Dress to impress seems to be the mantra for many teens, who are going in for power dressing to make a sharp point. But some liberal ones are ready to show up in a simple pair of jeans, teamed up with a nice t-shirt or a light blue or pink shirt at a newly won over job.
Neha Varma, 18, claims that she has a style of her own. Be it a family wedding or a friend’s birthday, she knows how to stand out and be a head turner. “All you have to do is accessorize elegantly, and put bold colors to the best use,” she says. But her boastful styling abilities were put to the test, when recently she had to dress up for an interview for a part-time job.
Neha shares her dilemma. “I wanted to be creative with my dressing, but at the same time was too scared of being over-the-top,” she says.
Neha chose to stick to the conventional “interview attire” for the big day. She wore a pair of black formal trousers, white shirt, complete with black kitten heels.
Neha bagged the job. But Neha’s interest in the “unadventurous” corporate girl lasted only for a few weeks.
Like Neha, 19-year-old management trainee Akeel Kadri opted for a stylish twist to his mundane corporate attire. If Neha teamed up her beige fishtail skirt with pastel tops, Akeel wore his casual jeans with check shirts. “It works brilliantly for me,” Akeel says.
Experimenting is fine, but what is the right way to impress at your part-time job or your teachers and friends in college? Is it skinny jeans with a crisp tee or a long maxi with gladiators that will make a “good impression”? “I am not at the helm of the affairs, nor am I there for any board meeting. I think my seniors don’t have any issue with the way I come to work,” Akeel adds.
You can dress like a gypsy when you are with your friends. You can flaunt multi-colored T-shirts and ripped jeans.
“What’s important is to strike a fine balance between casual and formal. You should come across as a thorough professional, yet be comfortable in what you wear. So, once in a while mix and match, and accessorize interestingly,” says Rayshita Sachdev, who’s studying fashion at NIFT.
