Women exposed themselves in droves wearing...

• Tank and spaghetti strap tops at work without an outer covering
• Tops and tubes so low-cut their breasts were hanging out and exposed
• Skirts and shorts so short when they bent over their panties showed
• See-through dresses, tops, and skirts with seemingly no under garments
• Sheer clothing that shows through in the light
• A naked pregnant belly with a tiny top
• Rolls of fat above low-cut pants
• Rubber flip-flops manufactured for sports wear

Men were also at fault. They wore

• Mesh and tank tops that did not fit properly that belong at the beach
• Pants and shirts so beat up they looked like the clothes you’d wear to move furniture or paint the living room
• Clothes that should only be appropriate for a backyard barbecue when attending a more formal event
• Pants down-around-the-knees with exposed shorts… I still don’t understand that one.

I don’t want to be a fuddy-duddy about today’s standards of dressing. I recognize that clothes have become more casual. Still, there are limits. And while the people, primarily women wearing the kind of clothing above might think the message is “I’m so hot,” others might think what they are really saying is, “She’s so vulgar.”

What about you? Do you always think through what image and impression you convey to others with your clothes?

At work, do you and the co-workers with which you work appear confident and professional? Are your clothes clean, well pressed, and coordinated, giving the impression you care about your appearance? Wearing professional clothes does not mean having to wear a suit. It means clean, neat, properly fitting clothes that are neither tight nor baggy. Showing cleavage is not appropriate, regardless of what you see on television. Colored shirts open beyond two buttons are in the same category. 

Clothes send many messages about who you are. They show:

• Status, authority, power, and rank
• Friendliness, dependability, and adventurousness
• Upper, middle, lower-middle, and low class
• Trustworthiness and good judgment.

What messages do your clothes say about you and your company? Might you be too dressed down for the occasion? If your clothes fit properly, are clean and neat, and in most instances on the conservative side you will give the best impression.

“You are the message,” said Roger Ailes, President of Fox News Channel and media consultant to former US presidents. That means you are what you wear. You are your own brand and it is up to you to make the best impression at all times.

P.S.  If you know people who should read this newsletter because of the way they dress, please send it on. If you’d like to give someone a specific hint, send me an email. I may be able to prepare a custom-designed newsletter addressing a specific situation in your office or at home.