What do executive women wear?

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To all those aspiring professional women, knowing the right answer to this question is paramount to either landing that perfect job or advancing your career. With the increasing competitiveness of the job market, the ability to dress effectively and appropriately can largely determine your job prospects. A well put-together work outfit signals to your boss and colleagues a high level of professionalism, competence, and confidence, all of which are essential to success.

Whereas men can always fall back on the classic suit and tie as a standard guideline, style and dress for women is debatably more subjective, which makes defining a set standard for women’s dress more complicated. Depending on the industry, there are varying degrees of flexibility, but there are universal guiding principles that are applicable to all professions.

Color
·      Dark colors like gray, black, and navy are safe and acceptable for staple wardrobe pieces like suits
·      Neutral colors for complementary pieces
·      Avoid extremely bright colors, bright reds, electric blues, hot pinks, or loud prints

Fit
·      Don’t be revealing – no cleavage, visible panty lines, see-through material
·      Too big or too tight = sloppy or skimpy
·      Dress or skirt should be knee-length

Accessories
·      No jangling jewelry
·      Nothing flashy or opulent
·      Heel height should be less than 3 inches
·      Choose structured bags not slouchy

Styling
·      Make sure your hair is neat
·      Keep makeup clean & natural

If you are really struggling to figure out the appropriate dress for your business place, just take a look around you at your peers or bosses for suitable inspiration.

Lastly keep these easy sayings in mind:

Err on the side of conservative.
Present a complete package.
Dress for the job you want.
Let your outfit complement not detract from your ability.


Original sources of advice:

http://www.fins.com/Finance//SB128292781256931917/What-to-Wear-to-a-Finance-Interview
http://www.seeingyourselfasothersdo.com/reference/bin/Women's%20Appearance.pdf
http://fashion.about.com/od/whattowear/a/weartowork.htm