Do work clothes still matter?

In this episode of the Work is Weird Now Podcast, we’re joined by Julietta Dexter, Founder of The Communication Store and Chair of Smart Works, the charity supporting unemployed women with coaching, clothing, and confidence to secure work.

The question sounds simple, but it opens up something much bigger:

Do work clothes still matter?

Julietta’s answer is a clear yes — not because of outdated dress codes or corporate rules, but because what we wear still shapes confidence, identity, comfort, and belonging at work. Especially now, as careers become more flexible, more fragmented, and more uncertain.

We talk about:

• Confidence dressing and first impressions (without dressing for anyone else)
• The unspoken “uniforms” different teams adopt at work
• Who decides what “appropriate” even means — and why it’s political
• The reality of age, fear, AI, and insecurity in today’s job market
• The Smart Works “magic moment” and why clothes can change how someone shows up
• Practical capsule wardrobe advice for real working lives (with a brilliant twist)

This episode is for anyone navigating confidence at work, returning after time out, building a portfolio career, or wondering how to show up in a world where the old rules no longer apply.

Because clothes still matter — just not in the way we were taught.