Dressing professionally can be trickier for a woman. Men have a set uniform of suits and dress shirts to stick to, whereas the dress code for women can vary more depending on the workplace.
When dressing for a corporate job, it is important to think about the industry that you are working in and try to mould your clothing choices accordingly.
Most workplaces will provide a dress code when you first start so that you have an idea of what you can't wear.
So, working within those restrictions, we will give you some tips to create professional and flattering outfits.
The easiest option is to go with the classic office attire; pencil skirts, blouses and blazers in neutral colours will always be considered professional and presentable.
A good way to see what is acceptable is to go with the most professional outfits for the first few days of working in a new company or role and then match the clothing choices of those around you.
Timelessly professional looks normally include the following:
- Pencil shirts
- Plain blouses
- Closed-toe shoes – flats or small heels
- Blazers in neutral tones
- Dress trousers
- Loafers
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We recommend finding these clothes in neutral tones so that you can mix and match your clothes together instead of having set outfits that only match each other. Having to buy a whole new wardrobe for a job can be very expensive if you are unable to purchase professional clothing. There are charities and nonprofit organisations available to offer you support.
One of the biggest in the country is Smart Works.
Smart Works operates as a charity giving unemployed women professional clothes and interview coaching. They provide women with a fitting and then professional clothing ready for any interviews; once you have a role, they give customers five professional outfits free to help them build the professional capsule wardrobe we spoke about before.
Smart Works is a national organisation and has stores in most major cities in the country. To check where your nearest one is, click here.
They also provide a virtual service for women who are too far away or cannot get to their centres across the country. To be referred to their virtual service, click here.
Other charities that provide clothing to women in need of professional clothing are listed below.
To begin your recruitment journey, please contact us at Sam.Bailey@letsrecruit.co.uk.
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