Dressing for success

Hello :-)

To start this post, if you don't follow @PRDiva on twitter- you really need to! Her tweets & blogs are funny, educational and stylish. 

This week I have noticed her blog about 'Dressing for success- The Publicist's wardrobe'. 

Link:

http://pr-diva.com/2011/01/inside-the-publicists-wardrobe-6-do-or-die-pieces/

I found this post very useful as I am just starting my professional wardrobe and it's always great to get some guidance! 

She lists a number of professional must haves for the PR wardrobe:

These are my 6 Do-or-Die Pieces for the communications professional:

1. A great pair of Jeans – They can be from Target or they could cost a car payment. As long as you are comfortable and you can either dress the jeans up or down, a great pair of jeans is a must. From those Saturday morning pre-event planning I’m-on-my-hands-and-knees-doing-what moments, a great pair of jeans can be your saving grace. Oh, and make sure they make your bum looks good in them and aren’t “Mom Jeans”. I can write an entire post on that alone!

2. A tailored suit – My grandmother had many fabulous, tailored pieces. I never understood why she was so adverse to “buying off the rack” but little to my knowledge (hey I was young) she sometimes bought off the rack and had it tailored to her fit. I have learned that tailored items make the woman. Nothing says LOVE like sliding into a suit jacket that fits you perfectly and doesn’t make you look like you are about to HULK out of it or are playing pretend in your mother’s dress clothes.

3. An umbrella – Who wants to look like a drowned rat at a client meeting? Wait, who wants to look like a drowned rat period? Purchase a small umbrella that is convenient enough to tuck into your handbag or briefcase. Technically an umbrella isn’t a wardrobe necessity but an accessory. Trust me, an umbrella is a must or at the very least a poncho. Ok, scratch the poncho idea.

4. Little ” ” dress – For me, a little black dress is great but a little ” ” dress is fabulous. If you want to wear color, wear color. Wear what you feel comfortable in but just make sure it looks professional and sophisticated but most importantly feel like a million dollars in.

5. Classic white shirts – I used to loathe white clothing. Abhor it! But as of late, I have come to realize the versatility of a classic white fitted tee or a white button down shirt. White shirts can be worn under blazers, under sweater, or by themselves. Pick out a few white shirts–they don’t even have to be “classic”.

6. THE HANDBAG – Or the briefcase. Make your personality shine with a statement piece or go classic. If you are usually a bit more conservatively dressed, hit them with a killer handbag but make sure it is useful and not totally for show. You are going to need it to fit in things for your arsenal (smart phone, tablet, etc).

One of the things which I have already discovered for myself is the importance of a good size handbag. When I started my career in PR, I began with a small bag and quickly discovered that this wouldn't be sufficient! So I swapped it for a medium size bag which too wasn't big enough, so at the weekend I am treating myself to a large business bag which is stylish but also functional! 

I have found an umbrella a necessity too! Particularly in Manchester! I have also got a fab tailored jacket from H&M (pictured...)

I love this piece as it smartens my outfits up and goes with pretty much anything! 

What do you consider to be professional wardrobe must haves? 

Remember: if you don't look like you look after yourself, your clients won't think you can look after them! 

Thanks for reading,

Saffron xoxo