With a day job as well as a freelance business, I tend to think of myself as rather a chameleon. When at my day job, I wear suitable clothing in line with the other employees. It is a socially accepted mode of ‘uniform’ in most workplaces, we wear the ‘appropriate’ clothes for the work we are doing. However, when in ‘freelance’ mode there are two options, firstly the working at home in front of the computer can be any of these:
Aren’t these illustrations just the best? We all know, we have dressed like this at one point of another (or constantly!) and it is one of the perks of the digital age that we do not have to actually meet clients per-say on a daily basis but can pick and choose the mode of communication. Some clients might be in another country or state/province and emails, Skype calls etc. allow us contact without leaving the house.
When we are meeting face to face, however then we need to consider how we want to project our ‘freelance’ image. To arrive in any of the above would surely have any client running for the hills. We must dress to impress, give our client a professional image to enlist confidence in our ability and competence. I am listing clothing for women in particular but of course men should consider a suit or smart jacket and casual trousers/pants.
A business casual look can be a simple chiffon shirt, jersey top, turtleneck or patterned blouse partnered with a blazer or jacket for a smarter look. In cooler temperatures opt for a pea or trench coat or a thicker fabric jacket. Matched with either suit trousers, chinos or a dark-coloured dress, simple skirt. Footwear can be loafers, brogues, pumps or shorter heels. Keep your jewelry understated.
As with any job interview, we need to ‘look the part’ and show our client we have the credentials to produce a great product, no matter what kind of project that may be.
An extra tip, I use, is to browse the company or person’s website – it can give you an idea of the ‘culture’ and the ‘look’ of their employees. You can tailor your look to match.
What tips can you share about image for a freelancer?
Tailored and Themed To Suit 