Dress for Success: Does It Matter Today?

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Dress for SuccessDoes It Matter Today?

• Maria A Stuchly
• Professor Emeritus
• University of Victoria, Canada

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Dress for Success Introduction
Mt. Everest Climb
Beijing Olympics (2008) Swim
Mt. Everest Climb
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Dress for Success Does it Matter Today?

• What is success?
• Sports and adventure - electromagnetics
  engineering
• Professional success - successful life
• Has engineering changed - what about dress for
  success?
• Changes in the society
• Changes in our profession

• Is there any dress code at all - critical
  situations?
• Interview
• Business meetings
• Presentations
• Practical advice personal perspective

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What is Success?

• How do we really define it?
• Does it depend on personal priorities?
• Does it change over our lifespan?
• Is it gender dependent?
• Does it depend on the professional environment
  (industry, government, academia)?
• Is balance in life important?
• We all want to be successful, and we define what
  it really is!

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Professional Success Today

• Changes in the society
• Globalization
• Gender roles
• Developed developing countries
• Changes in the profession
• Multiculturalism
• Increased participation of women
• Informality tolerance

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Dress for Success Are there any Rules?
Michelle Hilary

• Dress - Style - Fashion
• Occasion Role we Play
• Age Personal Preference

1993
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Dress for Success WEB, Newspapers etc.

• Current environment (economic crisis) - be
  conservative
• Suit skirt or pants? Or maybe dress?
• First impression critical
• What you wear depends on employer
• Style creativity
• Shoes matter

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The Six Occasions for Wearing a Jacket
http//www.professionalimagedress.com/dress-six-oc
casions-for-jacket.htm

• Meeting a client for the first time
• Formal presentations
• Formal meetings
• Interviews
• Unannounced official visits happen
• Appearing in court

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Formal Professional Attire Fashionable Examples
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Informal Work Environment

• Does anything go?
• Why it still may be important to dress carefully?
• Style fashion

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What About a Dress or a Sweater?

• When can we wear them?
• Social functions
• Less formal workplace, everyday
• Conferences when not presenting
• Lecturing? Yes, but preferably with a jacket
• Some formal occasions (dependent on the design or
  with a jacket)

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More Informal Professional Attire
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Transition from Student to Professional

• There is a step function change from a student
  (including a grad student) to an engineer
• No flip-flops
• No shorts
• No cut-out jeans
• No bare midriff, etc.
• Really critical when you start
• Your students may be older than you
• You want to be taken seriously as a professional

in the office
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My Professional Closet what used to be in
itWinter

• Black or dark grey skirt suit
• Black dress pants
• Two jackets
• Two skirts Mix Match
• Two pants
• Assortment of tops (long short sleeved)
• Sweaters
• Little black dress
• Two pairs of medium high heel shoes

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My Professional Closet what used to be in
itSummer

• Off white or light beige skirt suit
• Two casual dresses
• Two jackets
• Two skirts Mix Match
• Two pants
• Assortment of tops
• Dressy dress or skirt or pants with a top and a
  matching jacket
• Dressy sandals (high heels) and lower heel summer
  shoes

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Personal Perspective

• One can be successful without paying any
  attention to the dress (as long as it is not
  offensive)
• First impressions are very often important
• Dressing for occasion your role is important
• Dress can give an additional level of confidence
• Style and fashion are not the same. Stylists may
  not really be helpful. One should follow fashion,
  but never blindly.
• Dress and style can be fun
• Your personal style may help people to remember
  you