The saying goes...𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆. Some might think this is outdated or overly-used advice, but I beg to differ. Fashion can be a powerful tool that gets your foot in the door for landing the job, connecting with new clients, or gaining new followers on Instagram.
While our culture continues trending towards informal WFH wear, I still believe there's a case to be made for committing to dressing up. It's a powerful tool to leverage and network within your online community.
1. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. Dressing well is a chance to make a positive impression on those who have no idea how good you are at your job.
2. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭. Confidence is what helps carry you through relationship development. It gives you that extra fuel to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to strangers.
3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲. It subconsciously tells them to trust or distrust you. When you upgrade your wardrobe, wear professional pieces, and make a bold statement with your dressing, others will begin to trust you and want to connect with you.
Getting back to the basics of professional and intentional dressing will be your advantage when networking. When you think about it you'll never know when an opportunity will present itself to make lasting connections. It could even be in line at the grocery store...