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25 Things a Professional Woman Should Never Wear
Kayla Baxter, Anna Hennings, and Alice Handley | Excelle
May 26, 2009
We hate to admit it, because we personally feel that clothes shouldn’t matter. In a perfect world, a person would be judged at their workplace based solely on the caliber of their work. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works.
How you choose to dress each morning reflects how you feel about your job – that you take your position seriously, that you are ready to work and that you pay attention to detail and know what you expect to encounter that day. You wouldn’t go to a construction site in your favorite four-inch stilletos, right? Of course not, you’d go in a hard hat, because it’s appropriate for the situation. Appearances matter!
We’ve all been there, though. The days you wake up feeling sick, but still have to make it into the office, so you throw on any old thing that’s (kind of) clean. The office where you never see anyone but your hated boss and your frumpy coworkers. The jobs you work from home in your pajamas and no makeup.
Regardless of the excuses, there are some things that professionals should just never wear. Ever.
We’ll show you what these things are, why they’re a terrible wardrobe choice and if you’re guilty of having one in your closet – or (gasp!) in your daily rotation – we’ll give you a much better alternative.
cfulghum37
4 months ago
428 comments
I hate to say it but I am guilty of a few of these at times. Karoline - I agree!!! If my manager complimented me on an outfit, I would definitely wear it again. Where I work we wear business casual and we know our dress code and do adhere to it.
ricki
5 months ago
13298 comments
I agree to these rules! Even with working in manufacturing, you see people abuse these rules alot. When you go to college/universities, you would want to follow these same rules. You may want an instructor for an reference! So please take these seriously!
Karoline
5 months ago
22 comments
This was great. LOL But, I disagree with the UGGS, flip flops and scrunchies. Many of us wear these items at work and with no adverse reactions! This was so funny! But, if my manager complimented me on an outfit, I'd definitely wear it again...and again.
jennie1
5 months ago
6 comments
If you are an actor, like me, it is okay to wear Uggs on set, between takes, to rest your feet. We do it all the time.
SMEILSTRUP
5 months ago
18 comments
iI just got around to reading it again, but DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AJaneChambers
5 months ago
440 comments
At the first law firm my manager let me know what not to wear - if he complimented something I wore, then I never wore it again.
LoremIpsum
5 months ago
2 comments
Hahaha! I really loved reading this article! The exceptions were particularly funny!
Some people think Im pretty uptight about what and what not to wear at work, but Im surprised to find out that Im actually guilty of 1 thing! I still wear a small plain scrunchie every once in a blue moon. Maybe Ill just opt to wear that at home then. Hehe!!
bonnieppi
5 months ago
32 comments
This was a really fun article. You would think that most of it goes without saying, but I have seen all of the above in the workplace. It's not that you can't wear any of the aforementioned to the office (if you can put it on, you can wear it), but you shouldn't wear it to the office if you don't want to jeopardize your professional image.
Belkis
5 months ago
152 comments
I agree with all of them and it was pretty funny to see some of them.
Kwarning
5 months ago
2 comments
I wear fashion hats every day as a finishing touch to my outfit. I take if off in the office but wear it when I leave the building. I have had men tell me I got a favorable decision because they found the hat as a show of confidence. There is a difference between sport hats and fashion hats that compliment outfits.
reneelkw
5 months ago
46 comments
This is a fun article but... it does amaze me that there are 50,000+ visits to this article, more than anything else I have seen Excelle post. What does that say about today's woman? Are clothes too important and are we judging each other too much on appearance?
Arika27
5 months ago
2 comments
It was obvious to me why some of those things were,metioned, I truly do not wear about any thing that was in the list. Jewelry wise I wear a necklace, watch and earrings.
kbtordai
5 months ago
708 comments
Great advice and funny too! Thumbs up...
RedHorse7
5 months ago
24 comments
Common sense should dictate your office style. Look for the most successful woman in the workplace and mirror her sense of fashion. As for the looooong nails, I can't imagine how anyone could type, write, or do any kind of data entry with those claws. I'm especially puzzled as to how she can perform basic bathroom etiquette.
mlneuman
5 months ago
2 comments
I don't believe in make up and I think to tell women they must wear it is wrong. What is so wrong with being yourself?