Is it considered inappropriate to dress nicer than your boss?

My friend dresses nicer than her boss, who mentioned it to her once, and it seemed to make the boss uncomfortable.

But to the question my friend just responded that she knew she was a little on the young side in the office, and that she wasn’t already the boss, so she was trying to earn more respect. Totally legit answer in my opinion. And she tells me, (because we are in the same room right now), shortly after she was given her own office. Coincidence????

I don’t see anything wrong with it. I would actually think its a good idea it shows you strive for perfection, take the job serious, and care about other peoples perception of you.

As long as your not trying to show someone up, dressing well is beneficial for growth in most companys. Dressing well conveys self esteem and self respect and subconsciously garners a certain amount of respect from those around you.

Some people will feel uncomfortable as in Emily’s example above. I would advise having an answer that will put them at ease and keep them respecting you as well. Should anyone ask it or mention it.

You’re likely to annoy your boss but impress upper management. If you can thread that particular needle, I’d say dressing nicely is usually the better choice.

I dress nicer, drive a nicer car, have a nicer house. I think it is a sign.

They say dress for the job you want, not the one you have. To answer your question, no I don’t think its inappropriate.

Also, keep in mind that you can’t control how others perceive you, but you can control how you present yourself. This is a quote from some life coach that was featured on Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style show on Bravo.

Good Luck!
R