from looking at your phone too often (which can be rude), and elevates your look. In case you want to bring out your authenticity with an accessory, you can design your own locket to match your style. Customised jewellery pieces speak volumes of your personality, and simple but powerful pieces such as lockets can be combined with various outfits for a touch of originality.
Put your best foot forward
If you put on the most uncomfortable pair of heels for an entire day at the office, you’ve just prevented yourself from performing at your full capacity. Sure, heels are stylish, but if you don’t invest in a high-quality, comfortable pair, then you’ll only spend hours trying to ignore the pain, the callouses, and a slew of potential injuries.
Instead, limit your collection to quality, but comfortable shoes that are gentle to your feet and that allow you to wrap up your look with the right hue and pattern. Most of all, learn how to take care of your shoes depending on their fabric, to retain their shine and keep them clean in all kinds of weather.
Choose breathable and stylish fabrics
Many people would spend hours picking out the perfect cocktail party ensemble to impress their colleagues and superiors. By simplifying your choices and creating combinations beforehand, you can introduce even more balance into your personal and professional life. Such balance gives you more time to handle more important assignments and work on your skills instead.
One major change that can help get you closer to that level of simplicity is limiting the kind of fabrics you choose. Breathable, natural, and durable fabrics can be exceptionally stylish and beautiful, all the while being kind to your skin. Think: cotton, wool, cashmere, silk, and linen. By eliminating synthetic materials, you will both achieve greater sustainability in your wardrobe and give yourself limited, but valuable options for your professional look.
Put neatness and cleanliness first
Even the simplest white button-down can become the pièce de résistance of any ensemble when pressed and cleaned correctly. That is why both your clothes and your shoes need to be properly taken care of in order to give you that edge you need, both in terms of performance and appearance.
The same goes for your skincare, makeup, haircare and nails. Your hair speaks for itself when you head to an event, and by keeping your locks neat and clean, you’ll feel better about yourself and you’ll then be able to focus on your work.
We should all learn how to use every single performance and confidence-boosting tool at our disposal, our clothes included. That includes doing your best when picking out your business garments, interview combos, or fancy events looks. They help you feel good in your own skin, they allow you to enjoy the comfort of modern-day clothing, and they give you the boost you need. Hopefully, this list will help you achieve the same and become even more successful in the years to come thanks to adapting your own mindset through your fashion choices.
Sophia Smith is a beauty and fashion blogger, graphic designer and a DIY enthusiast. She is very passionate about eco-friendly and green topics, sustainable fashion, and eco beauty. Sophia’s other hobbies centre around her love for travelling, yoga and wellness rituals. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic beauty products and self-care tips to the latest fashion news.
Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Carousel, Eco Warrior Princess, Naughty Nutrition, Sivana Spirit, Sheeba Magazine, LA Fashion, Women Love Tech and Cause Artist. You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter.