I’m going to be a panelist at a summit (OMG, so pumped about it!), and right after reviewing and prepping the panel questions I’ve been sent ahead of time, my very next concern is what to wear.

Honestly, that annoys me a little bit.

I’ve talked about clothes and wardrobe and style a lot in the past, and it continues to be something that warrants attention, effort, and conversation. And all of those things in a layered and rather complicated way – especially for women.

It would seem that it might not, or shouldn’t, be all that big of a deal, an easy choice – wear something professional, obviously! But really, the question becomes, what exactly does professional mean? Who decided on that definition? And also, exactly how important is it to follow those established guidelines of whatever professional dress is perceived to look like?

Needless to say, it can be stressful to figure all of that out. And on top of it, whatever we choose can, indeed, affect the impressions we make on sight, how we’re perceived by whoever is in the room, and our own confidence and performance.

It’s been coming up a lot recently with friends, clients, and colleagues, so I wanted to explore this conversation around professional dress for women a little more openly. Take a watch…

So, what do you think? What’s your experience with this? And on the flip side, have you noticed your perceptions being affected by others’ choices of clothing in a professional environment? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. It’s a doozy. And certainly, there’s no single great answer on how to approach it for all of us either.

You can always share what you think of this conversation in the comments of the video, or send me an email.

Personally, I’m still trying to figure out how to incorporate plaid into a business casual outfit without looking like Cher from Clueless…

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