Business Clothes Encountered

Do you ever wonder where dress rules have gone? Depending on when and where you are on any given business day, the words 'distant' might come to mind. It's difficult to decide if people don't know what to wear to work of if they have lost sight of relevance of appearance to professional success.

Try going to busy restaurant at lunchtime. Look around you at what people are wearing and see if you don't make judgments about who they are, and line of business, their personalities and their competencies.

Think about how you feel when you are dressed in your usual business attire as opposed to casual dress. Your choice of business apparel speaks to you professional behaviour and credibility. It is important to understand how to dress for business if you wish to promote yourself and your organization in a positive manner.

How you dress depends on four factors – the industry in which you work, the job you have in that industry, the geographic area in which you live and, most importantly, what your client expects to see.

Professional Dress for Men

In men's clothing, fashion does not change significantly from season to season but business attire is about being professional and not about being fashionable. It's about presenting yourself in away that makes your clients feel comfortable and confident with you. Dressing for success is still the rule. The professional businessman should keep in mind these few points when deciding what to wear to work.

Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or grey either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the colour and can make the difference between sleaze and suave. A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look. The more pattern and colour you add, the more the focus is on your clothing, rather than your professionalism.

Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Avoid cartoon characters and go for simple and subtle if you want to enhance your credibility.

Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. A quick glance in good light before heading out the door can save embarrassment later in the day.

Check for holes as well if you'll be going through airport security and removing your shoes.

Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the choice over slip-ons or flips flops.

Don't think for a minute that people don't notice shoes. Many people will look at your feet before your face.

Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes. Once again, quality counts. Keep jewellery to a minimum. In a time when men sport gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings, the business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch, a wedding band and maybe his college ring.

Personal hygiene is part of success equation. Freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced any day of the week. Save the after-shave for after hours, but never the shave itself.

The finishing touch for the business man is his choice of accessories – briefcase, portfolio and pen. When it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes can lose their affect when you pull out the ball point pen you picked up in the hotel meeting room the day before.

Professional Dress for Woman

While the business woman now wears trousers to work, she does it out of a desire to appear professional and at the same time enjoy the flexibility and comfort of pants offer over skirts. Her goal is no longer to mirror her male colleagues.

The same overall rules apply to woman's work attire. Business clothing is not a reflection of the latest fashion trend.

A woman should be noticed foe who she is and her professional skills rather than foe what she wears. Her business wear should be appropriate for her industry and her position or title within the industry.

Start with a skirted suit or pants suit for the most conservative look. A skirted suit is the most professional. With a few exceptions, dresses do not offer the same credibility unless accompanied by matching jackets.

Skirts should be knee-length or slightly above or below. Avoid extremes. A skirt more than two inches above the knee raise eyebrows and questions.

Pants should break at the top of the foot or shoe. While Capri pants and their fashion cousins that come in assorted lengths from mid-calf to ankle are the latest trend, they are out of place in the conservative business environment.

Blouse and sweaters provide colour and variety for woman's clothing, but they should be appealing rather than revealing. Inappropriate necklines and waistlines can give the wrong impression.

Women need to wear hose in the business world. Neutral or flesh-tone stockings are the best choices. Never wear dark hose with light-coloured clothing or shoes. Keep an extra pair of stockings in your desk drawer unless the hosiery store is next door or just down the street from the office.

Faces, not feet, should be focal point in business so chose conservative shoes. A low heel is more professional than flats or high heels. In spite of current fashion and sandal rage, open-toed or backless shoes are not office attire. Not only are sandals a safety hazard, they suggest a certain official agenda.

When it comes to accessories and jewellery, less is once again more. Keep it simple; one ring per hand, one earring per ear. Accessories should reflect your personality, not diminishing your credibility.

Business attire is different from weekend and evening wear. Investing in a good business wardrobe is an investment your professional future. For those who think it's not what you want you wear but who you are that creates success, give that some more thought. Business skills and experience count, but so does personal appearance and that all-important first impression.


Sab Nyer...