Top Fashion Tips For Starting Your Career

If you’re a brand new alumna of the education system, then this September will be your first without that back-to-school buzz. It’s time to tuck in your shirt and polish up your shoes, because we’re all embarking on the road to employment glory. If, like me, you've spent three years repairing your tights with nail varnish or hoping you never hear the words ‘weren't you wearing that yesterday?’, here are five steps to get your journey started on the right foot.

1. Invest in style basicsr
As a graduate, you’re probably feeling super strapped for cash and the last thing you want to do is buy office-appropriate trousers. Believe me, I know the feeling. The good news is you don’t need to burn your entire student wardrobe in a fiery shame or dole out all of your precious dosh. To tide you over until the Utopian time of your first pay cheque, invest in a few wardrobe essentials that you can mix and match to fool your new co-workers. Think along the lines of smart cotton shirts in neutral colours that can be rotated with a pair of tailored black trousers.

For girls: Golden item: a blazer. Wear it over your existing collection of jeans and floral dresses to add instant smart the easy way. Make the likes of Zara and Warehouse your personal havens for affordable tailoring if you can, but your old student stomping grounds of New Look and Primark will also do the trick.

For guys: A suit jacket is a fail-safe option for you too. If you’re not sure how smart your interview attire needs to be, wear a jacket. You can always take it off if you feel overdressed or do it up to hide any number of casual sins. If you’re feeling low on funds, charity shops are a great port of call, for both guys and girls.

2. Be appropriately dressedr
It might be an obvious statement to some (however, that’s why we’re here) but when dressing for work, consider your levels of conservative nature. Make sure hemlines are suitably long and necklines suitably high. Although this isn't a nunnery, it sure ain't a brothel either. Hopefully with a degree under your belt, you can master something in-between. Let your talent and aptitude for the job be the focus, keeping tattoos and piercings suitably covered. Don’t forget about your feet either; a pair of trainers tacked onto the end of your outfit can ruin the whole effect. Invest in a pair of smart shoes, make them leather, make them black and you can’t go far wrong.

For girls: Buy as many pairs as tights as you can carry. Don’t bother with pricier brands and stick to Primark multipacks because whatever the price tag, they will ladder. All the time. Even if you don’t wear skirts, wear them hidden smugly under trousers and never shiver on the winter commute again.

For guys: Apply the Primark multipack rule to your socks. There really isn't any excuse for the grey and the holey to adorn your feet in the workplace. Steer clear of slogan t shirts or ones emblazoned with your favourite band/team/food – you’re not a walking advertisement.

3. Make sure it fits!
Another golden rule is that your work wear should be well-fitting and comfortable. Of all the things you want your grown-up wardrobe to scream, “I don’t know how to dress myself properly” isn't one of them. The workplace isn't the time for overlong cuffs or dragging trouser hems. Buttons shouldn't be straining at the seams and skirts shouldn't ride up too high. No matter how fabulous a professional outfit may be, it’s easy to forget that you need to, well, work in it. Make sure that your ensembles are comfortable – walk around in them, sit in a chair, whatever your potential career path requires you to do.

For girls: If you’re going to make a teetering foray into the elixir of professional dressing - high heels - make sure you can stride powerfully across a room in them. Block heels are a massive trend this autumn and their sturdy and reassuringly solid nature is a girl’s best friend when cheating your way to the top.

For guys: Buying that suit jacket from Oxfam? Don’t scrimp on fit for the sake of saving a few pennies. You don’t want to look like a 12 year old boy waiting to grow into his school uniform. Consider sleeve and trouser lengths and make sure you can comfortably do the top button up on your shirt. It won’t go unnoticed.

4. Rules of groomingr
We've all rolled into a 9 o’clock lecture in the first clothes that we've found on our floor. Or the ones we've slept in. But guess what? Tramp-chic hasn't caught on in the workplace. Crumpled shirts and creased up dresses suggest laziness and dirtiness -even if they’re clean. Set aside an hour on a Sunday evening and strategically position the ironing board in front of whatever device you use as a television. If you’re not a dab hand with an iron and are at risk of serious burns, get a housemate to help and consider repaying them in washing-up duties. Likewise, hair, nails and makeup are equally important indicators of your personal grooming habits. Basic rule: keep it neat and keep it clean.

For girls: Makeup should be light and natural; artfully smudged eyeliner might look great on a Friday night but it’s not for the office. You don’t want to choke your new co-workers by the water cooler so keep perfume to a subtle minimum. Make sure your hair is freshly washed, tidy and combed into submission, only Kate Moss can rock a bedhead in her place of work.

For guys: Step away from the hair gel. No, really.

5. Stamp on your personality
Yes, you need to look professional in the workplace, but you don’t need to morph into a suited bourgeois clone. Think of your work wardrobe as a clean canvas that can be added to, using accessories or jewellery to showcase your personality. With a little luck, you’ll be hired for a job based on your role-appropriate idiosyncrasies, so don’t feel the need to bland yourself down entirely. However, there’s a vital rule to remember here: less is more.

For girls: Add a dash of red lipstick or a statement necklace, but don’t ruin all your hard work and overdo it! For the more style daring head to Topshop for fashion-savvy that’s also office-friendly. Stick to wardrobe basics: business in style, party in the print.

For guys: It’s not so easy for guys, when a stamp of personality could easily be misconstrued as an excuse for a flashing Christmas-inspired tie. Stick to similar rules as your female counterparts, by experimenting with subtle pattern in tailored basics.