Macasinag: Getting your wardrobe right in any setting

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

WHETHER you like it or not, you are immediately judged by your appearance. For this reason, a professional appearance is encouraged among teachers and other professionals. As an employee, you should dress to reflect your company’s customs, morals and trade. Teachers must exert a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work. Because we face students on an almost daily basis, respectable attire is necessary for all school employees. Promoting proper decorum is part of the teaching-learning process. Thus, a teacher or a school head’s attire and physical appearance should manifest the teaching.

Sadly, professional dress and grooming standard seemingly have fallen out of popular culture, and we don’t have to look far to come across examples of teachers and even head teachers who are neglectful of appropriate professional appearance and demeanor. These people need to go over professional-wear basics.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

We deal with young and impressionable minds in school. A sexually provocative image is definitely not a wise one to cultivate when dealing with students who hope you’re wise and responsible. Teachers must strive to project respectable, trustworthy and knowledgeable persona for students who look up to us for guidance.

Clothing that reveals too much cleavage, chest, legs, stomach, back, or undergarments is not appropriate for a place of business. A school is a place of business. The types of clothing, which are very revealing, create a layer of consciousness that detracts from learning and academics and may even influence a students’ behavior. Clothing that distracts people and calls attention away from the business at hand is inappropriate to wear at work.

Dress and skirt length should be at a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Short, tight skirts that ride halfway up the thigh are unsuitable for work. Mini-skirts, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap dresses are inappropriate for the office.

In our work environment, clothing should be pressed and never wrinkled. Dirty , shabby or tattered clothing is unacceptable. All seams must be finished. Any clothing containing offensive pictures or words must be avoided.

There’s also the question of what season it is, what city you’re working in, (what may be a wow outfit in the lowlands may merit a raised eyebrow in the highlands), whether you walk to work or not, and whether you’ll be sitting or standing most of the time, among other concerns. Frankly speaking, your dress code largely depends on your work field. Consider your own industry and corporate culture—then consider your wardrobe. Your outfit speaks volume about your professionalism, so make sure it creates the right impression. Stand out but blend in.

Don’t go overboard with accessories. Flamboyant jewelry, multiple ear rings on each ear, and multiple chain necklaces are undesirable. Accessories can be abused, so be careful that your accessories remain in good taste. Stay stylish but not too much. Even a simple neat dress can look wonderful if accessorized the correct way.

Excessive perfume is considered particularly heinous when the stench is so powerful as to cause allergic reactions or when the scent can be detected even from a distance. Cologne must be used sparingly.

Too much makeup is unprofessional. Remember that some employees are allergic to the chemicals in perfumes and makeup, so wear these substances with restraint. Cologne must be used sparingly.

Each event is different, so learn to get your wardrobe right in any setting.

It can be nerve racking not knowing what the proper dress code is, what you can and can’t wear, etc. You want to make the best impression, of course, and your clothes say a lot about you and who you are.