Can you really dress for success? Here at Executive Assistant, we believe there's certainly no harm in trying. 

Whether you're starting anew or want to refresh your racks, making sure you give off the best impression possible through what you wear is important in the working world.

Here's how you can build the best executive assistant wardrobe to look and feel great Monday to Friday! 

Discover how you can dress for success and make the best first impression.

Don't be scared of colour

Look around you. How many people are wearing an outfit mainly comprised of black? While it's one of the easiest ways to dress for a corporate career, wearing all black to work doesn't help you stand out of the competitor crowd. Instead, why not have a little fun and show off more of your personality through your clothing choices? Adding small pops of colour to an outfit exudes friendliness and helps bring a point of difference in a sea of black suits and skirts.

For women, try these simple tricks to bring more colour to your working day:

• Wear colour through your accessories such as earrings, shoes or handbag.
• Select one piece to act as your accent colour. This could be a navy skirt, pink blouse or tan jacket.
• Opt for varying tones of the same colour, such as blue. Think navy skirt, duck-egg blue blouse and cobalt earrings.

And for men, there are plenty of ways to introduce colour into your working wardrobe:

• Add a coloured tie to an otherwise neutral suit.
• Pop on a pair of brighter socks that will peep through when sat down.
• Wear a pastel-coloured shirt underneath a charcoal grey suit for a subtle pop of interest.

Incorporating a little colour here and there helps you make a more memorable impression.

Understand colour psychology

When looking to incorporate colour into your working wardrobe, it's important you understand how different hues give off different impressions. This is what's known as colour psychology. Be it interior or fashion, all colours give off subtle messaging that influence how people feel or react. For example, red has connotations of excitement and danger, meaning it may not be the best choice for an office. Thankfully, there are a plethora of other hues that are perfectly suited to a professional working environment, such as:

• Green: This colour is one of the most restful for the human eye and is known to embody feelings of nature and safety.
• Blue: Symbolising trust, wisdom and confidence, blue is both calming and appropriate for an office setting.
• Yellow: This hue provides warmth and stimulates mental activity.

Whether you choose accessories or accents to showcase colour, opting for pastel variations of any shade is a safe bet. This is a collection of softer, paler hues that work incredibly well paired together or as your desired pop of colour.

Working colour into your executive wardrobe is easier than you think!

Be comfortable

Working nine to five is a long time in the same clothes, so always make sure your pieces are practical and comfortable. However, there's a fine line between being comfortable and looking lazy. Let's use suit pants as an example. Both men and women should ensure that pants sit at a practical length, aren't too tight and are comfortable to walk and sit in all day. Having pants that are ill-fitting can make you appear unprofessional and untidy.

As women have more choices when it comes to deciding what to wear for the working day (dresses, blouses, skirts, suits), this sense of practicability and professionalism extends to ensuring such items sit at an appropriate length, are not too low cut and are not overly sheer.

If you're ever in doubt, the following rule is always handy to remember:

"The higher the hem, the higher the neckline. The lower the neckline, the lower the hem."

Build a capsule wardrobe

If you're not already familiar with the term 'capsule wardrobe' it's time you learn how this genius clothing hack can help shape your executive closet.

In simple terms, a capsule wardrobe refers to a minimalist selection of clothes that helps form the basis of many outfits. Such items are deemed classics and those that never go out of style despite changes in trends. These versatile garments are crucial for a working wardrobe as they act as those go-to pieces that make dressing for work ever so simple.

Examples of pieces that fit into a working capsule wardrobe include: 

• Crisp white shirt.
• Black suit which can be worn as separates.
• Grey pencil skirt.
• Comfortable yet smart black shoes.
• Neutral jumper for cooler days.

From here, you can mix and match your capsule pieces and pair them with seasonal garments to create outfits that are both professional and full of personality.

If you'd like to find out more handy tips and tricks, be sure to check out the rest of our blogs.