How to Look Good at Work Every Day

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Readers, what are your best tips to look good for work every day? What do you think is the key to being consistently polished and put together? We haven’t discussed this in a long while so I thought we’d review.

(And of course, check out our Wardrobe Essentials page for our latest favorites for the building blocks like great work pants, comfortable but polished flats, and more.)

How to Look Good at Work Every Day

1. Wear A Good Bra.

If you want to see an immediate improvement in your appearance, get a new bra that fits well — everything you wear looks better! This tip is especially a good tip for busty women, but it’s true for everyone. Looking for a great fit? Readers like stores like Nordstrom that carry a full range of sizes such as 28F — or if you feel like fitting yourself, try the subreddit /abrathatfits. Note that there are even petite bra companies out there; you can also get straps shortened at the tailor if that helps.

(This bra is (hands down!) the reader favorite, but you can also check out our lingerie roundup here.)

{Psst: 10 things about dressing professionally if you’re busty}

2. Watch For Poor Fit in General.

Are your blazer sleeves too long and grazing your knuckles? Is your skirt too short? Are your pants hems dragging on the ground, are your pants or skirts “smiling” because they’re too tight, or are they gaping or twisting because they’re too loose?

Some people will say “tailor everything!” — and while that’s a great way to look like a million bucks, it can also COST a million bucks. So I say that even if tailoring isn’t in the cards for you, make sure you understand fit — and when something is fitting you POORLY. (Here’s our guide to the top alterations the readers get at the tailor.)

3. Take Care of Your Clothes and Accessories.

Are your shoes scuffed or in need of a polish or cleaning? Does your skirt, blazer, or handbag have loose threads hanging down? Are your pants wrinkled with dirt on the hem? Is your blouse in need of ironing? Attention to little details like this can make a big difference in making or breaking your appearance for work.

Readers echoed this sentiment, including for handbags: “with handbags, they can remain functional but once some parts like straps start fraying, it’s better to replace a piece like this if it’s meant for work.”

Pro tip from the readers: Keep your work shoes nice by keeping them at the office! One reader shared, “I have pairs that have literally never seen the outside world.” Other women agreed with this; one noting, “YES! I’ve made shoes last 5+ years with daily wear indoors only.”

4. Know Your Shapes.

Specifically, know the classic shapes that work best on you — and don’t be afraid to adopt a uniform or capsule wardrobe that features those pieces. (At the very least, have one or two outfits that you KNOW look great — whether you call those your power outfits, your safe outfits — you can even grab them for help looking great the day after the all nighter at work.)

Sheath dress, shift dress, A-line dress — do you know which one looks best on your body, and why? What is the best pants look for you — trousers, ankle pants, boot cut pants, or straight leg styles? Be ruthless in assessing it!

In the comments sections on previous posts, there were three really common pieces of advice along these lines…

Know Your Colors

One reader put it this way:

Like others here, I find it helps to have a narrow color palette: lots of navy and black dresses, sleek blazers, neutral / black footwear, a wine-colored leather satchel, and sculptural silver jewelry. Over the years, I have found what works for me, and everything falls into place much more easily these days.

Having a narrow color palette ensures that your clothes go together, and the color is flattering on you (and, likely, with your makeup and regular accessories like your winter coat).

Another reader emphasized the importance of knowing the RIGHT colors:

Make sure you are wearing the right colors for your hair color and skin tone. People suggest neutrals for ease but many neutrals can make you look old and washed out if you are not pairing them with a color near your face. The right colors can make your face light up. If you aren’t sure what colors look best on you, then photograph yourself in various colored tops. The camera never lies. It will become immediately apparent what colors wash you out and what colors brighten you up.

Pick Your Clothes Out Ahead of Time

Time and time again, readers talked about how they pick out their clothes ahead of time, whether it’s having an “emergency no-fuss outfit for crap, rushed days” or literally setting things out. As one reader put it,

Set out your outfit the night before!! That avoids you throwing on whatever is clean in a rush in the morning. If I’m not sure about an outfit I’ll take the time to try it on the night before, plan my accessories, etc, so there’s no indecision in the morning. I know I’ll look better if I plan it out beforehand.

Another reader went even further and said she will organize a whole week of outfits ahead of time. “One thing I sometimes do, when I know the week ahead is going to be very busy, is to organize several outfits at one time, usually on Sunday afternoon. If its looking like a really bad week, I’ll do all 5 outfits for the week. Just takes one more thing off my mind.”

Another tip from yet another reader:

Pick your outfits in advance. Every Sunday I look at the weather and my calendar for the week. Then I choose all my outfits for that week and iron them all. This allows me to inspect them for dirt, holes, stains, wearing, etc. I have found a stain on more than one occasion while ironing on a Sunday. A sure fire way to look disheveled is to grab something in the morning and throw it on.

Buy Intentionally — and Be Merciless With The Bad

One reader said, “Buying more intentionally and making sure I get rid of clothes that don’t fit well instead of putting them back into my closet is key. If everything fits well and looks good on, it’s a lot easier to get dressed in a hurry and still look polished.”

Another reader put it even better: “the best way to look good consistently is to get rid of everything that doesn’t look good.”

5. Have Great Hair

Here’s what we mean: choose a great office hairstyle that works with you at least 90% of the time — and keep your hair maintained.

Get frequent cuts so you don’t have straggly, split ends. Everyone has frizz to some degree, but if you feel like yours is excessive, do what you can to control it — consider a keratin treatment, a regular moisturizing hair mask, or an easy office updo that’s easy for you to do and comfortable to wear. (Here’s our latest favorite hair mask.)

To be 100% clear: You can have gray hair, curly hair, long hair, natural hair, etc., but if you find that your hair is a distraction for you more than 10% of the time once you’re at work, you should probably find a better office hairstyle. (Examples of it distracting you: you’re playing with it, redoing it, annoyed by it, or in pain by it (raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten a headache from a ponytail!)…)

One easy clip that people have loved for years is this one, available at Nordstrom — readers have also loved spin pins like these.

6. Have Great Posture.

We just talked about ways to improve your posture — and it really makes a huge difference in how you look for work.

7. Strive to Be Comfortable as WELL as Polished.

This particularly applies to shoes — as one reader noted,

Good shoes. Make sure your shoes are comfortable enough for you to walk well in them. I see so many women in shoes that they can’t walk in – it destroys the look even if everything else is perfect.

8. Pay Attention to What Works, and Replicate.

We talked earlier about culling the bad things from your closet, but a HUGE tip the readers shared is paying attention to what works. We heard it a number of different ways:

• Another thing for me is to just try to pay attention to those “I feel awesome in this” days and to repeat as often as possible and vice versa.
• There’s certain outfits that make me feel great and I basically replicate those. In the summmer it’s fit and flare dresses. The are comfortable and work with my body type.

A Few Bonus Tips on Looking Good at Work Every Day (From the Readers)

A few readers had their own list of rules that they were kind enough to type out… here was one reader’s notes:

I love this article. I started my career in corporate law as a complete and total mess. I used to roll out of bed, grab whatever, and run into work. I once (no lie) came into work without a bra (I am a G!) because I just wasn’t paying attention. What?! It was holding me back in a major way, and I knew I need to change. I set aside $5k (a lot of money for me) and totally redid my wardrobe. I threw almost everything out. I bought $1k just in good bras (when you are big up top, the best bras are expensive).

Here are my tips (in addition to the ones in the post):

1. Thoughtful buying – For me, that meant that I had to stop buying clothes because they were heavily discounted and therefore a “good deal”. I only buy clothes that I need, are made well, that FIT well, etc.
2. Become friends with a tailor – I don’t just get expensive clothes tailored. Almost everything I buy is tailored. Yes, it is expensive. But it makes even mid-price clothes look expensive and so much better.
3. Hose – This was good for me, but may not be for everybody. Wearing hose made me look so much better and more conservative. I also avoid open toe shoes – which again is a personal preference, but makes me feel more in command at work.
4. Jewelry/Watch – I bought studs (fake, but made well) and a nice watch. I wear them every day.

For me, the biggest change was getting rid of worn shoes (no beat up heels) and totally revamping my shopping to avoid splurge buys that don’t really make sense in the long run.

All of above + hard/good work turned my career around.

(Various other readers agreed with her about hose, all with the caveat that while hose isn’t for everyone, if it IS for you it can really add a lot of polish. Here’s the readers’ latest favorite hose, as well as our Guide to Pantyhose.)

Another reader agreed with me on the bras, and then went on to say:

Yes to the bras. Also camis esp. if you are big up top. I like the added layer and most of my bras have seams or patterns (my go-to is the Panache Tango, which is a great bra but has a leaf pattern on the cups that shows through tops).

Also, foundation garments on the bottom. Today it’s underarmour compression shorts. Sometimes Spanx, sometimes Assets. Just something to keep it all smooth and non-jiggly.

Hate to say it but also, makeup, but mostly if you have a skin thing like I do (rosacea). So maybe I’ll sub makeup for skincare. I do think it helps my overall professional look when I am not red and blotchy.

A watch, necklace, and small earrings I think pull together just about any outfit.

Also agree that shoes should be in good shape. That is something I am working on.

Also a lint roller in your office, esp if you have pets.

Natural fibers help. Bottoms with structure (wovens or heavy knits).

Neat fingernails. And I never want to see your toes.

Keeping things in good condition – no stains, pulls, holes, or stretched out things.

I could go on and on. Getting dress and looking good take more time than anyone thinks!

Ladies, what are your best tips for how to look great for work every day? Would you add anything to my list — or take anything away?