Have you ever felt constrained and limited by the dos and don’ts of the business professional world? Not sure how you can express your unique personality and style without compromising dress standards? Here are 5 tips to spice up your professional wardrobe and stand out from the crowd.
1. Find and follow business fashion influencers
Countless accounts across various social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram are dedicated to providing fashion tips and inspiration to their audiences. Find a few of these influencers whose style you like and follow them to hear their fashion advice. This will help you stay up to date with fashion trends while also finding ways to stand out in the business world. A few Instagram influencers that we at Sophisticated Professional love keeping up with are Dominic Roberto (@hitchhikinghaberdasher) and Josepha Thomas (@styled.by.josepha).
2. Want unique clothes? Shop at unique stores!
I can personally testify that some of my favorite statement pieces have come from thrift stores such as Goodwill or consignment stores like The Fashion Shack. It’s in places such as these that you will find clothes, accessories, and shoes that you never would have thought of wearing. However, if you’re willing to branch out and try new styles, you can find some gold in unexpected places. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Use your favorite mapping application to search for thrift stores and consignment stores in your area and give them a visit next time you get the chance!
3. Build a quality professional wardrobe of tailored basics
Your statement pieces are only as good as the plain pieces that surround them. Let me give you an example. If I find a sweet burnt-orange turtleneck at my local Goodwill, but I wear it under an ill-fitting brown blazer, the whole outfit will look baggy and dated. Thus, it is important to have high-quality but simple clothes in your professional wardrobe that can complement your uniqueness. Not sure where to start? Head to your local men’s or women’s fashion store and ask them to help you get fitted with a full selection of suits, dress shirts, blazers, trousers, cardigans, skirts, shoes, socks, belts, and everything else!
4. Incorporate bold accessories into your professional wardrobe
Accessories are things such as watches, ties, cuff links, jewelry, scarves, handbags, and hats. These items are not necessary or required to look professional, but they are a great way to add style, flair, and personality to your outfits. Find accessories that complement each other and use them to build your own personal style. My favorite accessories are ties – I have a wide selection of colorful ties that almost always draw compliments when I wear them. And, since ties are typically a requirement for business professional dress standards, it is certainly worth building a solid tie collection! For more help with accessories, try checking out this article by Atolyestone!
5. Unsure where to start? Try simply mixing and matching colors and textures
If you haven’t quite found your favorite statement pieces and accessories yet but still want to find a way to stand out in the drab world of suits, try simply incorporating different colors and textures. For example, try wearing a vibrant red or orange shirt or blouse underneath your blazer instead of the usual white. Mix a tweed skirt with a silk blouse. While pairings of this sort may not be super common, they can be a great way to express your unique personality and style. And, you’ll oftentimes find that you can utilize items already in your wardrobe in new ways, rediscovering excitement for old pieces!
We get it. Switching things up and stepping out of your comfort zone can certainly seem daunting – but we hope that these 5 quick tips will give you a starting point to ditch the boring and begin expressing the real you. You own the business professional world – now go rock some awesome looks!
Make sure to check out our other lifestyle blogs at https://www.sophisticatedprofessional.com/lifestyle
Written by Micah Cash
