Business employees have long pushed the boundaries of appropriate attire, but presently influencers are gaining ground despite having no prior real business experience of their own. Office dress codes have always been at the forefront of workplace debates.
Many influencers’ information is made up of outfit inspiration videos, but there is now debate over where the line should be drawn with the number of social media stars offering business outfitting advice despite having previously worked there.
Erika Migliaccio, chairman of Upstream HR Strategies, is one who knows this conversation all too well as an HR professional with a passion for style. She spoke with Newsweek about how influencers are affecting workwear, offering her best advice for staying in style while still feeling beautiful and powerful.
Migliaccio doesn’t process office use as something boring or overly formal, rather believing that your business dress code, and company’s decision in clothing, may be indicative of the brand image you’re trying to convey. She said, “I view it fashion as an extension of your personality, and I also think that within the professional setting, it’s a really important part of the brand that you build.”
Migliaccio noticed a distinct disconnect between what people are wearing in commercial design videos and what people would really wear to work, despite her attempts to express herself in clothing. She said, “Actually, after watching a lot of the movies, I could tell who was using that trend as someone who really works in an office and who is using it as someone who does not, because there is a good line between looking polished and womanly and looking trashy [in a professional environment].”
How to Get A New Job: What Should I Wear?
At the start of a new position, Migliaccio advises taking some time to sit in and observe what others are wearing. First times are intimidating enough without having to think about your dress.
VIP: Visibility, Interaction, Performace
Migliaccio uses her ‘VIP ‘ acronym, standing for presence, contact and functionality to support understand how to dress for work.
“The dress is made for you, which means who knows what you do and what people see when they see you. Too many people rely too much on the performance, and don’t realize the visibility is just as important”, said Migliaccio.
I believe that because you start out in a new place, go back to the VIP and wait until you have all of your personality elements fully integrated before starting to introduce some of them, so I think shoes and accessories are a great place to start.
First Impressions: 3 Words
Your outfit is frequently people’s first impression of you, which means it needs to reflect the personality you want to convey. She advises picking out three descriptive words to convey your outfit and checking whether your outfit and clothing reflect the same level of emotion.
Which words would I use to describe them in three words if I had to describe them in three words? I encourage people to think about the job they want, and then to picture three or four people who are familiar with that type of a job. That’s their brand.
“The three words that you’re striving for should be reflected in what you’re wearing. My clothes should be kind of fun and smart at the same time if I want to come across as collaborative, creative, and smart. My clothes would likely reflect that if I wanted to portray you as the office viken.”
It’s smart, professional, and stylish if it has a knee-length pencil skirt, a kitten heel, and a button-down shirt. However, according to me, when the hemline is so short and the neckline is so low that your tatas are hanging out and you can’t bend over in the office to pick up anything, it’s not.
Including Your Personal Style in a Corporate Office
Don’t worry about incorporating personality elements into your office attire, even if you want to. People can learn about you through your outfits as well, which will help you.
“I think it’s always important to have something that reflects your personality”, shared Migliaccio. “I suggest to people to find their signature thing, so, for me, my signature thing is I like fun, printed blazer. I always show up with fun blazer, especially if I’m at a client site.”
“If fashion isn’t their thing, maybe then a signature shoe is your thing, or a statement accessory. It doesn’t matter what it is, but whatever your thing is, embrace it and bring that every day to show your personality.”
Outfits: The 3- Piece Rule
Migliaccio has a different way to feel stylish without deviating too far from company rules. For women in more traditional offices, it can be harder to enjoy fashion.
She said, “In these traditional office environments, I always suggest to women what I call the ‘Three Piece Rule’, because there’s a difference between putting on clothes in the morning and putting on an outfit in the morning.”
As she continued to discuss the importance of putting together a cohesive outfit, she suggested using three components to bring together a workwear look. “I think a three-piece outfit will show that you’ve given it thought.”
“Start with a bottom—pants, a skirt—then add a top and play with something else, whether it’s a vest or jacket or even an accessory like a belt. That’s the difference between showing up to work and people saying, “Oh, she got dressed today,” because people will assume that you put effort into other things as well if you show up to work.”
She ended with some words of wisdom on the role of fashion in establishing your brand, saying, “The most crucial lesson for me is that people realize that everyone has a brand, whether they realize it or not, and your brand may not be what you want it to be. If you don’t put any effort into creating your brand, it might not be what you want. Because of this, how other people perceive you affect it.”
It’s important for people to understand that even if your performance is strong and even if your interaction is strong, your visibility and how you present physically don’t match your brand, it will affect both you and your career.
