Dress Your Best key vocabulary Employability Copyright © Notice The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of TEA, for exceptions see the first page of this document.

When we begin to apply for jobs, we must think about our clothing and shoe choices— for interviews and for work. We carefully select clothing that indicates we are serious candidates for work. We also plan our hairstyles, make-up, and jewelry. Sometimes, adjusting our “individual” style choices may be necessary. When we dress our best, we have a better chance to get the job we want. Cognates

Analyzing Work Wardrobes Many factors influence the way employees dress.

Influences  Company Image  Company Image  Regional and Cultural Style Variables  Regional and Cultural Style Variables  Required Work Tasks  Required Work Tasks

Company Image Dress Codes reflect the company’s image.  Uniforms  Color Specifications

Company Image Dress Codes show whether a company’s image is :  Formal  Formal  Informal  Informal  Team-minded  Team-minded  Individualistic  Individualistic

Region and Cultural Dress styles are influenced by Dress styles are influenced by  Community Identity  Community Identity  Ethnicity  Ethnicity

Region and Cultural Dress styles are influenced by Dress styles are influenced by  Geography  Geography  Weather  Weather  Economy  Economy

Region and Cultural Dress styles are influenced by Dress styles are influenced by  Urban  Urban  Suburban  Suburban  Rural  Rural lifestyles. lifestyles.

Tasks Performed  Safety  Physical Labor  Exposure  Frequency of Customer Contact

Getting Information Job applicants can get information about employee dress in different ways.

Getting Information About Company Wardrobes  Visit company  Talk to employees  Look at website

Making Compromises Modifying Personal Style

Advance Planning  Tattoos  Tattoos  Body Piercings  Body Piercings  Makeup  Makeup  Appropriate clothing  Appropriate clothing

Affording Clothing Exploring Alternatives

Alternatives  Dress for Success  Dress for Success  Second-hand Shops  Second-hand Shops  Borrowing  Borrowing

Dressing for a Job Interview Requirements

Requirements Personal Hygiene  Take a shower.  Take a shower.  Wash hair.  Wash hair.  Clean and trim fingernails.  Clean and trim fingernails.

Requirements Personal Hygiene  Transparent or modest nail polish.  Transparent or modest nail polish.  No heavy perfume.  No heavy perfume.

Requirements Accessories, Jewelry, Makeup Accessories, Jewelry, Makeup  Remove large body jewelry.  Remove large body jewelry.  Wear watches, wedding rings,  Wear watches, wedding rings, post earrings, modest necklaces. post earrings, modest necklaces.

Requirements Accessories, Jewelry, Makeup  Cover tattoos with clothing if possible.  Cover tattoos with clothing if possible.  Modest makeup.  Modest makeup.

Requirements Basic Clothing  Nice pants or skirts.  Nice pants or skirts. -- black, grey, brown, blue Washed and pressed. No stains, holes, or frayed edges.

Requirements Basic Clothing  Nice solid-color shirt or blouse.  Nice solid-color shirt or blouse. -- white, beige, light blue Washed and pressed. No stains, holes, or frayed edges.

Requirements Basic Clothing  Jacket or blazer that matches or coordinates with pants or skirt.  Jacket or blazer that matches or coordinates with pants or skirt. Washed and pressed. No stains, holes, or frayed edges.

Requirements Basic Clothing  Coordinating tie.  Coordinating tie. Construction or Industrial jobs may not require a tie for a job interview.

Requirements Basic Clothing  Closed-toe shoes  Closed-toe shoes -- black, grey, brown, blue -- low heels -- low heels -- socks to match pants -- flesh-colored hose Boots may be acceptable in some circumstances.

Requirements Accessories  Small matching purse.  Small matching purse.  No wallets on chains.  No wallets on chains.  Small notebook and pen.  Small notebook and pen.

Dress Your Best key vocabulary Employability Copyright © Notice The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of TEA, for exceptions see the first page of this document.