6 Things You Can Do to Revamp Your Work Look
Whether we like it or not, as women we're judged on our appearance inside and outside of working hours.
While that doesn't mean you have to wear makeup to be a good boss (in fact, wearing too much may lead people to think you're untrustworthy, an unfortunate fact uncovered by recent studies), presenting yourself as professional and put-together, whether through clothing, makeup, hair (or all of the above) does impact perception of your workplace performance.
With that in mind, why not evaluate your work "look?" Take a moment to consider if you're presenting yourself the way you want to be perceived. Maybe you want to project more power. That might mean finding a color that makes you feel confident, which leads to you speaking up in a meeting.
A little change can go a long way, whether that's creating a new outfit out of clothes you already own, or trying out a new lip color. That's why we found six things you can do to revamp your work look.
1. Finesse your work wardrobe.
Shopping for work clothes doesn't have to be intimidating, or out of your budget. To start, take a look at what you already own. Maybe it's time to pare down your closet and create a capsule wardrobe; or, maybe it's creating a Pinterest mood board with your favorite looks you can recreate with thrift store and bargain finds.
Find inspiration
The best makeovers start with a spark of inspiration. With plenty of influencers in the career space to choose from, you just have to find the style that speaks to you. Once you have that, add your own flair to make it your own.
Understand the basics.
Every workplace has its own set of clothing norms. One startup's business casual may mean hoodies and jeans, while another company's interpretation may be slacks and button-ups. This can be confusing when you're switching industries, or when you're in the early stages of your career. That's why we discuss exactly what to wear per industry, for women figuring this out.
Inventory your closet.
Time to check your closet: do you have a multiway shawl and the five other career closet must-haves on this list? Take a look at what you might be missing in your career clothing roster.
Make it minimalist.
KonMari your closet and create a capsule wardrobe. Paring down your clothes to the essentials can help your budget drastically cuts down the time it takes to put together your outfit each morning.
Check out: How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe for Work
Plan for warm weather.
It's easy to pile on sweaters, scarves and jackets when it's cold in the office — but when it's summer and the office is hot, it can be hard to figure out how to stay cool while still appearing work appropriate. We break down what summer staples you need to do just that.
2. Find a new work lip
Sometimes, all you need to feel like you had a full-on makeover is a new lip. Try trading your pink matte for a pop of red, or vice versa. We found more than a dozen lip colors, perfect for professional and casual wear.
Check out: 15 Long-Lasting Lipsticks Perfect for Work
3. Touch up your tips.
There's just something about a fresh manicure that can lift your day. Maybe it's the gleaming polish as you type away at work, or the way it can make you feel a little bit dressed up, even if it's casual Friday.
For those of us who would rather spend our beauty budgets on nails over blowouts, we have plenty of inspiration for your next trip to the salon.
Check out: 25 Professional Nails Ideas for Work
4. Carry your stuff in style.
With so many workplaces switching to laptops instead of desktop computers, many of us need a bag that fits not only our lunch, wallet and accessories, but a laptop and charger, too.
Find the best bag to haul all your things, right this way.
Check out: 17 Best Women’s Backpacks for Work
5. Upgrade your working mom accessories.
You don't have to hide your pump in an old tote bag or repurposed duffel. Check out five stylish breast pump bags and a list of what not to forget when packing your supplies on the go.
Check out: The Ultimate Breast Pump Bag Packing List For Your First Day Back Plus 5 Great Bags to Choose From
Baby bags come in all shapes, sizes and price points; the options are endless and the choices can be overwhelming. Luckily, you can narrow the field with our crowd-sourced roundup, written by a mom and family work-life balance expert.
Check out: The 7 Best Baby Bags on the Market
6. Crowdsource advice.
Oftentimes, the best beauty advice comes from the people in your network.
In the Fairygodboss community, a network that reaches millions of career-minded women, members have chimed in about topics like covering up your grays, wearing eyelash extensions at work and how long it takes to do your makeup before work.
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Nina Semczuk is the Head of SEO Content at Fairygodboss. She's gone through all different phases of work makeup and hair; as an Army officer, she spent almost five years wearing the same thing to work every day, with her hair pulled into the bun and no makeup (military life!). For the last three years, she transitioned to business casual/startup casual while working in the New York tech scene.
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