Teaching Transition Students How to Dress Professionally
Imagine one of your former students all excited for their first day at a new job in an office. They show up wearing jeans and a T-shirt, only to find everyone else in slacks and blouses. Or, picture another student dressed in a suit and tie for their first day at a pet store.
They’d either feel underdressed or overdressed, out of place, and a bit embarrassed.
That’s why it’s important to teach students about dress codes. Help them understand that dressing professionally isn’t always about formal clothes but about dressing right for the job.
When students know that different jobs have different ways to dress, they can feel confident and prepared, no matter where they work.
Continue reading to explore how to teach dress codes, look at different types of work attire, and go over some fun activities that can help students learn to dress for success!
Why Dress Codes Matter
When we talk about “dressing professionally,” we mean dressing in a way that fits the job and shows respect for the workplace.
Appropriate clothing (and even grooming) gives a good impression. It shows that the person is competent and professional.
Imagine if you meet a workmate who’s wearing inappropriate, mismatched, or wrinkly clothing. You might think that they don’t take the job seriously, or that person is as messy with their work as they are in their appearance.
Dressing right helps the employee feel confident, prepared, and fit in wherever they work. However, there is no one “right way” to dress professionally, and we’ll talk more about that below.
Different Dress Codes for Different Jobs
If you work in an upscale office, you may need to wear formal clothing. But, if you work as a dog walker, you will need to dress in clothing appropriate for the job.
This is why it’s helpful to teach students how to dress in the context of dress codes.
Each job can have a different dress code, but most fall into a few main categories. Here are some common dress codes that you can teach your students, including when they might apply:
- Private Clothing Dress Code
When getting dressed to relax at home (in private), this dress code may relax and include clothing that a person doesn’t wear out in public, like pajamas, sloppy, torn/faded, or revealing clothing.
Some remote jobs or flexible roles may allow for private clothing, where employees can dress however they choose because they’re working from home. However, this still calls for a professional or appropriate look when interacting with clients or coworkers through virtual meetings.
- Casual Public Clothing
Casual dress is relaxed and allows for comfortable, everyday clothing that you can wear to a casual public place. It can include jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, and loose-fitting clothes.
Casual attire is common in creative workplaces, nonprofits, or jobs like retail and tech companies. Although it’s relaxed, it’s still important to look clean and presentable.
- Business Casual
Business casual is common in many office or business jobs. It’s professional but more relaxed than formal attire.
For business casual, students might wear slacks, buttoned shirts, or darker-colored jeans. Ties and suits aren’t usually required. The goal is just to look neat and polished.
- Semi-Formal Clothing
Semi-formal clothing is dressier than you would wear to work, but not as fancy as what you would wear to a very formal event. It’s often seen at business events, interviews, or workplaces with an upscale but less rigid environment.
Semi-formal attire includes dress slacks, skirts, blouses, and ties, but full suits or very formal dresses aren’t necessary.
- Formal Dress Code
Formal clothing is the fanciest and most polished clothing a person would wear. It’s usually worn to a very formal event like weddings and funerals, but very traditional workplaces may require this dress code, too.
For men, it includes suits, ties, dress shoes, and dress shirts; while for women, it can be professional dresses or suits.
- Uniforms
Some jobs, like retail, food service, or customer-facing roles, have specific uniforms. Your dress code will simply be the outfit that you are required to wear at your job.
Uniforms make it easy to identify workers and create a consistent look. Following uniform guidelines is important for these roles to keep the professional appearance that the company wants.
- Work-Appropriate / Practical Attire
This dress code is all about safety and functionality. Jobs in trades or outdoor settings often need practical clothing that protects workers and suits the work environment.
This could include sturdy boots, gloves, high-visibility vests, or weather-appropriate jackets.
Teaching Students How to Dress for the Job
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to look at some practical tips and easy activities that you can use to help your transition students understand dress codes and dress appropriately for their jobs.
#1 Teach about Dress Codes
Just like how we started in this article, you can also start by introducing your students to the idea of dress codes and that different jobs require different types of attire.
Explain the main categories, provide examples of clothing that might fit each category, and discuss which types of jobs are the dress codes appropriate for.
You can prepare for the lesson by having a scenario activity, like having them pretend to be going somewhere and answer a set of questions to figure out what they should wear.
Visual aids, like a slide presentation, can be a helpful way to show examples of each dress code. Include photos to illustrate what’s appropriate for different settings and jobs to give your students a clear idea of what each dress code looks like.
#2 Discuss the Importance of Well-Fitting and Modest Clothing
Help your students understand why well-fitting and modest clothing is important for dressing professionally.
Show pictures of well-fitting clothes and define modest clothing, such as skirts or shorts that fall just above the knee, and avoid any clothing that reveals undergarments.
Explain how being well-dressed keeps the focus on their work, not their clothing, and how it allows for comfortable movement and confidence.
#3 Talk About Dressing for Interviews
You can also help your students prepare for employment by teaching them how to dress for a job interview and how this can make a strong first impression.
Make sure to discuss that dressing for an interview is about looking neat, polished, and professional. Help them understand that they may also need to adapt their attire depending on the job, like dressing in business casual for a retail role, or semi-formal for an office setting.
In addition, it can be helpful to guide your students on which clothing to avoid for job interviews, such as overly casual clothes, flip-flops, or too-colorful shirts. Suggest what they can wear instead.
#4 Follow Up with Activities
Reinforce learning with hands-on activities that let your students explore dress codes more. Here are some activities you can try:
- Do a matching activity where your students will match each picture of an outfit to the correct dress code or workplace.
- Ask your students to research one or two types of dress codes on their own. They can explore clothing catalogs, and online resources, or even interview people they know.
- Have them review a selection of clothing items and decide which are modest or professional for different job types.
- Provide some pictures of outfits (can be printed or Boom cards) that the students will choose to wear to a job interview
These activities are interactive and help them apply what they’ve learned in a fun and engaging way.
#5 Plan a Field Trip
Another fun way to apply their learning about dress codes is to have a community outing. Take your students to a local store, library, post office, or any place in the community where they can see different job settings.
Seeing work-appropriate clothing options in real-life settings can help your students better understand the types of clothing available and which items fit specific dress codes. It’s a hands-on experience that brings the lesson to life.
While on the trip, you can play a “What Not to Wear” game, or a scavenger hunt!
Ready to Dress for Success!
Teaching your students about dress codes prepares them to step into the workplace with confidence and respect for different job settings. When you teach them how to dress professionally, you help them prepare for their career after school.
If you need help with preparing your dress code lesson, check out this Dress for Success bundle, a no-prep, 6-lesson resource material complete with presentations and activities.