STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

They might help you snag that big promotion.

But those jingle-jangle earrings? The Fu Manchu mustache? Your hairstyle from the late '90s?

They could be hurting your chances of getting that corner office.

"You definitely have to put forward your best image," said Cynthia Nellis, a style expert at the About.com women's fashion Web site. "Even if you're allowed to wear jeans and T-shirts to the office, it's not going to project an image to get you promoted. You need to take it a notch above the company policy."

Just look around the office on a Monday morning. You can easily spot the office slob, with his coffee-stained tie and wrinkled shirts, or the workplace flasher, the woman who thinks it's OK to show ample cleavage or plenty of leg. They are the obvious rule breakers who will have trouble getting ahead.

It's getting worse now that summer is here, and workers are shedding clothes -- and breaking more rules -- to stay cool, wearing anything from flip-flops to sleeveless shirts to the office.

But it's not just the bad dressers who are judged -- and often overlooked -- at promotion time. It's the woman who wears too much makeup -- or too little. Or the guy who wears flip flops and short-sleeve button-down shirts, thinking he's meeting the casual dress code.

"Our image can tell others that we are creative or dependable or conservative or all of those and more," said image consultant Carolyn Gustafson, owner of Image Strategy for Men & Women in Cary. "We make quick decisions about people based on their appearance. Whether or not that's right, that's the reality of it. We can't wear our resume around our neck."

How someone is dressed was the third most important attribute in getting a new job, according to a study by Syracuse University and Total Executive Inc. of 300 executive recruiters, chief executives and directors of personnel. That's behind communication and presentation skills.

Executives surveyed by TheLadders.com, a Web site for job seekers looking for six-figure salaries, last year said employees who dress casually at work seemed more creative and fun. But almost half of the 2,245 executives said those casual dressers risk being taken less seriously.

However, if employees suit up, dressing more traditionally -- in business suits and skirts -- they were more likely to be perceived as being at a more senior level, according to the study. (And coincidentally less creative and more rigid.)

It's enough to make you cringe, that something as small as wearing flat shoes instead of heels or your oversize, gadgety watch can hold you back.

But it's more than just an image. When you're polished and professional at work, "It shows you know the rules. It says, 'I play by the rules,' " Gustafson said. "The decision is almost always made in the first few minutes. If you look the part, you'll likely get the part."

Certainly, style and fashion are subjective, and sometimes, taste differences are subtle.

The trick is knowing basic rules about what is appropriate for which work settings.

"If you show up to an advertising agency in a traditional blue suit, that's going to work against you," she said.

The same is true if you show up at a conservative bank in a short skirt and open-toed shoes without pantyhose.

Once you know the look that's appropriate for your office, be consistent, experts say.

"When you have a consistent look, your co-workers expect you to act a certain way and look a certain way," said Kate Leser, owner of A Distinctive Image, an image and wardrobe consulting company in Raleigh. "If you don't, people won't know how to read you."

Women have it harder than men when it comes to image in the workplace. They might have the right clothes, but they are also judged on their hair and makeup. Leser said neglecting either is one of the biggest mistakes women make.

"You've got to keep updated, both men and women," Leser said. "Every few years, you should be changing your hair. If you want to stay ahead of the game, with everything moving so quickly, your image should move quickly, too."

When in doubt, watch how others who are successful in your office dress.

"People need to dress appropriately for the position they're aspiring to," said Deborah Fernandez, vice president of career transition consulting at Right Management in Raleigh. "So they need to take cues from the people they're aspiring to be."

Of course, not all offices subscribe to the "best-dressed wins" philosophy.

Terry Bradley, a manager of recruitment for research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, said it depends on the environment and culture of the company.

In her office, where she routinely interviews research scientists and chemists, casual dress is the norm, as it is for a growing number of offices.

She usually recommends that people stay clear of the blue suit and white shirt, for fear of them coming off as too rigid. Instead, they should strive for a professional look that's not too formal. "It's about being polished, and the way one carries themselves," she said.