In a world where the workplace is as competitive as the boardroom, it pays to look good. The growing trend of entrepreneurship and start-up businesses has lead to a vast array of professional opportunities for those who are ready to work hard and dress well doing it. A recent study revealed that nearly half of all CEOs surveyed admitted they favored prospective employees based on their physical appearance. Furthermore, studies have shown that people who are dressed to impress are often perceived as more trustworthy, competent and capable of achieving goals. The following article will provide some useful insights into dressing for success in the workplace.

1) Keep your clothes pressed, clean, and wrinkle-free at all times.

If an employer or potential business partner meets you for the first time and your outfit is wrinkled, it will leave a very bad impression. The person you are meeting with will assume that if this is how you dress before an interview, then they can only imagine how you would look like dressed casually at the office. There's no excuse not to have a good, trustworthy dry cleaner on speed dial.

We always recommend our Signature Shirt Stays because they keep your shirt tucked in, reduce wrinkles, and are pleasant to wear all day.

2) Dress to impress, but not necessarily for success

It's important to dress well at work because first impressions are lasting impressions. When you first meet someone, the type of clothes they are wearing is one of the first things you notice about them. Because of this, it makes sense that dressing to impress is important not only for impressing clients, but for impressing mentors and stakeholders as well. However, it's just as essential to dress well without being overdressed. To put it another way, don't wear a coat and tie if you work at a firm where wearing a tie is frowned upon. The last thing you want is to stand out among the casual dressers in your office.

3) Dress like the job you want, not the job you have

When it comes to dressing for success at work, there is no one way to do it. Just because an executive wears a suit and tie doesn't mean that's what you should wear if your job involves standing in front of a grill all day. However, if your job is one that requires you to meet with prospective clients regularly, wearing a suit and tie will definitely help you stand out from the competition. So before you go shopping for clothes, take some time to consider what type of career you want as well as the types of people who typically hold those jobs. This will help you choose clothing that is appropriate for those types of jobs as well as the environment in which they are typically held.

4) Show people what makes you unique

While some companies require their employees to wear a uniform, many do not – and this opens up a whole new world of opportunities when it comes to dressing for success. The key to dressing for success in this case is personal expression. Your clothes should represent what you like and who you are as a person. Of course, clothing by itself cannot truly express who someone is on the inside, but it can certainly help send the right message without overdoing it. A tie depicting your favorite superhero or a T-shirt with a clever maxi holds just as much value in terms of expressing your personality as a sweater or necklace. Just remember that when it comes to expressing yourself through the clothes you wear, less is more.

5) Invest in quality pieces that will last for years instead of buying cheap items every season or two

One of the most important rules to dressing for success is no different than dressing well in general. When it comes to looking sharp, quality matters. Buying good-quality suits, shirts, shoes and blazers will cost you more money up front, but they are investments that will pay dividends over time. While it's fine to buy the occasional trendy item, make it the exception and not the rule. If you feel like your current wardrobe is lacking in some substance, take some time to invest in quality pieces that will last for years instead of continuing to buy cheap items every season or two.

Whether you’re in the office, on a date, or at an interview, looking good is always important. We all know that clothes can make or break our appearance and confidence levels. That said, it still seems like we struggle to find what looks best for us—and sometimes even more importantly how to maintain them so they last longer than one season! To help with both of these problems (looking great and keeping your clothes fresh), we offer our Signature Shirt Stays. Shirt stays are handy little contraptions that keep your shirts pressed and wrinkle-free while also making sure nothing falls out when you bend over.