Dress to impress in a meeting

There are many ways to make an impression in meetings – asking insightful questions, taking notes or just being friendly. But a quick and easy way to make yourself stand-out from your co-workers is how you look.

We all make snap judgements based on looks, and clothing is one of the first things we see.

Making sure your office wear is not only fitting for the company but also noticeable can offer you an advantage over your similarly-dressed colleagues.

1. Eye catching accessories
Dressing in a bright red suit might catch the eye, but you’ll also probably be laughed out the meeting. But this doesn’t mean you can’t introduce a few flashes of colour or bling.

Ties or socks in primary colours look great against dark suits. If these are too much, use cuff links or a pocket square to add colour.

2. Sharp suits
Your suit says a lot about you. Come into a meeting with worn elbows, short trousers and buttons hanging off and people will assume the worst.

You don’t need to spend thousands on a sharp suit but when you are buying talk to the shop assistant or tailor to make sure the suit fits.

You can also buy off the peg suits and then get them tailored to your needs – this is a lot cheaper than getting one hand made and can have similar results.

Keep them looking like new with dry cleaning.

3. Clean up your image
Designer stubble or hipster beards look great in the local pub, but they might not be so at home in an office. If you do have facial hair, make sure it’s groomed.

Same goes for the rest of your outfit. Don’t wear dirty shirts or stained jumpers, as it shows you aren’t paying attention to the details.

4. Shine the shoes
Shoes in a work place are important. Many have been judged on their footwear in the business world so make sure yours are looking at their best.

Again, you don’t need to buy the best – as long as they look at their best its fine.

A good pair of high street shoes can look much better if cared for with regular cleaning, fresh laces every now and then and protection.

You could even keep a pair at work so you don’t have to drag them through the commute every day.

Then the only person that will know they’re not a £1,000 pair of Salvatore Ferragamo loafers is you.

5. Always have a spare
Whether it’s a clean tie in your drawer or a second pair of shoes under the desk, having a spare can save you the blushes of having to go into a meeting with BBQ sauce stains down your front, or wet feet.

Some go as far as keeping a new shirt in the drawer, ready for action if you’ve spilt coffee down yours and have an important meeting.

Posted by Ashleigh Sharp