Dressing for success in the office and at home

As more people work remote or hybrid schedules, the lines between clothing worn during office hours and hanging around the house can easily become blurred.

Prior to owning House of 423 in Geneva, Sarah Whitt worked in sales where she split her time between being out in the field with clients or working from home. Regardless of where she was working, Whitt always took time to put on a little makeup and work attire before beginning her day.

“Getting ready for work helped me focus and get more done. It just changes your mindset,” says Whitt.

When it comes to dressing for success, it’s helpful to keep your end goal in mind, suggests Heidi Cadwallader, owner of Shine Over Shade in Geneva.

“When dressing for professional type work, you want to dress for the next level above yours. That helps you get into the mindset to achieve your goal,” Cadwallader says.

Before going shopping for new clothes, both Whitt and Cadwallader recommend taking stock of what’s already in your closet and getting rid of items that don’t fit well, or you don’t love anymore.

“You can take pictures of your outfits, then mix and match to see what you have or find out what you’re missing, like maybe a shell to wear under a cardigan or blazer,” Whitt says.

Along those lines, Cadwallader suggests pulling out a pair of pants or a skirt and finding pieces that go well with it. It’s also a good way to cull what’s in your closet.

“If you do this on a weekly basis, you’ll be prepared what to wear all week,” Cadwallader says. “You don’t need a whole closet of pants and skirts, but you’ll probably have more tops and shirts because they’re more versatile with bottoms.”

Once you know what items you’ll need, a budget-friendly way to add new pieces to your wardrobe is to look for timeless pieces in neutral colors.

“You can dress the same whether you’re at home or in an office by using transitional pieces like gray, black or navy that can be worn either at work or home,” Cadwallader says.

Whitt adds, “A white button up shirt looks great with jeans and sneakers, or you can dress it up with a skirt or dress pants.”

For those days when you’ll be on camera for work calls, Whitt suggests staying away from black and white tops and wearing more colorful tops instead.

“That pop of color looks better on camera,” she adds.

If you’re going on a job interview, Cadwallader recommends dressing like the person you’ll be reporting to as a way to demonstrate you can do not only the job you’re applying for but what you can do for this company in the future.

“Even if it’s a virtual, off camera interview, dressing professionally sets the stage for a professional interview and helps you be prepared to answer questions,” Cadwallader adds.

No matter what you buy or keep to dress for success, comfort is key.

“The main thing is to dress for your body type. It looks better and makes you feel more comfortable,” Whitt says.