Style for Success: Wardrobe Malfunction? The Best Defense is a Good Offense

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Wardrobe problems at work can be embarrassing, uncomfortable and time consuming. I once had the unfortunate experience of rounding the corner into the office kitchenette as one Java drinker was exiting. His cup of Joe went flying -- fortunately, the coffee was not scalding, but I was soaking wet, stained and embarrassed. I realized I had no option but to return home to change clothes.

In today's fast-paced world, an unplanned trip home (especially if it requires switching Metro lines) can be more than an inconvenience, as deadlines pass and e-mails accumulate unmercifully in your in-box. So, here are a few tips that will allow you to keep the ball in the air even when your wardrobe has been sacked:

*For the worst-case scenarios, keep a change of clothes at the office, even if it's just a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. No one will fault you for a day of dressing down, but they might not be happy if you disappear just before the big presentation in front of the CEO.

*A safety pin can be the difference between dressed-to-kill and disaster. Toss a few in your paper clip holder for those days when zippers break, buttons pop or hems fall out.

*Buy stain-resistant clothing. Fabric finishing is increasingly high tech, with today's stain-repellent offerings having far surpassed their scratchy, stiff and unfashionable predecessors. From Dockers, Haggar and Liz Claiborne to Brooks Brothers, Gap and Lands' End, to name just a few, the options are numerous and expanding.