Is your fashion sense sabotaging your success at work? Will the cut and colour of your shirt really affect your chances of promotion? Avery Dennison Office Products believes that image is everything in professional life and has commissioned psychologist Donna Dawson to study how the image we portray nine-to-five can affect our ultimate success at work - with unexpected results-

Want to be taken more seriously by colleagues? Want to show your team that you’ve got heaps of ideas and leadership potential? Want to grab a client’s attention or impress your customers? It may seem shallow, but appearances count.

The fast track to promotion
Whether you work in a high street bank, a city corporation or a trendy ad agency, every organisation has its own dress code - whether that’s detailed in a company handbook or left unspoken. And if you want to succeed within your organisation, the first thing you have to do is to dress to look like you fit in.

‘But I’m an individual’, you cry! Save it for the weekend! When you flout the rules, it’ll cost you. Whether you dress more formally, scruffily or sexily than your peers, your appearance speaks volumes. And the message is: I’m a rebel with little regard for my company’s image. "These individuals may be tolerated if they are productive," reveals Donna, "but the management may conclude that they are undeserving of the opportunities or promotions that their talents actually deserve." Employees who meet the dress code to the highest standard while still finding a way to express themselves as individuals may find that their weaknesses are unnoticed. "The right image can give them quicker access to the top of the corporate ladder," says Donna.

Clothes to boost your productivity
Whatever the dress code, it is essential to feel ‘right’ in what you wear. Think first about what the day has in store for you. Are you internal or public facing? Then consider the physical activities you will need to undertake to complete the day’s To Do list. If charged with a huge mail-out, jeans could well be the order of the day, but skinny cut trousers are going to restrict movement and feel uncomfortable if you are sitting for long periods of time. Similarly, you may want to avoid this season’s short ‘60’s inspired A-line dresses if you have a day of filing ahead, to spare your colleague’s blushes!

The ideal wardrobe choice should be something that you can put on and forget about, without having to tug at hemlines or rearrange necklines. Moreover, it should make you feel good about yourself. When self-esteem is high, your energy levels are increased and you become more productive.

Fashion forward thinking
If you get a buzz out of fashion, it might be appropriate to wear elements of a new trend to work. It shows openness and awareness of what’s in vogue! Naturally not all trends are work-appropriate, but the return of the narrow-cut jacket this spring is perfect for most work environments, whether teamed casually with jeans or worn in a more traditional style.

Key accessories for the ambitious worker

If you want to add personality to your working wardrobe, do it through accessories. A comedy tie or fun earrings? The joke’s on you. This summer, fashion pundits say it’s all about the right shoes and bag. Spend as much as you can afford and watch as colleagues clock your fashion sense and silently swoon over your new purchases-

Dressing for success: a black & white issue?
Think about the colours you wear too. Psychologist Max Luscher who carried out extensive testing on colour and personality discovered that every colour affects us physiologically - that is, mentally and physically. "When we see or wear a colour, its vibrations affect our brainwaves and nervous system. With this in mind, you can create a more positive impression of yourself in the workplace, by adding the appropriate colour", says Donna.

*Black and white are the big trend colours for Spring Summer 07 and they’re perfect for work, suggesting dignity and honesty respectively.
*Nudes, pinks and anything that smacks of the boudoir should stay there - this is work, for goodness sake!
*If your working environment is a little too political for comfort, wear green, the colour of balance.
*If you need to spur your colleagues into action, red will not only raise everyone’s heartbeat and make you feel more energetic, you’ll project a sense of urgency on those around you too.
*If everyone is in a panic over a presentation, wear blue, a cool colour that lowers both the breathing and heart rates.
*Grey, another key colour for this season suggests you are calm, dedicated and self-possessed.
*And if you find yourself in a promotion race with a colleague who seems a little standoffish and sticks exclusively to boring navy, try wearing a deep, chocolate brown. With a similar gravitas to black and navy, it says you are a hard-working, and dependable but more approachable with it.