So often lately I hear of organizations dispensing with a dress code in favor of a “dress for your day” policy.  There are some amazing benefits to this, especially in nonprofits where one day you may be doing construction and the next you are meeting with potential donors.  With so many varied roles and responsibilities, a dress code may not be the one size fits all solution that works for your organization. 

But as a staff member how should I dress?

Here are my five tips for dressing for work.

1. Dress for your day.  Do you have meetings? Will you be working with customers?  Will your workspace be especially hot or cold?  Are you inside or outside?  Are you attending or working an event?  Wear the appropriate clothing to accomplish the tasks ahead of you. 
2. Remember you are always representing your organization.  You may love the fit of the tight pants or see-through top or think the holes in your sweater give it style, but your board, donors, and patrons are seeing you as a representative of the organization.  Think about what your wardrobe says about your organization.  If you work in fashion want to appear ahead of the trends, but if you are in finance it may be too much. 
3. You are presenting yourself.  We shouldn’t judge people for how they dress.  Still, a person’s first impression is made before they even have the chance to say a word.  Does your appearance say what you want to present about yourself?
4. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.  Look to the people in positions that you aspire to. How do they present themselves? Does your appearance allow them to bring you into a meeting?  Does it telegraph that you are ready for the next step?  (A past boss told me this, and it has always served me well.)
5. How you dress shows respect for the people you work with.  You may have a day in the office with no meetings, but you will still interact with your coworkers.  Your sweatpants don’t really say I’m excited to be here and work with you.  Your look says I care about this organization, and I care about how you see me as a colleague. 

Ultimately, a “dress for your day” policy can work for you if you use it to represent yourself and your organization well.