Personal Style versus Organizational Culture

A friend of Pink Ink started a new job recently and asked us what she should wear her first day . The

environment is an office setting and she is one of about fifteen women in the office, the rest are men.  She noticed that when she went for interviews, the interviewee's were both in jeans.  The culture there was a very casual one indeed as they explained this to her during the interview process.

Now, she is a very stylish woman and doesn’t really like the idea of wearing jeans to work everyday. Wearing dress pants and / or skirts to work are what she feels most comfortable in. However, the dilemma is, do you stay true to your personal style and image or do you try to “fit in” to the culture at work.  What will the other women in the office think if you come into work “dressed up” . What will they think and more importantly, what will they say?  Making a good first impression your first few days on a new job is very crucial as is connecting with people as this will build the foundation for positive relationships.

So our response to her was, continue to wear what you feel comfortable in and stay true to yourself, that being said, we empowered her to be mindful of the garments she puts together. You don’t want to come across “better than”.  We encouraged her not to over accessorize, to be mindful of the purse she carried and the shoes she wore. Be professional, but don’t stand out too much.

On her first day, she wore black dress pants, black turtleneck, simple gold chain and low heels. A classic yet professional look. She felt great and looked the part!

Our philosophy as professional business women at Pink Ink is that you dress for the job you want not for the one you have. Studies have shown that in order to be considered for a promotion, people need to visualize you in the position.

What are your thoughts about this scenario? We would love to hear from you.

Yours in beauty,

Pink Ink Divas

The Pink Ink ladies