Your style in the evenings and weekends is totally up to you. If you want to stand out with alternate fashion, wild patterns and vibrant colours, no one’s stopping you. However, the workplace requires something a little more conservative. To make sure you have a good professional impact on your colleagues and company at large, you might need a more professional style. Here are some of the best tips for looking more professional at work.
If you want to hone your style, it starts in the bathroom. I’m not implying you don’t brush your teeth and shower regularly. To create a truly professional impression, it requires a little more work. Spend some time every week grooming yourself thoroughly. Keep your eyebrows trimmed, and make sure any facial hair is nice and tidy . This will make you look better aesthetically, true, but it has an even more beneficial effect. When you know you look great, you’ll gain a lot more confidence, which in turn makes you look even greater! When a man has confidence, they carry themselves better, have a more infectious smile, and generally make people more relaxed. Start with your grooming, and you’ll notice the effects at work straight away.
Always remember it’s better to have clothes that fit than clothes that look good on the hanger. I’m sure you have a good idea of how your clothes need to fit. The problem you might run into is seeing an absolutely gorgeous shirt, and struggling to fit into it. No matter how much you like something, don’t settle for “close enough”. A guy in a well-fitting garish Hawaiian shirt looks better than one in an ill-fitting Armani suit. If possible, have your professional wear tailored. Aside from this, take your time with choosing ties, cufflinks and so on. Collar extenders are another accessory which can provide a nice finishing touch to your overall look.
Finally, take better care of your work shoes. Obviously you should have a back-up pair, but pay attention to your main one and you’ll never need to use the spare. Shoes inevitably start wearing out over time, but there are various tricks which you can use to keep them looking sharp. You may never pay attention to people’s shoes, but believe me there are people who do! When you buy a fresh pair, be sure to give them a water repellent treatment before wearing them out for the first time. This will allow the leather to breathe, release trapped moisture and avoid stretching. Use shoe polish regularly too. Having shoes like mirrors is a surprisingly powerful tool in business negotiation!
These three tips will bring you much closer to that ideal professional image you may have been chasing. Remember that no matter how great you look, a sense of professionalism is almost all in behaviour. Looking the part is the groundwork to success. The rest is charisma, confidence, and certain other professional mannerisms. A sharp look isn’t the miracle cure for better performance at work, but it will help your skills develop much more naturally!
