Connecting the dots will lead first-time workers away from fashion blunders. You've received your college diploma, accepted a job offer in corporate America and begun to take your first tentative steps toward independence.
As you transition from student to professional, your wardrobe should do the same. Lived-in jeans, slouchy sweats, shoulder-baring camisoles and cleavage-enhancing minidresses may have been standard gear on campus, but they're fashion don'ts for the office.
In short, it's time for clothes that look less Banana Republic and more Brooks Brothers.
And you don't have to spend a fortune to get started right.
"Don't spend your entire savings on a new wardrobe before you experience the fashion culture in the office," suggests Suze Yalof Schwartz, executive fashion editor at large for Glamour magazine.
Sound advice for both women and men. If everyone is wearing suits, for example, that's a strong sign that you should dress similarly.
And if you aim to climb the corporate ladder, Schwartz adds, it's a good idea to dress like the company's highest-ranking executive of your gender.
"You should never dress for the job you have. You should always dress for the job you want. Always look professional, even if you're working in the stockroom or lowest-level job. Your boss might want you to sit in a meeting and take notes, but you won't be invited if you always look like a bum. Look like you're ready for success."
