Categories: Lifestyle

Dressing with Dignity

According to Buki Olabiran ,in her article “Dress the way you want to be addressed” published By Punchng.com on April 20th, 2015 She said that “The mental state of health of every human being can be determined to a large extent by the clothes that they wear, or better still, by their appearance or outlook. An insane person for instance needs no introduction as everyone will be cautious not to move close to him. Even someone that is hale and hearty can be mistaken for an abnormal person by his or her outlook.”

 We as women are usually conscious of how we dress and l think it will be right to say that almost every woman would be ashamed to be seen naked in public. The first reaction for some persons at first contact with a person who is indecently dressed could be that of surprise or an exclamation such as, wait a minute! What nonsense is this? This will automatically create a negative impression in the mind of the speaker, an impression that may take a long time to correct or erase.

Every human being is a living magnet and has the ability to attract and repel. So if a person is dressed in an obscure manner particularly a woman, men are more likely to treat her with disrespect and if she is dressed immodestly, then they may see her as a sexual object and may even treat her in a ridiculous manner. We have the capability to earn admiration or aversion by the way we dress. Thus, it makes sense therefore to dress properly before we leave our house?  

For us as parents and guardians, the onus is on us to start early to teach our children and wards about modesty. Let us teach them to hate what should be hated and to love what should be loved. We should train them from infancy to be pure and respect the sacredness of their bodies irrespective of what they see in the social media, on the internet and even on the streets.

Permit me to refer to the first two lines in chapter four of Colleen Hammond’s book on “Dressing with Dignity, it  says that when we look around at the society today, we can’t help but notice the disintegration in morals and values, and  if you ask me, this could be attributed to the immodest way in which people dress these days. As an adult it is paramount that we really think about what we wear before we leave the house.  We should not wear the clothing that is meant for the beach around the house or parade the estate/ community with it as the case may be. Mothers should set good examples for their daughters and not compete with them in the name of flowing with the fashion trend.

Most organizations expect their employees to dress well to work. One needs to dress appropriately as per the work culture for a pleasing personality. Corporate dressing does not mean flaunting designer business suits but to dress appropriately in line with the organizational culture. Never wear casuals to work. Dressing formally helps to create the right professional image. 

Here are few tips to help us  dress correctly to work

For men, neutral colours such as blue, grey, white, khaki, black are guaranteed hits in a corporate setting. Do not wear loud colours or patterns that are too bold. Subtle colours look good in offices. Plain shirts are always in style but you can also go for shirts in stripes. Colours such as red, yellow, orange usually are not preferred to be worn at the workplace. – No necklaces for the men, no rings except your wedding ring (married men) Remember, your tie should complement your overall look. Silk ties are always a safe bet. Do not wear ties in loud colours or jazzy patterns.

For the Women: Clothes help you create the desired “first impression” When you wear clothes that fit you well, you feel confident at the workplace. A dress needs to fit you well. So avoid wearing something which is too tight or too loose. Just like l said earlier, it is always wise to dress according to your office culture. Female executives should avoid wearing heavy jewellery to work. Stud / short earrings look simple yet elegant on female professionals. Do not wear chunky necklaces, large earrings and stacks of bangles at workplace. Flaunting your gold jewellery at office may look odd. Do not wear ring on every finger. Avoid wearing multiple bracelets. An elegant and simple watch looks best on professionals.

Do not wear loud make up to work. A nude look works best in offices. Don’t overdo your make up. Instead of a bright lipstick, a lip-gloss looks better and you can even reapply the same whenever needed. Minimal make up can not only make you look good but also extremely professional. Never apply layers of foundation on your face. Avoid cakey make up at workplace.

It is important to smell good at the workplace. Keep a mild perfume handy.

Make sure your hands are clean and nails properly trimmed and manicured. Avoid applying bright and gaudy nail paints. Body piercings (eyebrow piercings or lip piercings) and tattoos of any kind should be strictly avoided in organizations. Do not wear more than one earring at the workplace. Hair should be neatly combed and properly styled. Messy hair is not at all acceptable at workplaces. Do not adopt weird hairstyles at work.

You look gorgeous if your outfit complement your overall look, but you mustn’t go out of your way if you are not up to it. However, my male colleagues tell me that they enjoy talking with women who dressed tastefully because they are not distracted by their bodies. The fact is that the new fashions that we see these days, displayed an alarming trend toward immodesty. This is simply unacceptable.  

Betty

Beatrice Egbuna is an experienced Broadcast Technologist with a strong background in managing broadcast equipment and sound technology. She has played a leading role in building and installing various radio studios, as well as maintaining and repairing both analogue and digital equipment at Voice of Nigeria (VON) studios. Egbuna holds a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU), and has received training in Audio Engineering from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. She also holds certificates in Senior Management Programmes from the Lagos Business School (LBS) and the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), as well as a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU). Prior to joining EDC in 2011, Beatrice worked in various capacities at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and VON before retiring in 2010 as Deputy Director Programming. She has also worked as a Consultant/Mentor on projects like "Road-to-Growth" powered by Cherie Blair Foundation and Access Bank Plc. Egbuna produced and presented "Enterprise Stories", a live radio program on Inspiration 92.3 FM, which brings entrepreneurs together every Tuesday at 3 pm to share their success stories and inspire startup developers to follow their dreams. She also produced "The Economy and You," a program that aired for about four years on Rhythm 93.7 FM, which brought policymakers, technocrats and successful business executives to discuss government policies and their impact on the economy and businesses in Nigeria. Currently, Beatrice Egbuna is the Principal Consultant at Maluwe Capacity Builders International, Nigeria, where she provides real-time feedback and actionable advice that adds value to her clients. She is also a mentor and faculty member at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University, and a BDSP Consultant on the 5-year (20??-20??) MASTERCARD TRANSFORMING NIGERIA YOUTH PROJECT (TNY). Egbuna is passionate about developing the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing business support and advisory services to entrepreneurs within and outside the EDC business network for over a decade. She is a certified IFC/LPI Trainer, certified SMEDAN Business Development Service Provider (BDSP), life coach, work-life balance advocate/coordinator, and marriage counsellor who helps employees/career/business people find fulfilment in the workplace, balance in their daily activities, and solutions to their marital challenges. To reach Beatrice Egbuna she can be contacted through her email addresses: bettyegbuna@yahoo.com and maluwehelp@gmail.com. She also has a website, https://momentwithbetty.com.

View Comments

  • I agree that ladies who are modest and decent in their dressing whether in office or out of office attract more respect. This is not to be mistaken for anti fashion. Even in fashion decency is virtue. It gives dignity, impression and sense of modesty.
    This is beautiful and comprehensively captured for our growing youths.

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