How you present yourself at work can make or break your career. Your appearance can be one of your biggest selling points or become your greatest detractor. This is why it is so important that you put some thought into what you wear to work. With today’s mostly business casual environment, it is even easier to skirt the line between acceptable and unacceptable work clothes. Below I’ve outlined some tips for the Guys, as that is all I have experience with. However, for all you ladies out there, you can get the gist of what I’m saying from the Guys tips.

Guys

We kind of have it easy, so there’s really no excuse not to look your best. Here’s a basic ensemble:

• A nice pair of dress shoes - Read: not beaten up, scratched up, falling apart. Get them shined every once and awhile, it makes a world of difference.
• Matching dress socks that go with your pants - This is one area where you can slide a little bit, as most of the time nobody is looking at your socks. On average though, at least try to wear two of the same sock if nothing else.
• A nice pair of khaki pants or slacks - No holes, no tears, no frays, keep your pants in good repair. Whether you wear khakis or slacks depends on your workplace, either way make sure to keep them in good repair. Hang them up when you’re done using them and if you have slacks make sure to use the dry cleaners to clean them.
• A belt in good repair that matches - It’s pretty hard to get away with a belt that doesn’t match your pants, so make sure to notice which belt your picking up as you stumble around in the morning. Also, make sure it is a nice belt, as opposed to the one you wore hiking the other weekend.
• Wear a Polo shirt or Dress shirt - This is another big office-dependent decision. Some places allow Polo shirts (especially in the summer), some don’t. Definitely ask if you’re not sure. If you’re going to wear one, like everything else make sure it doesn’t look beat up and that it fits you.

  Dress shirts are universally welcome in most offices, make sure you get them dry cleaned regularly.

• Coat and Tie - Can also throw the suit in here, this is more for the business formal environment, although depending on your job level this may be standard attire. When dealing with clients, I like to use this as it puts a very professional face on your business, and really shows them that you are serious about their business. Make sure if you’re going to go this route you definitely match, otherwise it’s a complete waste.

These tips may seem like common sense, and that’s because they are. However, you would be surprised how often people don’t follow them. Take the extra time to make yourself look good in the morning, and it will pay off in the long run.