Dressing for the jobs

 　　NEW YORK - Mark Twain once quipped, "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society."

　　Good insight. But in a world of "Dress Down Friday," what's appropriate to wear to work? In many cases, there are no carved-in-granite rules so when in doubt, go traditional.

　　"The most basic mistake new employees make is under dressing¹," says Randall Hansen, a professor of business at Stetson University in Deland, Fla. "If unsure, dress conservatively. The best way to avoid a problem is to understand the corporate² culture."

　　To make the right impression at work, remember these basic points when assembling your wardrobe:

　　1. Presentation counts.

　　2. Casual shouldn't mean slovenly³.

　　3. Dress as you want to be seen: Serious, professional, upward-bound.

　　When putting together your work wardrobe, take the most basic step first: Size up your office. If you want to be a manager, check out what the successful managers wear. Next, check out the office stars. Here's betting they don't show up for work in their weekend grubs.

　　If your office has a written dress code, your problems are solved. If necessary, go shopping with the dress code in hand and you can't go wrong. But many offices don't have written standards and it's up to you to get it right. So, here's a rule of thumb: Understated beats flash and trash five days a week.

　　For men, traditional attire⁴ includes:

　　--A button-down shirt.

　　--Polished black shoes.

　　--A blue, black or gray jacket.

　　--Slacks that complement⁵ the jacket.

　　--You can't go wrong with a conservative tie. (This means no pink flamingoes or hula dancers.)

　　P.S. Don't forget the socks--buy two dozen pairs of black or blue socks so you can pick two at random⁶ from your drawer each morning and always have a match.

　　There is some wiggle room in this framework. Blue and white shirts have been around since time began, or so it seems, but there's also room for the occasional, yellow, pink or if you're an aspiring⁷ poet, black shirts. Tread lightly here because if you don't know what you're doing, you're likely to step in it.

　　For women, the traditional look includes:

　　--A skirt that hits just above the knee, slacks and perhaps pantsuits.

　　--Simple jewelry⁸.

　　--Just a hint of makeup⁹. It's probably wise to skip the perfume, especially during a job interview or the first few days at a new job.

　　--Polished flats or moderate heels.

　　--Sweaters.

　　--Pantyhose may be the office standard. Ask.

　　There will be regional differences because what's standard in the Northeast may be seen as stuffy¹⁰ and impractical¹¹ in the Southwest.

　　Remember that you're not dressing to attract attention at a rowdy bar -- you're dressing to underscore your professionalism and competence¹². Some don't understand the difference, or mix the two to the detriment¹³ of their careers. Getting it right is especially crucial when interviewing for a job or sitting down to a new one.

　　"Many recent college grads just have no understanding of a professional wardrobe," says Hansen. "Up to that point in their lives, extra money has been spent on party clothes. Some think because they look attractive when going out, the same clothes will work in a job interview."

　　Write this down, gentlemen: If you borrow a jacket for an interview, make sure it fits. If it's three sizes too large, you'll look like a miniature person. Non-verbal cues can speak volumes, especially to a job interviewer.

　　Like everything else at work, especially when starting a new job, you're being sized up all the time. Little things count. Some people, especially young workers, overlook this basic point and flub the obvious. How you dress will tell the boss how you see yourself and how you approach the job.

　　When dressing for your career, remember that you want to be noticed for the quality of your work--not the horrible miscalculation of your duds.

　　On your first day at a new job, it's better to over- rather than under-dress. If you dress too formally, a colleague will nudge you in the ribs¹⁴ and say, "Nice outfit¹⁵, but it's not necessary unless you're calling on clients." That beats the boss thinking that you're fashion-impaired or, worse, that you don't take the job seriously.

　　Remember: Always dress for the task at hand. If you're a civil engineer headed for a construction site, jeans and work boots are fine, but that's not how to dress when making a formal presentation to the grand pooh-bahs at the home office.

　　Appearance can create credibility. You know this from your own experience watching TV interview shows. Think of the number of times experts from opposing sides of an issue have made good points, but you remember what one said simply because that person was better dressed and looked better on the screen.

　　Okay, kiddo, knock 'em dead.

1 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 slovenly   

adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的

参考例句：

• People were scandalized at the slovenly management of the company.人们对该公司草率的经营感到愤慨。
• Such slovenly work habits will never produce good products.这样马马虎虎的工作习惯决不能生产出优质产品来。

4 attire   

v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装

参考例句：

• He had no intention of changing his mode of attire.他无意改变着装方式。
• Her attention was attracted by his peculiar attire.他那奇特的服装引起了她的注意。

5 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

6 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

7 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

9 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

10 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

11 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

12 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

13 detriment   

n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源

参考例句：

• Smoking is a detriment to one's health.吸烟危害健康。
• His lack of education is a serious detriment to his career.他的未受教育对他的事业是一种严重的妨碍。

14 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

15 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。