Dressed for Success

Who’d have thought having nothing to wear would be a dilemma faced by massage therapists! It happens more often than you would think.

Whether you work at a Zen inspired luxury spa with aromatherapy and soy candles oozing from every pore or you’re a busy on-the-go mobile therapist or in a more medico/physio style clinic, your clothing, to an extent, will be inspired by your work environment.

The important thing to ask is, what message does my wardrobe send?

You are your business so it’s important that your first impression is one of professionalism. You are your brand so everything should work together consistently across all mediums from your website to social media to your own presentation.

Obviously massaging in a suit would look professional (albeit weird) but practically, it would not allow the freedom of movement often required. So it’s finding the right balance that allows the flexibility you need to do your job but provides a certain amount of structure.

If you are an employee, your clothing choices will probably be determined by your employer. Uniforms keep things simple, but they may just specify “all black” or something similar. In this case, keep it demure, a black leather mini-dress probably isn’t what your employer had in mind!

If you have your own massage business you have total control of your work wardrobe. With our laid back Aussie lifestyle it’s all too easy to slip into shorts and singlets. But before you slide your feet into those thongs, think if this is really the image you want your business to portray? How might it affect a new client’s expectations and opinion?

Quick tips to look like a skilled professional

• A shirt with your name and title, business name or logo.

• A professionally printed name tag.

• Clothing that is colour co-ordinated with your brand image to build the identity between you and your business.

• Stay on top of your laundry. Your clothes should be clean, ironed and well fitting. Nothing too tight, too short or too revealing if you don’t want to send the wrong message!

Beyond your clothing there are some other general appearance factors to consider.

• Hair should be clean and, if long, pulled back. Adjusting it and tucking it behind your ears with hands dripping in massage oil is a sure way to look and feel gross by the end of a busy day!

• Keep nails short, clean and well manicured. If you use your feet, the same goes for your toe nails!

• Keeping makeup to a minimum helps avoid the need to fix or reapply throughout the day.

• Minimise jewellery which can be scratchy or noisy.

When we look good we feel good. That inner confidence can make us more motivated so we perform better which results in happy clients, What more motivation do you need to dress for success?!