Dress to impress on the First Day at Work

Getting your first job can be strangely unsettling. Gone are the desperate days of applying for positions for which you are far from qualified, but the real challenge has only just begun: you may have got your foot in the door, but it's what is on that foot that counts now. When it comes to a new job, the interview isn’t the only place to which you should consider wearing a suit and tie. While the dress code at your new workplace may range from casual to business formal, your objective on the first day is to make a good impression on your new co-workers – and, most importantly, your superiors.

Making the right impression at work isn't hard if you keep in mind three basic points when buying clothes for the office: 

1. Presentation counts. 

2. Casual shouldn't mean slovenly. 

3. Dress as you want to be seen: serious, professional, upward-bound and ready to meet clients. 

If you want to be a manager, check out what the successful managers wear. Check out the rising stars in the office. They don't show up for work in their casuals even on Fridays.

If your office has a written dress code, your problems are solved, and you can dress according to it. If necessary, go shopping with the dress code in hand and pluck appropriate stuff from the rack. But many offices don't have written standards, and it's upto you to get it right. So, here's a rule of thumb: Understated elegance beats flash and trash five days a week. That means men shouldn't dress like aspiring rock stars and women should avoid the Lady Gaga or Paris Hilton look. 

For men the best traditional or classy attire includes: 

A button-down shirt

Polished shoes

A blue, black, grey or white shirt

Trousers that complement them

You can't go wrong with a conservative tie

Don't forget the socks

Blue and white shirts have been around since time began, or so it seems, but there's also a room for the occasional yellow, pink or black shirts. However, if you don't know what you're choosing as a combination, stick with blue and white shirts, otherwise you're almost certain to make goof ups. 

For women, the traditional professional look includes: 

-A skirt that hits just above the knee with a formal shirt, trousers and of course a traditional attire. 

-Simple jewellery. Avoid heavy jewellery, remember you’re not going for a party but it’s the 1^st day at work.

- Just a hint of makeup. Skip the perfume, especially during a job interview or the first few days at a new job. If you use perfume thereafter, go easy on the saucy splash, because you can bet that some hyper-sensitive soul will complain bitterly about headache, nausea or a general outbreak.

- Polished flats or moderate heels. 

Your first day at job is an important occasion. Just like at interview, dressing conservatively on your first day of work ensures that you make a good impression on the people that have the most say in your future success.