Always be Moving...Even in Work Clothes
Last month I wrote an article navigating the perils of professional attire. While I could discuss the intricacies of how to dress, or not dress, in the workplace for hours, there is one piece of universal advice that should apply whether you are wearing a suit, or not – and that is comfort.
Movability has, unfortunately not, been the primary focus of professional attire over the past century, if ever. For men and women alike, it’s always been about look and suitability over whether you are able to move freely and express expansively in a given outfit.
Frequently when working in corporate settings and with men in particular, I notice how difficult, indeed impossible in some cases, it is for them to bring their arms above their heads.
Now I hear some people thinking to themselves, ‘well, when would you ever need to do that in a professional setting?’ And this, my friends, is where there is a missed opportunity.
Expressiveness, which is an essential trait of authentic leadership, is stunted when you can’t move about freely. If you are wearing restrictive clothing, not only might you not bring your arms clear above your head, but you also will likely keep your movements restricted to a small box shape around your body – it is not dynamic, nor is it conducive to empowering or inspiring your audience.
The issue men often have with stiff work shirts, is seen in many different ways with other types of clothing: pants that are not stretchy enough so your circulation is cut off around the knees or hips, skirts that are not pliable enough so your stride is off – this actually happened to me recently and I ended up walking around all day with an inch of distance taken off each stride. It was miserable.
Our bodies are designed to move. Whether you work in a restaurant, in a gym or in a law office. Luckily, there are a few trailblazers in the area of comfortable, professional looking attire. The following stores do a decent job creating durable and movable clothing that breathes and looks professional:
I can only hope that other clothing brands will jump on this moveable bandwagon – can you imagine a world where people were actually comfortable in their work clothes? It’s almost too exciting to fathom….