Power dressing: Are you wearing the clothes of your future?

Power dressing: Are you wearing the clothes of your future?

We’ve all heard of dressing smartly to an interview to help you bag that dream job, but have you ever considered that the way you dress to work every day, could have an effect on your lifetime earnings?

"More than capable but treated like a trainee"

Recently, a friend of mine complained that they felt their young, student-like appearance meant that they were not taken seriously within the company they worked for, and instead were treated like they were a beginner or trainee, despite having years of experience and being more than capable of doing the job.

 

It got me thinking – most of us put a lot of effort into looking smart for our job interviews, and probably again for the big ‘first day’, but after that, do we all get a bit lazy, and in turn, stop our careers in their tracks?

 

Power-dressing stems from the 1980s, and is defined as a style of clothing and hair which is intended to make the wearer seem more authoritative and competent, especially in professional settings.

 

Big shoulders and tailored evening suits worn by Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana, inspired the idea that dressing a certain way could allow any woman to ‘own a room’.

 

You’d probably think nothing of your boss wearing a smart suit, whereas an employee with less authority and a less hefty pay packet might look out of place if dressed the same way.

 

Or would they?

 

Should we all, in fact, be ‘dressing for the next job?’

 

Stephanie Rothwell, from Careers Solutions in Manchester, said that this advice comes highly recommended.

 

“By dressing smartly it shows the employer that you've thought about how to present yourself and you're serious about the role,” she said.

 

“If you are looking for promotion it is recommended that you dress for the next level job.”

 

So has the trend of power-dressing spread to the streets of Manchester?

 

Ruth Goulding, spokesperson from Manchester Fashion Week, thinks it has.

 

“You only need to hang around Manchester's commuter routes of a morning, to see the effort and pride workers take in their wardrobes,” she said.

 

Kirsty Paul, 30, from Manchester, believes that putting more effort into her appearance for work helped her get the promotion she’d been wanting for a long time.

 

“I used to dress smart enough for work, but I’d become quite lazy after being in the same role for so long, and constantly getting knock-backs, losing out on promotions to the next person,” she said.

 

“My clothes were comfortable, but they didn’t turn heads.”

 

“One day after receiving a work bonus, I decided to spend the money on a new work wardrobe, and started to make more of an effort with my hair and make-up, to go with it.”

 

“It changed my confidence and the way I worked. I got chatting to more people and made more contacts. I believe the boost it gave me helped me get the job I have now, and finally the wage I deserved.”

 

It seems therefore that the power of power dressing doesn’t just lie in how our appearance is perceived by employers and colleagues, but more in the fact that it improves our confidence, enabling us to feel more competent, and allowing us to do a better job.

 

“Confidence is one of the elements of success,” said Ruth Goulding.

 

“The Manchester Fashion Week team believe that if you keep on striving and re-inspiring yourself, which very much happens through fashion, you'll find it hard not to succeed.”

 

And men of Manchester can’t escape that easily either; power dressing isn’t just for women. A brand new range of suits being launched by T.M. Lewin this March promise a million dollar look, that won’t break the bank. Press here to take a look.

 

“Men's fashion lends itself more to the traditional definition of power dressing with clean, sharp lines, and a strong, straight silhouette as this contours the masculine 'v' shape,” said Ruth.

 

 

By Katie Thistleton