Creative professional outfits?

[DandelionSprout]

Apparently I don’t look right and that will prevent me building rapport with clients and making sales. For work I would usually wear plain black trousers and ballet flats with a simple long sleeved top. I have mousy hair and don’t wear jewellery although I sometimes wear a hair slide. Makeup is usually very minimal, just a tinted moisturiser worth lip gloss and mascara. I wear big Perspex glasses which I thought were trendy but perhaps not?

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Are you in sales or just marketing creative services?

Who told you this OP? What creative industry do you work in?

I am a designer and have many creative industry friends, none of us dress alike. I am curious as to how ‘creatives’ are meant to dress? Are we meant to look like we’ve just left art college?

Thank whoever told you this and ask if they can put it in writing. Then ask which men have been told this.

Ask for a mood board of the sort of clothes that would be acceptable. There is no point second guessing what "they" want.

I like the glasses.

The glasses look like something a welder would wear - but the outfits look fine.

Wellll, as much as it shouldn’t matter, we do often unconsciously build better bonds with people who look the part.

Do you work for an agency? Are you a creative or an account handler? What sort of sector etc?

I love the glasses.

I was told l couldn't wear skirts on the first day of my job. I wish l had sought advice here.

What industry/role are you OP? I work in marketing client services and no one dresses the same. Who told you that

Could you explain a bit more about your role and what was said? Are you basically on zoom calls and just need to look a bit more slick. Right now, it's pretty easy as it's waist up only. Hard to tell if there's sexism at play here or if you do really need a bit of smartening up maybe?

I studied interiors as a mature student. Had similar feedback from a couple of interviews: The client has to trust that you have a sense of style and you know what’s on trend, and that doesn’t really come across. The business is design led and you need to align with that brand image in terms of how you present yourself. The client is spending a large amount of money and needs to be reassured by your personal style and manner that you’re a design professional. Apparently I look more like an accountant. But I have no idea how creative people are supposed to dress!

The outfits you describe are more reminiscent of a teacher/ office worker IMO.

Have you tried wide legged culottes, quirky jumper/tops. Not really sure what is expected.
My daughter has a friend in a creative industry and she dresses in bright colours , rather retro style. Hair coloured also Quirky jewellery and shoes.

Ok then.

Ballet shoes are over I’m afraid. Flat shoes are fine but depending on the type of job it’s a different sort of flat. From Converse to Birkies to boots or brogues.

Black trousers may be worn but only with navy, black or a white shirt. Don’t wear black and colours.

If you like trousers and a shirt then could you go shopping at Cos or Arlen and get a beginner wardrobe from there.

A decent hair cut. Doesn’t have to be fancy just decent.

Hm okay. I hesitate to slightly agree - whether correct or not, first impressions count.

What do other people at the company wear?

The outfits you describe are more reminiscent of a teacher/ office worker IMO
I previously worked in the public sector with vulnerable people. The expected style was asexual, plain, basically invisible. The staff and service users I worked with had zero interest in me as an individual and didn’t care what I wore as long as I did my job. Prior to that I was a waitress so my clothes had to be cheap, plain and easy to wash if food got spilled. Hair scraped back etc. I’ve never worked in an environment where my appearance mattered. But now it apparently does, and I have no idea what to wear.

I'd suggest that you embrace the black, sleek "Plain canvas so the work/design is the hero" approach. At least until you discover another style you want to invest in.

Straight leg black trousers. Good quality black tshirt/jumper. Black flats (not ballet) either ankle boots or brogues. The glasses work for me.

It just sounds like they are expecting you to have your own style OP- one that shows you are an individual. Black trousers and a long sleeved t-shirt are like a uniform and say nothing about you as a person. Wear what appeals to you- some funky shoes, a bright scarf, a patterned blouse, a vintage jacket etc. Your glasses sound fine- maybe that's where you should take your statement! Maybe go even bolder on the glasses with a bright pair!

Am not a creative, but worked with creatives. The super savviest had her own sense of style. However before a really important meeting with a new client she would internet stalk them and then copycat the types of clothes they would wear - she said she wanted them to feel instantly comfortable in her presence.

The alternative is to work out what shapes suit your body and then go with dark neutrals (navy/grey/black), maybe with some interesting jewellery.

Black trousers and a long sleeved t-shirt are like a uniform and say nothing about you as a person
That’s what I’m struggling with. In my previous jobs I was a non-person, an invisible cog in the machine. I was there to do a job and would have been disciplined if I appeared inappropriately sexy. Now I’m being told I have to stand out and be memorable and individual - I have no idea what to wear.

In my opinion, dressing like a creative = being casual honestly. So yeah, you should dress like a UAL student. It’s common knowledge that casual is “in” right now, so dressing like photos #1 #2 doesn’t quite work. It’s like a man wearing a full tuxedo for a fintech role…just doesn’t quite hit the target audience.

How old are you? Both outfits are outdated and generic. I worked in finance up until last month, and none of us dressed like that even though we had a corporate dress code.

If you’re my age (early 20s) there’s lots of inspiration on social media.

I work in creative environments in marketing. I'm sorry but they are pretty frumpy. You are really attractive and I love your glasses. I'd do more jeans, jumpers, boots than what you have. Or wide leg trousers. Shoes I'd swap for trainers or brogues, or Chelsea boots. Why not try something like stitch fix to give you some inspiration?

How do you like to dress outside of work OP? Can you bring a bit if that into your professional wardrobe?

It could be to do with colours, shapes (wide leg culottes? Puff sleeves?) or pattern. Look at your interiors style and can that influence your wardrobe? That's what I think "they" mean, you need to sell your interior style skills via your clothes in interview

Is that you in the third pic? Your headshot looks quite creative to me if so! But the outfits in the previous pics look quite old fashioned and stiff, and ballet flats have really had their day (and are terrible for your feet!).

I work in a creative industry, but it's very much a jeans and trainers kind of vibe. Lots of Cos worn by management, crazy hair is normal (mine's silver and purple).

Can you compare what your colleagues are wearing and cherry pick the kind of looks you like? I used to work in quite a formal environment and hated having my personality sapped out of me by the type of clothes I had to wear, and I felt it aged me.

Am currently style-crushing on Camille Cottin (French actress, in Call My Agent on Netflix), and her character's style is quite low key, but perfectly executed - skinny jeans, stiletto boots (but walkable in), silk shirts and blazer jacket. Small, understated necklace, undone flair, low key make-up. She looks amazing! Take a look on Pinterest for ideas for creative workwear too, and just build up some ideas.

I've got to say this might be a John Lewis personal stylist situation. Their Kin range is a bit like Cos. I would just say don't overwhelm your personal style/scale/brand, if your interiors style is more shabby chic you might have a softer or more accessorised look. But you could get set up with a couple of smart contemporary outfits and make them your"uniform" even if they feel weird to start with. good luck.

Haha I wish that was me! That’s a model wearing the same glasses I have. I’m 40 and a bit fat, pale with mousy hair. Outside of work I would normally wear jeans and a hoody with DMs or Converse. For going out I’d switch the boots for black heels and the hoody for a coloured top.

The last interviewer asked how I would generate rapport with “high net worth” clients. Apparently the right answer was to have strong personal branding as an individual, and provide a personal and excellent service. So I guess the personal branding is what they meant in terms of “looking right”.

But WHO are you going for jobs with? An agency? A retailer?