With over 161 million Americans fully vaccinated, companies are starting to let their employees work on site. After working at home for over a year, people may need to update their wardrobe to make themselves presentable when they start working in the office again.
If you are one of these people, you should make sure your attire shows your professionalism in the workplace. This is particularly true if you attend a meeting or talk with prospective clients. Looking good also improves your self-confidence when you are facing other people. It allows you to impress people you meet, especially the clients of the company.
Here are some tips to consider if you want to maintain a professional appearance once you start working in the office.
Maintain Proper Grooming
When you were still working from home, your company may not have required you to use your camera during meetings. But when you start working in the office, you should start to revamp your grooming habits to make yourself presentable. To ensure this, you should give yourself time to prepare in the morning.
You should start with the basic grooming practices, such as taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and combing your hair. Practicing all of these makes you look good when you report for work in the morning. Spending a few minutes in front of the mirror can also help you check your appearance before you go to the office. To maintain your appearance, you can eat a hearty breakfast to have the energy for the whole day at the office.
Review the Dress Code
Reviewing the employee handbook is a good way for you to get reacquainted with the dress code of the company. Doing this allows you to avoid wearing clothing that is not consistent with the dress code. Companies have these policies to ensure the employees are aware of the proper attire they need to wear while at the office. It also allows the company to set expectations about the image the company wants to convey to its clients.
Some companies require traditional business attire, while others allow their employees to wear business casual attire. On the other hand, small startups may allow their employees to come in wearing casual attire. At this point, you should make sure to check the dress code to avoid issues when you go back to work in the office.
Prepare Work Attire Beforehand
Since picking the right clothes for work may take time, you should prepare them the night before. You can check your cabinet and take out what you need to wear in the morning. This allows you to avoid rushing in the morning and ensure your attire matches the standards of your company. Preparing your attire at night also builds positive habits that you can apply to other aspects of your professional and personal life, including working on your schedule for the day. You will also feel relaxed when you go to the office in the morning.
Prepare Your Accessories
You may also want to wear some jewelry when you go to the office. However, you should remember to avoid wearing too much jewelry since you want to make sure you remain focused on your work rather than wearing items that can get caught in your hair. Jewelry with bright colors and unusual shapes can also distract your clients when you attend meetings. You can opt to limit your jewelry to your band rings if you want to keep your look simple yet elegant. Additionally, wearing these types of jewelry shows your love and devotion to your spouse. Overall, the right jewelry pieces enhance your daily look, as it adds more character.
Prepare to Face Clients
If you are scheduled to face a client, you should be mindful of what you are wearing. This is important even if you are attending an online meeting since you represent the company. You should make sure to give a good impression and avoid wearing something that is not consistent with the standards of the company.
In this situation, you should wear something presentable if the dress code of the company allows you to wear casual attire. You can opt for business casual attire or business attire if you are dealing with important clients. If you are unsure of what to wear, you can ask your colleagues or your manager to avoid any issues with your appearance.
You can even have another set of clothes ready in case your client comes in unexpectedly. Having a blazer ready is a good idea in cases when the client makes an unscheduled visit to the office.
With companies starting to ask their employees to work in the office, you must maintain a professional appearance while at your workplace. Remember to review your company’s dress code and plan out your daily attire so that you can look good when you return to the office.