In the previous blog post “Look the Part” I discussed the importance of dressing for a first impression, the power suit, attire well put together. All of that is true, but what if there are exceptions?!?!

I recently went with a client to a presentation at a conference in town. We had discussed what to wear and decided on a nice suit and tie that would look the part. Attire that would look professional and powerful. He went to check out the room a few days before the presentation and noticed that absolutely nobody was in any clothing that looked “professional”. Everyone was in jeans and company polos shirts. We had to re-address the attire, if he were to show up in a nice snappy suit, all the attendees would probably think he was a shmuck (his words) and be automatically turned off! We re-decided on jeans, a button front shirt, and a casual looking sport coat. Walking into the conference he looked appropriate, professional yet casual.

This client happened to be my husband and we scavenged the closet looking for the appropriate attire, but what would you do if you were on your own? First impressions do matter greatly, but your fist impression should be in attire that commands attention yet still fits in with the surroundings. You don’t want to look like a soar thumb, excessive is never the answer.