When you’re at the office, your focus should be succeeding at your job to the best of your abilities. However, if you are new to the job or are in the process of gunning for a big promotion, you may want to up the ante on your work-hours appearance. Looking chic, polished, and put together can help instill you with confidence, and can convey to others that you are in control of your life and work. Looking great while you’re working may even help you land extra respect from bosses and coworkers. If you want some tips for looking chic but not over the top while you’re at work, keep reading.
Follow the trends—even if you’re not out on the town.
When you hear the word “trendy,” you may think of tight dresses for the club or a low cut wrap blouse for date night. Even if you’re not going “out,” you can still follow the fashion trends when you’re in the office. Keeping a close eye on the silhouettes of the moment and applying them to workwear can help keep you in style without being inappropriate. For instance, instead of long bootcut or flare work pants, opt for a slim pair of ankle pants. Women’s ankle pants are the perfect fit for any work top or blouse and allow you to show off your cute heels or flats. You can dress them up for an important meeting by adding gold jewelry and understated accessories, or dress them down for the weekend with a tee and some trendy sneakers. Whichever way you go, incorporating an ankle pant into your office wardrobe will help you look young and chic.
Find a signature way to do your makeup flawlessly.
Even if you’re not a beauty guru, you can still do your makeup each day. Helping to even your skin tone and accentuate your bone structure can go a long way in your appearance in the office. Makeup helps you look more awake, which in turn will help you look confident and strong. Study up on YouTube to find the best makeup techniques for your face and lifestyle. Apply a coat of mascara to accentuate and open up your eyes and to create an extra “awake” look.
Smell good, but don’t give coworkers a headache.
Personal fragrance is important, especially in first impressions. If you meet a lot of different people for parts of your job, it would behoove you to find a scent that you want to be associated with. A word of advice, however: Make sure your perfume is not so powerful that it gives your coworkers and office mates headaches. Some individuals are very sensitive to scent, so you need to look for more understated tones. Looking for fragrances with soft and clean notes will help you to find a signature scent that matches your personality but won’t send your coworkers home with migraines.
Set aside time for nail care.
Hands are oft looked over when it comes to putting together a full look, but the condition and appearance of your nails can be a huge impression-maker. Think of it this way: If you’re in an important meeting with a client and you reach over the table to shake their hand, do you want your nails to be sporting chipped green nail polish or a tasteful full French manicure? The choice is simple. Keep your cuticles moisturized and your nails short but not stubby. Choose a neutral color so that you do not have to switch it too often and your nails stay office-appropriate.