It is 8:00 p.m. and you have an interview scheduled for tomorrow morning. You decide to select your attire for the interview. Standing in your closet, you survey the array of jackets, slacks, blouses, and sweaters.
Conversation with self begins.
Self: “Hmm, maybe a skirt would be a good choice. With jacket or without jacket?”
Other Self: “No. Don’t like the pairings and the skirt looks dowdy.”
Self: “How about my best pair of slacks?”
Other Self: “But you don’t have a blouse to go with that, only sweaters. A bit too casual, don’t you think?”
Self: “Now here’s an outfit that is a good ol’ standby.”
Other Self: “Ooh. Shoes look kind of ratty and so ten years ago.”
Selves: Aaarghh! We have nothing to wear!
This scenario plays out often and in closets everywhere: a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. Items purchased on sale with tags still on them. An assortment of sizes for, well, different sizes. And tired worn out pieces mixed with favorites. All this creates a confusing stage for dressing. So what is the best way to dress for interviews in the new millennium, and how does a busy woman with no time to shop create a wardrobe that works for multiple occasions?
The rise of the casual workplace has made dressing a bit of a challenge for workers and employers alike. Allowing employees to dress more comfortably was a way to increase productivity and morale, but at what cost? Not everyone used judgment in their choices and employers have increasingly complained of sloppiness and lack of professionalism. The employee in an office setting used to be able to select a three-piece suit and get dressed without too much thought or variation: a jacket with skirt and top, a jacket with pants and top. It was pretty formulaic. You had work clothes and you had play clothes, period. Today’s wardrobes require flexibility and creativity, but the capsule concept that started with the three-piece suit can still work for women with today’s varied professions and lifestyles. The basic idea behind the capsule concept is to utilize a core group of quality pieces that work interchangeably to create different looks for different occasions.
When creating a capsule from scratch, work with one season at a time. You could create one for a warm weather season and one for a cool weather season. Choose three colors that you’d like to work with based on your personal preferences and the color trends in the marketplace. Some popular combinations are red, black and ivory; turquoise, chocolate and camel; or charcoal, black and pink. Using two neutrals and one color that compliments your coloring keeps your looks interesting and attractive.
