Fifteen years ago I came to Chennai on a gap year to teach spoken English at an NGO that gave free vocational training to underprivileged women. One day the administration asked me to dedicate a class to personal grooming and hygiene, and I couldn’t believe the enthusiasm my students had for this topic! Ladies who had heretofore been quiet and apathetic towards my lessons now sat up straight and alert with their pens poised for taking notes.

This experience reminded me that everyone, no matter what their background, shares the desire to look their best and appear polished. That is why I want to share tips on how to groom and style yourself for the workplace. The dress code is obviously something that varies depending on the company, and we live in a time in which people are eschewing rules and formalities as old-fashioned and stuffy. However, it makes me sad to see this steady lowering of standards for how people present themselves. Sarees get replaced by kurtas, which then get replaced by jeans and crop tops. At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, I feel that there should be a delineation between work attire and home attire. Dressing well is a sign of respect and good manners, which should be part of the ethos of any office regardless of how cool or casual that industry may be.

But this advice is not only for the Gen Z-er who is just entering the workforce. There are many upwardly mobile people who are the first in their family to receive higher education, who do not have an example to follow for how to dress for a corporate environment. Finally, some families never discussed things like good upkeep and hygiene, and the lack of knowledge can lead to embarrassing situations, like someone from the HR department having to gently explain the importance of using deodorant! So go ahead and share this column with anyone new to the working world, as at least one of these tips will be something they hadn’t considered before.

Hair
I am happy to see that keeping your hair slick with coconut oil is not common anymore. But we Indian women do tend to have hair that frizzes, and lots of flyaways that give a messy appearance. If you’re putting your hair back into a ponytail or bun, apply a serum to the crown area and use a finishing brush (a tiny hairbrush with stiff bristles, like boar bristles) to comb back wayward strands. They are likely to pop up again halfway through the day, so it’s a good idea to keep the brush in your bag for touching up.

If you have curly hair, do not brush it! There needs to be an outreach program that teaches curly-haired women the basics of maintaining their hair type, because brushing it results in a giant puffy mass of frizz that looks unkempt. For now, we can direct our curly-haired friends to the many YouTube tutorials on this topic, that will teach them the products and techniques needed to wear your curls as smooth, bouncy ringlets.

Finally, even if you wear a saree to work, do not wear flowers in your hair. They start off pretty and fragrant, but after a few hours they turn brown, wilt, and fall to the floor – and no office wants a bunch of stomped on jasmine flowers scattered about!

Clothes
If wearing Western attire, you can’t go wrong with a button down shirt and trousers. Always try it on to see if there is a gap between the two buttons on the bust area; this awkward gap gives a sideways window right into our brassiere. You can give the shirt to a tailor to add a hook and eye between those buttons to close it up, or try one size bigger and see if that falls better. When trying on the shirt, see how it looks both under spotlights and in daylight; the last thing you want is transparency. If it is slightly transparent, as many cotton clothes are, you can wear a camisole underneath–buy one in white, black, and beige so you can match any shirt.

You can certainly branch out from button down shirts, but avoid anything that is very form fitting or deep cut (too distracting), that has words on it (too casual), and that is short enough to expose your midriff if you lift your arms up (too revealing). For the bottoms you can wear trousers, capri pants, palazzo pants, and skirts that reach below the knee. Jeans are fine if your workplace permits it, but they shouldn’t be too tight. Leggings can work if the top is long enough, but it is easy for them to get too stretched out and opaque.

Sarees are the ultimate in elegance, and it is easy to choose appropriate ones just by avoiding sheer fabrics, sequins, or anything else more suited for a party look. The only place you can go wrong is in the fit of the blouse. I would advise you to make your sari blouses for work on the looser and longer side, because it is easy for smaller blouses to reveal your bra, especially in the back where I’ve seen many bra bands peeking out from both top and bottom. A looser fit with more coverage not only prevents this unseemly look, but it gives breathing room for those inevitable sweat stains that can look unsightly (while visible sweat marks can’t always be helped, please do use antibacterial soap and deodorant to mitigate any body odor). If you have a smaller bust, you can have your tailor stitch cups into the blouse and avoid the bra altogether. Make sure to pin your saree into place and check how it is looking halfway through the day; you might have to readjust it at some point.

Makeup and Accessories
A woman should not feel pressure to wear makeup at work if it is something she never wears normally. That said, if you want to put your best foot forward and feel confident, a little bit of make-up goes a long way. Filling in eyebrows and using undereye concealer makes you look bright and awake. A little cheek pigment brings life to your face, and lipstick completes the picture by making you look put-together and just formal enough. Don’t reach for bright lip colours like red and pink; stick with nude tones, and always carry the lip colour plus a lip balm in your bag so you can touch up after lunch – it is better to not wear any lipstick than to wear it and let it fade and crack without reapplying or removing.

Many Indian women line their lower lids with kajal, but the problem is the raccoon eyes that result from it smudging as the day goes on. Try setting your kajal with a black eyeshadow using an eyeliner brush, and carry earbuds moistened with makeup remover or any moisturiser to do a quick clean up swipe.

Accessories can be tricky as it is our tradition to adorn ourselves with blingy, jangly baubles. But personally, when I’m in my office, I find it distracting when I hear the sound of anklets or jangling bangles. If you sit near others, it is only polite to be aware of any sounds or smells that may bother your coworkers, so avoid bangles that make sound when typing as well as strong perfumes. Follow the rule of “less is more”, keeping earrings and necklaces on the smaller side and not layering too many items. While ideally we would all be judged purely on our merits alone, it can’t be denied that certain aesthetic choices may give an appearance of frivolity or vanity, when the goal is to appear professional and businesslike.

A small note on nail polish: just as no lipstick is preferable to faded lipstick, no polish is much better than polish that is chipped and grown out. One of the most unappealing visuals is a long, yellowed fingernail with a splotch of polish in the center. So if you decide to paint your nails, make sure you have polish remover at home as well. Both men and women should get manicures and pedicures, treating them as a regular maintenance practice like a haircut. We use our hands when we communicate and uneven, dirty fingernails can detract greatly from our overall appearance.

Posture, Attitude, and Language
Following the above tips for how you dress and style yourself will contribute to your confidence at work, but the way you conduct yourself is the most important factor in how your bosses and coworkers perceive you. I’ve noticed that it is a norm in our culture to be extra deferential to higher ups, but many people take this too far. They start their interactions with apologetic phrases like “Sorry to disturb you”, they begin and end every sentence with “Sir/Ma’am”, and they include way too many disclaimers such as “Don’t get me wrong”, “Just a suggestion”. All requests are peppered with the word “kindly”, when “please” is the correct word to use and only needs to be mentioned once. (Another common mistake is using “revert” when you mean “reply”.) By all means, continue to be respectful, but you don’t have to make yourself small or hesitate and use disclaimers just to initiate a conversation. Saying “sorry” when you haven’t made any mistake makes you look weak and insecure; instead you can ask “Do you have a minute now?” or “Is this a good time to talk?” Stand up straight with your shoulders back, make eye contact, and show active listening by nodding. I’ve noticed a mumbling problem with Gen Z in particular; if the person feels some uncertainty or shyness, their octave goes lower and lower until you can barely hear the end of the sentence. Someone who speaks like this will never be perceived as smart, professional, and confident, so consider taking a public speaking class or simply watch some elocution lessons on YouTube to get comfortable maintaining a strong volume and tone without any vocal fry (the low, croaky effect that has become common in young women’s speech patterns). Overall, remember that confidence does not equal arrogance, and remain respectful without crossing the line into being servile.

If you are a parent of a young adult who is about to embark on their career journey, or if you work in an office yourself, I hope you will share or use this advice to create a polished appearance that gives a great first impression. If you work from home, enjoy the freedom to dress how you want – just make sure to wear pants for those Zoom calls!