During my free time in the PhD program when I am not researching, teaching, or consulting in public relations and social media, one of the things that I love to do is read about fashion. Fashion has always been something that I have really enjoyed ever since I was little, and has continued along with me as I have gotten older. When I was working in Cape Town, South Africa – I was working on several fashion accounts such as the Cape Town Fashion Week, Joburg Fashion Week, and with several South African designers. It was a great learning experience for me in PR, but also in what it takes to be in the fashion and PR industry. I would have to say that one of my favorite movies about fashion has to be “The Devil Wears Prada” – it seems like everything that Meryl Streep wears in that movie is just absolutely fabulous!
But this comes to my main point in this blog post – even though I am not working in the fashion industry in a place like Vogue or Prada, I still try to make sure that I dress professionally and appropriate that best represents my reputation as a public relations scholar and professional. I did notice at the AEJMC conference that there were several students and professors that were dressed very chic, but there were others you would wonder if they were part of the conference, or not. Presenting yourself professionally with style is absolutely essential, especially in today’s economy. People have to spend the time and resources to make sure that they are looking their best and make sure that it is appropriate for the event. For example, when you are interviewing, it is not a good idea to be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, because employers are going to ask themselves – does this person really want this position and if this is how they dress for an interview, how do they dress on a regular day? Another favorite movie of mine is the “The Incredibles” because of the character of Edna – she is so amazing and her lines are classic. I seem to quote her at least several times a day when I am talking with my friends about fashion. As Edna would say, some things you can not be seen with! 🙂
So, with the current status of the economy and graduate students are currently looking a position either in industry or academia, how do you dress accordingly and professionally that best represents your brand? Here are a few tips that I have in this regard in terms of fashion and dressing to fit your personal brand:
Invest in style that fits your personal brand: I would say that the basic suits are always a good bet for professional functions and events such as conferences, interviews, and other receptions. Make sure that you have a solid color suit, and then you can add a dash of color with either a bright color shirt or a very chic scarf. You want to make sure that it looks clean and proper, but also the little color can represent your own personality. For example, I always tend to go for the colors of purple, blue, or green – they seem to work best for me in terms of my skin tone. I would say that the designers that are very professional in their business attire includes Jones New York and Kenneth Cole. In terms of shoes, I would have to say that my favorites are definitely Kenneth Cole and Antonio Milani – they are very fashionable and cute shoes, but they are also comfortable (which is key!) Dillards does have good prices on these shoes too – you might want to check them out.
First impressions are absolutely key: People make their judgments about you pretty quickly, so you need to make sure that your appearance is perfect. This not only means that your style has to be there, but you also want to invest in other aspects of your appearance such as your hair, eyebrows, nails, and shoes. Taking the time to invest in these elements not only helps your overall image, but you feel fabulous about your appearance, and this could change your overall attitude and presence at the event you are at.
Technology is always chic: Having a new form of technology is the latest fashion trend – I noticed this when I was at AEJMC this past week and I saw that the professionally dressed individuals did not have the big huge purse or bag with them as their main accessory, but they had their iPad along with them. It completed their look with a professional touch that showed people that not only were they professional, but innovative with technology as well.
In summary, people today are concerned about what is going on in the job market. Employers today have the advantage to decide who they are going to hire, and I do believe that we are going to see more of a professionally-oriented dress attire in the professional and academic field due to this. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but I personally believe that if you dress well and invest in your overall presence, you are giving those at the event you are at (ex. interviews, presentations, conferences, etc) the respect that is deserved. If you take the time and resources to invest in yourself in terms of fashion, it will definitely pay off in the long run. 🙂
Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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