When you look at pictures of President Obama having meetings in the Oval Office, a few things become clear – he is dressed in shirt and tie and the people around him are wearing professional attire.  They could have decided to wear jeans and muscle shirts and tank tops while discussing the future of the country, but it is obvious that a certain ‘dress code’ is standard during these meetings in order to uphold professionalism.

First impressions are critical and they stem from a variety of factors such as our facial expressions, general grooming, and body language and of course, the attire we choose to wear for specific occasions.  Within the first 10 seconds, people form an opinion of us and very often it helps to shape the manner in which our interaction with them will go.

So what do you need to do?

1.       Choose darker colors for a suite such as darker shades of blue, gray or black to give off power, knowledge, responsibility and success. 

2.       Blue and white shirts or blouses are a safe choice which connote formal, clean and sophisticated.

3.       Wear clothes that fit you well – nothing too baggy and certainly nothing too tight. For women, skirts that hit just above the knee are perfect and for guys, slacks, a button-down shirt and conservative tie are a safe bet.

A few stores that offer safe choices for women are: Ann Taylor,  and for both men and women: Banana Republic  and Express and Marshalls  also carries a lot of brand name clothing for less.

Remember, your attire says a lot about you.  Simply based on what you are wearing, people can gage your self-esteem, confidence, organizational skills, creativity and attention to detail. Here’s to your success!