Look Stylish and Be Taken Seriously at Work – to Journalists and Reporters

 Many people think journalism is a fascinating, exciting line of work! As only journalists and reporters know though, it is not quite so glamorous. I know this only because once upon a time I too was a journalist. I know the daily grind of running from the government buildings and urban spaces in the morning to rural settings and farmhouses in the evening, of working tirelessly to produce the news as it unfolds around the places I lived and worked. The world never stops and journalists too can never take a break from reporting world affairs. They barely have time to finish writing one story before they have to start another. Journalists get so inundated with their work it is impossible take the time to think hard about what they are wearing, let alone drag their whole closet with them to every place they go to report and see which outfit works for each destination. A journalist dressing like the hottest fashionista Alexis Chung? What a joke! First of all, she works for MTV; secondly, she is British!

 (Photo via Garance Dore)

I have trouble thinking of one example of a stylish reporter. None come to mind, and if they do exist I could probably count them on one hand. Please let me know if you know one. They barely have time to think of fashion and most don’t feel like they need to worry about how they look. Newspaper, magazine, radio, and e-journalists don’t often appear in the public eye, so they don’t often have to think about what they wear except when they have to throw on some business formal wear for a high level meeting with political or business elites. Tele-journalists on the other hand have a long litany of fashion “don’t” rules they must follow in order to appear on TV. They can’t wear any pinstripe shirts because pinstripes cause a mess on the TV screen. They shouldn’t wear white shirts because it might mess up the white balance for the camera. They shouldn’t wear anything too shiny because it causes bad reflections under the light. There are many more of these “don’t” rules. So many in fact journalists know well what they shouldn’t wear, but barely have an inkling of what they should wear.  No one should have to try to organize a stylish wardrobe based on negative examples and “don’t” rules.

When people you work with know you as an outstanding dresser, they expect you to look different from others. You are a journalist. You are in the media. You are in the field that has the potential to make you a celebrity.  Even if you have to interview the president every day, it doesn’t mean you have to look boring doing it. Because you know the president’s wife is a stylish person herself. People don’t judge you because you look different, but they do judge you when you ask silly questions in the press conference.

Please do get dressed up to work and please don’t ask silly questions! People you interview have seen everything and they can get used to it very quickly. The question is, are you a stylish dresser?

Here, some tips for you. Feel free to take them as your own –

• Keep one perfect black blazer at work, just in case you are sent out suddenly to interview a 70-year-old Congressman whose entire family is Republican. The blazer should be well-tailored and fitted, not the one you bought 5 years ago before you lost a bunch of weight. If you have a nice blazer that is a little too big or a little too small, you should not hesitate to go see a tailor about refitting it for your new body shape.
• Keep the bottoms of your outfits simple and versatile. Your tops are where you should have fun and explore different combinations of colors and patterns. This is especially important for reporters who often show only their top halves when appearing on television.
• Know and learn about layering. For example, if you wear a pencil skirt, then on the top, your first layer could be a sleeveless tank top. On top of that could be a three quarters or long sleeve blouse. On top of that could be a silk-cashmere cardigan. On top of that could be a blazer or jacket. And last of all, on top of that could be an over-coat. Of course you should dress according to the weather. Perhaps in the summer you only need the tank top and blazer or the tank top and cardigan. Every layer looks good without others. You can mix and match and decide which layers you want to show depending on the weather or with whom you are meeting.
• In summer, wear more dresses than separate articles. Find more sheaths and shift dresses to save in your closet because they are so easy to wear. Match these with elegant shoes and accessories, and you are ready to go. If you need to cover your arms sometimes, remember that you have a black blazer hanging near your desk.
• Dresses that have puffy or flair bottoms might make you look too girly to be professional, so avoid these in professional settings. Unless of course you’re going to a formal dinner event that requires a ball gown.
• If you always have a lot of things you need to carry with you, bring one big handbag instead of 3 grocery totes. How can 3 grocery bags make you look chic and professional? You should also try to condense and minimize what you carry in that one big bag as much as possible. Do you really need a paper print out of each report you’re looking at? Don’t you have a fancy handheld device, flash drive, or laptop you’re lugging around that can store those paper print outs digitally?
• Make some room in that big bag for a pair of heels or flats in it to change with. DO NOT WEAR DRESS OR SUIT WITH SNEAKERS WHEN YOU WALK IN THE STREET! I BEG YOU! If you can’t walk in those fancy shoes, you probably shouldn’t have bought them in the first place and should have gone for a dress shoe in which you can walk somewhere instead.
• If you are on TV very often, shop in somewhere cheap and fun like Zara, Top Shop, or even Forever 21. From what I know of journalists’ salaries, it is probably not a good idea to shop for expensive clothes only to wear them once on TV, especially when your boss or company refuses to pay for any part of your wardrobe.