Upgrading how you dress as a young professional or young CEO can have a huge impact on your professional brand.
But, figuring out what to wear isn’t always straightforward.
In this blog post, we’re going to show you how to take advantage of your wardrobe and styling to create a professional edge. Plus, you’ll learn how to dress as a young professional by seeing real-life examples of young CEOs and what they’re wearing.
How To Dress as a Young Professional: The Power Suit
Photo Credit: @emmagrede
At Next Level Wardrobe, we recommend that our young professional clients follow The Next Level Wardrobe Style System™.
This system focuses on:
1. Basics
2. Core colors
3. Fit
If you can follow this system, you’ll be on the right path to enhancing your professional brand.
So which basics should you invest in?
One of the most important basics for young CEO clothing is a high-quality suit.
A suit will give you more authority, presence, and a boost of confidence.
In our style system for young professional leaders, we recommend that you start with a suit in a core color (navy, grey, white, or black).
By focusing on core colors, our clients have a versatile suit that can easily be mixed and matched with the rest of their closet.
As you develop your CEO style, you can add in a patterned suit too. The suit Emma Grede, CEO of Good American, wears in the photo above is a great example of a powerful and professional patterned suit.
To get this executive closet essential, try young professional clothing brands like Theory and Hugo Boss. Among Silicon Valley executives and young LA CEOs, Brunello Cucinelli and Loro Piana are popular suit designers.
Regardless of the brand you choose, make sure to have your suit tailored because most clothes aren’t meant to fit you off the rack.
Young Professional Clothing Brands: Perfect Fitting Jeans
Photo Credit: @kerr_familyfan
For a young ceo learning how to dress like a professional, casual clothing – like a great-fitting pair of jeans, can be a closet staple.
However, you should always take into consideration your office dress code and your professional brand.
In our Image Consulting Services for men and woman we help you analyze your career goals to create a professional image that works for you.
If you can wear jeans to the office, avoid any styles with excessive distressing or fading. For casual CEO attire, you should look for a pair of dark wash jeans like the ones below.
This style of jeans will make you look more put-together.
To find the perfect pair for you, don’t be afraid to try on multiple brands. Try AG Jeans and All Saints to start. Nordstrom also has a great selection of young professional clothing brands.
Photo Credit: AG
Photo Credit: AG
Young Professional Dress: Investment Outerwear
Photo Credit: @madamduchessmeghan_princeharry
To dress as a young CEO, outerwear is crucial because it can bring your entire look together.
This is one of my favorite closet essentials when we dress our young professional clients because it can make such a difference in your outfit.
When choosing your outerwear piece, you should be mindful of the climate you live in. If you live in New York, you can invest in heavier outerwear while someone in California will need lighter pieces.
For example, in our NYC CEO style system, a structured jacket is a must-have. In a more moderate climate, a minimalist leather jacket is a good choice.
Young professional clothing brands like Loro Piana and Max Mara are luxury outerwear favorites among tech executives and others in the public eye. For leather jackets, check out Reiss.
Photo Credit: @alexandrearnault
To dress as a young professional, focus on structured essentials in core colors that give you authority, power, and confidence.
The impact of the Next Level Wardrobe Style System™ is huge. Here’s what our client Stef had to say:
“Working with Cassandra was one of the best investments I’ve made in a while. She was able to help me completely overhaul my wardrobe without the guilt…Now I can say that every piece I have, I love and there are so many different options for me to mix and match that I feel great in. I love her system and it will be the foundation for years to come. I plan to continue working with her to build out my fall/winter wardrobe and beyond.”
To create a wardrobe that takes your professional brand to the next level, check out our Executive Image Consulting for Men and Women.
