FIRST IMPRESSIONS - The Hard Reality of Dressing for Success

In an age when the world is questioning loudly the status quo in so many arenas, one thing remains fundamentally unchanged: the absolute need to dress for success. Appropriate personal branding is one of those eternal and immovable monoliths in business culture. While people may quite rightly question the political system, standards of beauty, race and gender inequality, equal pay, or the celebration of history's heroes with poor social justice records, they simply cannot show up at their job dressed in a way that does not reflect the standards and priorities of their employer. Some people have a natural understanding of what is appropriate at work, or "living the brand". Others need a "translator" to help them understand the conversation, why it is important, and how this can help their career. Anyone who has stumbled across an episode of What Not to Wear on cable knows just how wrong people can go.

"The point here is not to challenge the 'Big is Beautiful' movement; rather, it is to raise awareness around the reality of what we look like and how we can remove obstacles from our path in any business arena."

Some of us don't want to accept this reality. As a seasoned communicator, I am keenly aware that everything is a conversation, but I didn't always know that. When I was starting out in New York as an actress, I knew that at a size twelve I was larger than most of my competition, but I didn't think it mattered. I was auditioning for commercials, after all, and I reasoned that being heavier might actually be an advantage, as I looked more like a real mom. It took a very direct casting director with my best interests at heart to set me straight, telling me, "Wardrobe doesn't even stock above size eight. Lose the weight. I know we can book you." I lost the weight, signed with a premier commercial agency and indeed began to get work. Would it have been easier for me if the commercial world had embraced my larger frame? Yes. Would it have been nice to be loved for who I was and for my talents? Sure. Did it matter in the big picture? No. Not if what I really wanted was to succeed in that business. The point here is not to challenge the "Big is Beautiful" movement; rather, it is to raise awareness about the reality of what we look like and how we can remove obstacles from our path in any business arena. Your appearance is your visual resume, and the first thing you convey as you enter a room.

How to begin? The most powerful way to go about shaping your visual resume is to start from the inside out. What are you about? What do you bring to the table? What is your personal/professional brand? Come up with some core adjectives that describe you. Pay attention if one of your adjectives is "sloppy". If you truly, deeply do not care about clothes, you may need to find a work environment that supports that view - like being a comedy writer or doing something in "laid back tech". Ladies, it can be dangerous to incorporate the word "sexy", unless you know how to portray it in a sophisticated way. Understand your power and learn to focus your clients' and coworkers' attention where you want it. If you want the attention on you, think long and hard about what you want your career to look like. It may become obvious that the focus should be on your abilities and serving the company, not on your appearance. Before you get too indignant or think I am asking you to wear a burka, please know that there are ways to dress that are flattering and sharp, without being provocative. I enjoyed a lovely downshift in the stress level of my life when I made the switch from athletic tankini tops and yoga pants in my freelance Los Angeles life, to the professional wardrobe of a news anchor. And ladies, you can choose to focus on the feminist implications of managing your sex appeal at work, or you can focus on and commit to success. If you do, you will avoid a whole host of troubles, not the least of which being the way your female coworkers treat you and talk about you.

Don't shortchange yourself by believing looks don't matter or that you should have a right to dress any way you like in any job. If you don't believe this, please read Malcolm Gladwell's book BLINK. As all actors know, you are responsible for the impression you make when you walk into the room. People do not have the patience, any more than a casting director does, to wait around for the miracle of a second impression.

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