Style + Work = Poise

This is my last post (for now) on style from Kate Spade. I wanted to share her formula for poise and demeanor in the office.

~ Consider the type of job you have: whether you work in a corporate environment, at a fashion magazine, or in real estate, the sensibility of your job and your position will guide your dress choice. 

photo credit Hoang-Kim Instagram account

~ Geography counts. Small town, big city, rural or urban are relevant indicators of dress.

~ Draw attention to your work, not your dress. How you dress may be one way of communicating, but your PERFORMANCE is always the best way to “talk about” yourself to your colleagues or your boss. 

~ Err on the side of discretion, not obsession: you might be proud of your tattoos and many earrings, but at work cover body markings and keep the earring count down to a pair -an earring on each earlobe.

~ Workstyle is not about the gym-fit figure but about demeanor: no matter how flat your stomach is, don’t show it.

photo credit Mariah Hewines 

~ Blue hair, purple hair, overly hennaed hair, or architecturally spiked hair is best left to after-work hours. 

~ Be observant. Some rules are spoken. Many others are unspoken. 

~ For presentations or lectures, select something with color so that you won’t fade into the background. Avoid looking washed-out.

~ What’s good for the goose is not good for the gander. Just because your boss might deviate from the normal office attire, don’t copy her or him. (Or at least not until you’re the boss and get to set the rules!)

Above all, be confident: posture and demeanor go a long way in an office. What you wear is part of the secure image you project. 

(Text via Kate Spade)