We all have heard that we need to dress for success and I would like to clarify this statement.  Dressing for success might mean different things to different people.  Some people think of dressing for success as wearing a suit with a white shirt and tie if you are a man or a suit jacket and skirt if you are a woman.  This is true but we need to look a little deeper and pay attention to the details.

Shoes – What type of shoes are you wearing?  Depending on the culture of the organization that you are planning to do business with or going on a job interview will determine the type of shoe you wear.  This is especially true for women.  You do not want to wear too high of a heel especially if the office standard dress is conservative.  Men should make sure that their shoes are polished and absent of any marks or blemishes.  You may consider carrying a disposable neutral color shoe shine packet in your pocket just in case your shoes get scared in your travels.

Cleaners – Prepare yourself for the meeting in advance by placing your suit for this meeting in the cleaners.  Ideally you want to wear the outfit that was newly cleaned.  This will ensure that it is pressed and will present you in the best possible light.

Eat in Your Undies – Now I know this might sound strange but I recommend that you eat breakfast before you get dressed for the meeting.  This will prevent you from spilling something on the outfit you are going to wear.  It would be bad if you spilled something on your outfit for the day and had to wipe it off.  But worse than that, you might spill something and not be aware of it.  Eating and doing your morning preparations, brushing your teeth and the like should be done prior to dressing in the outfit that you plan to wear for the day.

Paying attention to these details will help you dress to make a good first impression.   Please feel free to share tips and strategies that you use when dressing for an important business meeting.