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A new trend among younger-minded, forward-thinking companies (take Google as the prime example) is to allow lots of non-traditional employee freedoms, including a very lax dress code. Rumor has it that Google’s is “Please wear clothes.” And, in California at least, some employees go as far as to wear flip-flops to the office.

As a recent graduate, this is excellent news! You’re thinking, no dress up means less money spent on professional clothes (they can get real pricey) and probably an overall more causal management style in the workplace. But don’t jump to conclusions. A respected co-worker/mentor of mine from my first job out of college told me, “No matter the company dress code, always dress for the position you want to be promoted to.” And she then added the caveats “never dress better than the CEO” and “take this rule more seriously if you’re a woman.”

So here is my advice. Do you want to be Marketing Manager? What does this person wear around the office? This may involve not just dressing up, but dressing “older” than you might normally dress. As a woman, this may mean no skirts, stilettos, or low-cut tops.

The bottom line is that when upper management is choosing between a few people to promote, they are going to try to envision each of those employees in the role. If you dress the part and have an air of maturity, they will be better able to picture you performing those job duties. No manager wants to give someone a promotion, only to find out they can’t handle the level of professionalism it requires.

For better or for worse, the way you dress at work is much more than a fashion statement. When you’re in your early 20s and starting a career, with little to no experience, why not take advantage of this easy way to make yourself at least appear more mature?