Career Advice

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide

Is it true that clothes make the man or woman?
Do people form an opinion about us based on the way we dress? They do. Does that mean we should avoid any sense of individuality in the workplace? Of course not. With that said, some types of clothing are inappropriate for certain work environments. In addition, some work environments have a dress code that all who work there must follow. Sometimes you won't find these dress codes in writing; but if you look around you'll find that all employees are dressed in a similar way.

This gives us something to think about when choosing an occupation, or a place of employment. Do we want to fit in, or do we want to be able to express our individuality on the job? The answers to these questions should play an important role in our career plans.

Let's say you work somewhere where expressing one's individuality is okay. Does that mean anything goes? That brings us back to being judged based on what we wear. Is it improper to wear revealing attire to work? It depends on where you work and whom you work with. A teacher should stay away from revealing attire, for instance. A retail sales clerk might be able to get away with it depending on where she works. In other words, good judgment is important here. If what you wear is distracting to others then maybe it's time to go shopping.