Maybe It’s Time to Step Up Your Game
I’m delighted to share this guest post written by Alicia Webb.
Could your style be impacting your career trajectory?
As companies continue to implement return to office policies, employee dress codes seem to be an afterthought—leading to a very casually dressed workforce. Maybe, it is time to consider stepping up your professional attire. According to one executive coach, dressing up from time to time can have a positive impact on your career in the long run.
It is clear, the days of women wearing powers suits and men sporting ties to the office everyday are long gone. In the past several years, we have ushered in a very relaxed workplace. Casual attire is acceptable pretty much everywhere these days. Depending on the industry, you might see everything from jeans to leggings. With the exception of the legal and financial industries, rules really don’t seem to exist. Companies want to keep employees happy and enforcing dress codes simply isn’t a priority.
Indianapolis-based Executive Coach Caroline Dowd-Higgins says we may have taken it a bit too far. “A casual workplace can be wonderful, but we can also take it to an extreme that can be harmful to workers.” Dowd-Higgins believes dressing overly casual can give the wrong impression to your colleagues and leaders. “The person wearing the hoodie might misinterpreted. The person on the other end of the conversation might be making up all sorts of things in their mind that may or may not be true.” Dowd-Higgins advises her clients to be aware of how they are being perceived.
Yes, it absolutely stinks—in 2025 we shouldn’t be judged based on what we are wearing. We are a lot more than what we wear, but what you put forward where style is concerned has a lot to do with how people perceive you. As much as we might try, there isn’t a lot we can do to change it. With a lot of companies adopting a policy of ‘bring your whole or authentic self to work,’ it is easy to think that you can be as casual as you want. But you might be holding yourself back if you are wearing yoga pants or a sweatshirt to an important meeting. Dowd-Higgins advises her clients to adopt the mantra, “What I wear in an exercise class, I should not be wearing to work.” I happen to agree, we shouldn’t be wearing the same thing everywhere we go. We should be dressing for the setting we are in. Attire for Saturday morning shouldn’t be the same as a Wednesday afternoon meeting.
It is a tough reality; first impressions are lasting. Dowd-Higgins says in her experience, people are more likely to get promoted when they have executive presence. And style and how we present ourselves is a part of that executive presence. “What you are wearing is a part of the conversation whether you want it to be or not. The person who makes the cut likely isn’t wearing a hoodie.”
While athleisure continues to grow in popularity, Dowd-Higgins says it is a good idea to experiment with style choices from time to time. “Wear a suit or nice blazer during your next client meeting. Dress differently a few days a week, see if people are treating you differently. See if people are more engaging. Develop data points and see if dressing differently is moving the needle. And keep in mind, what do you want people to say about you when you aren’t in the room?”
As a millennial, my approach has always been— ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have.’ It is probably a bit old school considering the way the workforce has evolved. But for me, I always feel better about myself, and I am far more productive when I am dressed up. I feel a sense of pride in myself and my work when I put in effort. According to 2023 research out of Temple University, what we wear does impact our productivity. Dowd-Higgins says, “sometimes in casual clothing we might be putting out a casual attitude.”
With our current multi-generational workforce, there are many views on what is appropriate for the office. It is no secret that Baby Boomers tend to have a more formal approach to style, and Gen Z prefers to be a bit more relaxed. “Gen Z doesn’t realize how far we’ve come,” Dowd-Higgins says.
With each generation having very different expectations, style plays an important role in communicating how you want your colleagues and peers to treat you. “You don’t want them to think you have a casual work ethic. It is okay to stand out and make a little bit of an effort.”
Alicia Webb is a Chicago-based writer and public relations consultant who believes in the power of storytelling. Alicia feels strongly that we all have our own dynamic story to tell. Alicia is also a certified life coach dedicated to helping her clients live their best and brightest life. She leads two businesses, Bright Spot Public Relations and Live Bright Coaching.
