Tips for Success

1. Mindful Fabric Selection: Consider the fabric of your clothing, accounting for climate and season.
2. Dress Appropriately: Avoid wearing tops with low necklines and bottoms where the hemline is above the top of the knee. 
3. Prioritize Comfort: Opt for attire that ensures comfort without sacrificing professionalism. Being uncomfortable due to tight-fitting clothes or temperature can result in a lack of confidence, distractions, and negative interactions. 
4. Avoid Distractions: Steer clear of hats, graphic t-shirts, and busy patterns as they may detract from a polished appearance.
5. Conduct Research: Investigate industry, employer, and regional norms to understand appropriate attire. Remember that interpretations of professional dress can vary; some workplaces embrace creativity, while others adhere to stricter guidelines. During the interview process, consider dressing more formally than what the employees wear. When starting a position, you may want to dress up the first few days to get a sense of the workplace fashion norms.
6. Professional Accessories: Consider carrying a padfolio instead of a backpack or purse to elevate your professional appearance and streamline essentials for meetings or networking events. Avoid flashy jewelry or statement pieces.
7. Camera-Ready Clothing: Choose clothing that looks professional and presentable on camera for virtual meetings, avoiding overly bold patterns or distracting colors that may not translate well on screen. Check out the Interview Guide for additional tips on virtual professionalism. 
8. Grooming Tips for Professional Appearance: Maintain well-groomed hair, facial hair, makeup, and subtle fragrance so as not to bother those with allergies and sensitivities.

Types of Attire

Dressing professionally doesn’t always mean dressing formally. Let’s review a few different types of professional dress: business professional, featuring tailored suits and formal accessories, business casual, which incorporates dress shirts or blouses with slacks or skirts, and smart casual, blending polished yet relaxed pieces. Understanding the distinctions between different types of business attire ensures you’ll be for a variety of business settings so you can show up with confidence

• Business Professional
• Business Casual
• Smart Casual

Business Professional

Business Casual

Smart Casual

Caring for Your Clothes

To ensure your clothes look the best and are long-lasting, consider the following tips:

• Read Care Labels: Pay attention to the care labels on your clothing items and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for washing, drying, and ironing. Different fabrics may require specific care methods to avoid damage or shrinkage.
• Spot Clean Stains: Deal with stains promptly by spot-cleaning them with a gentle detergent or stain remover. Avoid rubbing the fabric vigorously, as this can spread the stain or damage the fibers. Blot the stain gently with a clean cloth or paper towel until it lifts.
• Your style is hanging by a thread: Each suit jacket has a red X on the back of the jacket and in the pockets. Cut these for the proper fit and look of the jacket.
• Hang Clothing Properly: Hang your business attire on sturdy hangers to maintain their shape and prevent wrinkles. Use garment bags to protect suits, dresses, and other delicate items from dust, moths, and damage when not in use.
• Steam Out Wrinkles: Invest in a handheld garment steamer to remove wrinkles and creases from your clothing quickly and effectively. Steaming is gentler on fabrics than ironing and can help refresh garments between wears.
• Follow Dry Cleaning Instructions: If your clothing items require dry cleaning, take them to a reputable dry cleaner and follow their care instructions carefully. Be sure to point out any stains or areas of concern to the dry cleaner for proper treatment.

Other Considerations

Discounted Career Clothes

JCPenny offers UMass a discount on select professional clothing. Take advantage of this offer here.

Call Out: Individuality and Expression

The decision to select clothing that aligns with one’s gender identity can change over time and vary from one interview to another, depending on individual comfort levels. Factors such as familiarity with the specific employer or industry may also aid with this decision. The expression of your clothing is ultimately a personal choice based on your comfort, identity, and the cultural context of the professional setting.

When considering your comfortability in gender expression, consider researching the employer’s non-discrimination policies. Moreover, review the company on the Corporate Equality Index to view the companies’ benefits, support, and protections for the LGBTQIAA+ community. 

“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates that employers with a minimum of 15 employees are prohibited from engaging in discriminatory employment practices based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This includes safeguarding the rights of individuals to engage in protected religious observances or practices, such as attending worship services, praying, donning religious attire or symbols, displaying religious objects, or abstaining from certain activities. Furthermore, this law extends protection to those who face discrimination due to their lack of religious beliefs. For instance, religious employers, as defined under Title VII, are prohibited from mandating employees to wear religious attire or symbols, such as a cross, if they object on grounds of non-belief. For further guidance, individuals can refer to the recommendations provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It’s important to recognize and respect the diversity of religious expression and practice in the workplace.”

Additional Resources

• A Beginner’s Guide to Business Attire
• How to Own a Room
• 8 Ways to Prepare for Career Fair Success
• Succeeding as an LGBT Professional
• Transitioning in the Workplace: A Guide for Trans Employees