Unique

New golden rules on dressing for success

The business world is a club. When you participate, you become part of a team. If you don?t want to be on the team, find yourself a job where you can work from home. If you do want to be on the team, it?s smart to show up for work in uniform. The Internet age may have ushered in causal dress (jeans & blue shirts) in the west for a short time, but in Russia it has always been business formal and it rules business dress.

Whether you?re a conservative banker or a rock star?s PR manager, looking like a success is the first step to being successful. Most business professionals know that the old saying ‘you don?t get a second chance to make a first impression? is true. The simple fact is that in and out of the business world, people are judged by their wardrobe. Your image is everything; it?s what makes your employer, clients and colleagues feel comfortable with you. There are three areas of professional presence — visual, vocal and verbal.

The visual component has the most initial impact. If your visual presence is not right, you are already off to a bad start. Would you like financial advice from somebody who looks like a yoyo? That?s why the following rules are gospel for business etiquette:

1. Do not stand out for how you dress

Stand out for your intelligence, competence and creativity. If you dress in a way that makes people look at your clothes, you might as well be saying ‘Look at me for my clothes?. Would people describe you as ‘the organized one everyone can depend on? or ‘the one who goes around in crocodile boots?? Clothes can be a distraction and you want attention paid to what you say and do. Keep in mind that boring fashion such as dark blue and dark grey suits, stripes or plain, stand out as much as flashy fashion.

2. Clothing communicates power quietly

We all know that first impressions are based mostly on appearance. But appearance can do a lot for your second, third and 40th impression too. If you look sharp, people will think you are sharp. And, though it might not be fair, people hire and promote people who are sharp like themselves.

3. Watch those around you

The best way to figure out how to dress is to watch those in your industry who are successful and whom you admire. Use your boss?s wardrobe as your guide, look in business magazines for photos of industry leaders and see what they are wearing. Notice things such as the color of their suits, shirts and ties. When you are shopping or ordering clothes for yourself, think to yourself ‘will this project my right image and would the people admire dress like this??

4. Consistency breeds trust

This principle is true for delivering results and budgets on time and similarly for the way you dress. If you dress in a consistent way each day, you will communicate a sense of stability. Don?t show up in a dark suit one day and in a shiny bright jacket the next day, don?t change the color of your hair every few months. It?s better to be a person known for consistency in all aspects; it breeds confidence in your abilities.

5. Don't forget the small stuff

Briefcase, ties, glasses, socks — all these contribute to your image. Don?t miss the details in your office dress, details complement your dress. So think very hard about image and what do you want to convey with yours, work hard at developing a style that reflects not only your personality and individual taste but also the work you do. It may take some time but the road to the top always does.