Dressing Better for Work with Jason Rowley

As a young professional, businessman Jason Rowley recognized the importance of proper presentation. First impressions influence an interviewer, hiring manager and new boss, making them a top factor for success. The now successful CEO, Rowley offers the following advice on dressing for success for young professionals.

Keep Your Clothing Clean

Expect to dry clean suits and dress pants once per week. Purchase a spray cleaner or steamer to keep them fresh at home in between professional cleanings. Wash dress shirts at least once per week. Keep a laundry treatment pen, such as Tide To Go with Bleach in your desk or briefcase to treat spills and stains immediately.

Maintain Your Clothing’s Material, Hems and Seams

If a hem or seam begins to unravel, tie it off instead of pulling it free. Pulling the thread causes the seam or hem to unravel worse. When you reach your desk or home, use a sewing kit to repair the loose thread.

Maintain your clothing so it does not become threadbare. Use leather patches to reinforce jackets at the elbows. Purchase lined pants to provide a reinforcing material.

Replace Aged Clothing

Replace older items in your closet with updated classics. You might keep an old blazer as a lucky charm, but if its age shows in the material or cut, replace it with a modern jacket.

When choosing new clothing, stick with the basics. What you saw in GQ looks great in a magazine but probably won’t appeal to your boss at the bank or investment firm. Skip the shorts with suits and purchase khakis and traditional suits in grays, dark blues and blacks.

Express Your Personality Using Accessories

Wear an Art Deco tie or a bow tie to express your personality. Maybe you enjoy wild colors, like lime green. Wear socks in this color to include a hint of your outside work self without detracting from your professional appearance. Handkerchiefs also offer an ideal way to work in a splash of color and homage to your personal preferences while conforming to the office dress code.

Polish and Shine Work Shoes

Make two-year-old loafers look brand new by polishing and shining them. Purchase high-quality leather or vegan leather dress shoes and keep them looking great by keeping them clean, dry, and polished.

Although the sneakers with a suit look might tempt you, instead, invest in dress shoes that use similar arches and heel designs on the interior of the shoe. This provides you the comfort of sneakers with the appearance of professional dress.

Factors in Dressing Professionally

According to Jason Rowley, aim to dress appropriately for the most conservative office, and you will hit the mark no matter where you interview or work. The quality of materials and care you put into maintaining your work wardrobe matters much more than wearing the latest clothing features in any magazine. Put together a wardrobe that helps you represent yourself as a consummate professional instead of a clothes horse. That look gets you hired and promoted as long as you work and behave as professionally as you dress.