Remember those sassy words spoken by Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich when Albert Finney (as Ed Masry) addresses her seemingly “suggestive” attire in the workplace:

“[As] long as I have one ass instead of two I’ll wear what I like if that that’s all right with you.”

Indeed, this line may make the career-driven fashionista working in corporate America proud. It, however, is not exactly the attitude that will prove to your business superior a character of confidence and strength, but rather naivety at best. Considering that my inner “fashion-wearing vixen” often gets her way, I have struggled with the notion of sartorial conservatism in the work environment. Point being: there is a difference between business professional and personal professional.

Granted, every business setting has its individual dress code for employees to emulate, but what qualifies your appearance as outright too much, wherein your clothes are doing more of the talking than you are? Obviously ladies, the days of cumbersome shoulder pads and 80s-pegged, pinstriped suits have officially come and gone. Praise the ever-changing style gurus! At Beauty Chat, we definitely do not intend to reunite you with those days of the androgynous corporate female (Mental visual anyone? – Think Miranda in the first season of Sex and the City). While we do recommend you to opt for discretion, we do also encourage you to own your stylish self. 

When Googling “women’s business attire,” you will find that numerous search results offer you consulting resources on “what not to wear” versus “what to wear” in a business setting, especially when interviewing for a potential job opportunity. The following chart is a sample of the dos and don’ts of formal dress code from communications consulting company ECG’s “Dress Speak for Women:”

Dressing Right  

“DO” 

• Dress for the audience, circumstance, corporate culture, and yourself
• Hose should be skin color or darker 
• Conservative business make-up  
• Simple manicure  

“DON’T”  

• Wear clothes that talk louder than you do
• Wear clothing that no longer fits
• Fragrance that smells from a distance
• Heels so high you’re unsteady
•  Too much make-up

Brace yourself women, these are only a chosen few from a more elongated list. Before you   get your Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy ® panties in a twist, highlight the key phrase “corporate culture.” These two words should be regarded with the utmost awareness – simply, be aware of the nature of your work, the place of work and your position at work. You’re choice of clothing is likely to be considerably more fashionable for an interview with Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada as opposed to a straight-laced environment – like a law firm. When deciding on an outfit for a professional setting, choose your “personal v. business” battles wisely, never avoiding the balance between taste and tact. Remember, you want to be taken seriously for your assets up top (i.e. your brain) rather than your assets on bottom. To preach the words of ECG, “Regardless of what you’re wearing, make sure it works.”

~ Mellori