Casual or Corporate: Looking Your Best in a 9 to 5 World
Almost all fashion experts agree, when we walk in a room, we're judged within the first few seconds - not by our personalities or minds -but by what we're wearing.
It is our appearance and mannerisms that people look at, even before we open our mouths, says Charlene Parsons, academic chair of the Fashion Department at the Miami International University of Art and Design. Though your style of clothes may vary because of your profession, presenting yourself in the best way possible is important, even if your company is strictly "casual Fridays" all week long, she says.
Ms Parson's says "whether you wear jeans or a suit to work, the best fashion rule of thumb is to buy the best you can afford." Well-made clothes fit better, look better, and last for years. Take a cue from Europeans. Parsons says they buy fewer pieces, but buy better and become expert at mixing and matching.
Finding variety, a great fit and an acceptable price is not as difficult as it used to be. "It's no longer necessary to run to the mall to find a great look. Many conventional retailers have created Internet stores. With the start of mass-customization in sizing, everyone can find a style that fits his or her figure, wallet and career," says Kathleen Colussy, fashion design faculty member at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Once you've found clothes you like that fit well, consider how you approach fashion. Is it sporty, classic, feminine or artistic, or a combination? Alease M. McClenningham, academic director of Fashion Marketing at The Art Institute of Charlotte says that the common thing among these styles is a few wardrobe basics that can be worked into any of these looks such as a great jacket, white shirt, flat front pants, sweaters, and good-fitting T-shirts in several different colors. "No matter what style you are -- and many of us are more than one -- these basics can work with lots of different looks and body types, and the sources for finding them are endless," says McClenningham.