Tips for Dressing After a Promotion
The clothes you wear can go a long way in helping you feel good after your promotion. Once you lock in that coveted promotion, it’s important to stay in the same fashionable realm. Looking the part means striving for excellence each day. That begins with choosing polished custom business professional attire that help you look and feel your very best. Here’s how you can dress for your new role.
Dress Like the Leaders
Dress codes can create a sense of cohesion, ensuring that everyone represents the company appropriately, and generally making it easier to get dressed in the morning.
The casual custom uniform work sweater and khaki pants you wore pre-promotion may or may not exude the same degree of authority post-promotion, depending on your workplace. If you aren’t given any specific guidelines as to how you should dress after you’re promoted, make it a point to assess what the higher-ups at your workplace wear. In this case, following the boss is highly advisable because it shows that you’re paying close attention. Does everyone in your position and those above you wear a blazer or a suit jacket? Do most people wear crisp button-front shirts? Take your cue from those styles.
Keep Your Suit Handy
Rarely do companies frown upon their employees wearing suits. Traditional custom business workwear would work in nearly any professional environment, especially at large-scale companies. There is no suitable alternative, so make sure you have a few key items in your closet at all times. Simple two-piece suits, paired with classic button-front tops, are always smart choices.
But if you prefer, you can also mix and match separates. Purchase items that are easy to pair with crisp shirts and blouses, like pencil skirts and tailored pants. Match the blazer to the bottom to create a polished look from top to bottom. Stick with classic proportions. In a more creative or artistic environment, a relaxed style can be welcome. Fields like retail and design may even encourage their employees to venture into more unexpected territories while remaining polished.
As a newly promoted employee, you can have some fun with this by adding a few key accessories. Slip a contrasting belt over your sheath dress, for example, and wear a pair of matching heels. Or try a cropped jacket with wide-leg pants. Don’t be afraid to experiment with bolder colors if you see that others in the office do the same.
Always Strive for Comfort
Unless you work in one of the aforementioned casual environments, you should focus on dressing with comfort in mind. Wrinkles, deep creases, poor fits, and uncomfortable fabrics can all take away from an otherwise polished look, especially if it affects how you feel during the course of the day. You may feel more authoritative and pulled together when you wear clothing that feels good. That means paying close attention to details like construction and material. If something is itchy, skip it. If something feels like it pinches or simply doesn’t feel right, pass. There is always something more comfortable and more sensible available.
All too often, there’s a sense that comfort and style are mutually exclusive in the professional realm. But you aren’t limited to a lifetime of uncomfortable custom uniform work blouses and pants just because they aren’t made with the same materials as your favorite hoodies and yoga pants. This is the time to really pay attention to the material. Supima® fabric, for example, is among the softest and finest cotton in the world, and it can feel just as good as your most beloved T-shirts and pajamas. Then think about the finer details. If you don’t have time to iron, why worry about it at all? No-iron fabrics offer the convenience of great style without added fuss.
When in Doubt, Ask
There’s no harm in clarifying the dress code if you aren’t sure. In some workplaces, senior staff members may even appear to dress more casually than their employees. If there’s some wiggle room involved, the higher up you move within the company, you should be aware of those changes so you can dress appropriately.
Ultimately, the right custom professional attire for men and women can make all the difference to how you feel, perform, and represent the company. After your promotion, make it a point to dress for continued success!