How you dress affects the way you are perceived and how you feel about yourself.
I believe the first and most important step to creating a professional look is to learn to dress for your body shape. But, what does this mean and how does it impact on your professional image?
Essentially, the guidelines are not necessarily going to be the same for every woman.
Here are a few suggestions to consider.
If you have a generous bust:
Do
- Wear scoop or v-necklines, but without revealing too much cleavage. High cut necklines will make you look like you have larger breasts.
If you need to wear high necklines to keep your chest warm, wear a scarf over it or layer with a deep v-neckline jacket or top to draw the eye down the body instead of across.
- Get properly fitted for a bra. It can literally take off centimeters.
Don’t
- Wear very low necklines that reveal your cleavage.
- Wear a bra that doesn’t fit properly. A badly fitted bra can make your bust look larger than it is or make your tops and blouses fit badly.
If you have wide upper arms:
Do
- ¾ length sleeves.
Don’t
- Wear strappy or sleeveless tops and dresses.
- Wear short sleeves that cut across the widest part of your upper arm.
If you have generous thighs:
Do
- Wear skirt or dress length in full-length, on the knee or just below the knee with a heeled shoe to give extra height (if necessary).
Don’t
- Wear very short or narrowed skirts.
Whenever you are making clothing choices for work, think about what impression you want to create and select clothing that will show you off to be the competent woman you are!
In this video I give you a few examples: