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TRANSCRIPT
Dress for Success:
Clothes that Work at Work
Rhiannon Clifton
Program Director
Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising
What we’ll cover
How to dress for an interview
The differences between business formal,
professional and casual
Staple items you should buy/have
Makeup and accessories
Shopping advice
Language
The Power of Appearance
In business, you are dressing to have an
impact on your bosses and teammates. If
your clothes don’t convey the message that
you are competent, able, ambitious, self-
confident, reliable, and authoritative, nothing
you say or do will overcome the negative
signals emanating from your apparel.
--Betty Harragan, Games Your Mother Never
Taught You
Dressing appropriately and
other appearance issues always a salesperson
your “visual résumé”
your “verbal résumé”
Dressing for an Interview
Part of the judging will be
on your appearance
Err on the side of formal
◦ Even for casual workplaces,
startups
Think about what you
know about the corporate
culture
Business wardrobe
Always a dress code
Career situation, workplace, region, and image
Wardrobe that works every day/every situation
Good grooming
What’s the difference between formal, business casual, and casual?
Dressing appropriately and other
appearance issues: Casual Fridays Casual Fridays
◦ Does not mean
beach attire
◦ Look professional
◦ Look at your
meeting schedule
◦ The never-ever at
work list
Key Pieces
Can’t afford a whole new wardrobe?
Invest in key pieces (and I do mean invest).
At least one suit
Several dress pants
Pencil skirt
Sheath
Blazer
A moment on language
There is no place for the “F word” in
business
Don’t talk like a college
student (yes, I know you’re college
students)
◦ Avoid um, like, dude
◦ Use correct words.
◦ Avoid:
I’m like, he goes, all about, I’m so…, I’m so not…