Do you ever wonder where all the 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 or if they have lost sight of the relevance
of appearance to professional
success.
The Queen of England is reported to have told
Prince Charles, "Dress
gives one the outward sign from which people can
judge the inward state of
mind. One they can see, the other they
cannot." Clearly, she was saying
what many people are reluctant to accept; that
people judge us by the way
we dress. In all situations, business and social,
our outward appearance
sends a message.
Try going to a busy restaurant at lunchtime.
Look around you at what people
are wearing and see if you don't make judgments
about who they are, their
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 your professional
behavior 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 within 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 a
way 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
gray either pinstripe or solid.
The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the
color 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 color 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 the 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 flip
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 jewelry 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 the 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 Women
When women entered the
workplace in the 1970's and 1980's in greater numbers
than ever before and began to move into positions
which had traditionally
been held by men, many of them believed that
they needed to imitate male
business attire. The result was women showing up
at the office in skirted
suits or coordinated skirts and jackets with
tailored blouses finished off
with an accessory item that looked very much like
a man's tie. Happily those
days are gone. While the business woman may
now wear trousers to work, she
does it out of a desire to appear professional and
at the same time enjoy
the flexibility and comfort that pants offer over
skirts. Her goal is no
longer to mirror her male colleagues.
The same overall rules apply to women's work
attire as apply to men's. Business
clothing is not a reflection of the latest fashion
trend. A woman should
be noticed for who she is and her professional
skills rather than for 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 they are
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
raises 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.
Blouses and sweaters provide color and variety
to 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-colored 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 the 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 the 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 jewelry, less
is once again more. Keep
it simple: one ring per hand, one earring per ear.
Accessories should reflect
your personality, not diminish your credibility.
Business attire is different from weekend and
evening wear. Investing in
a good business wardrobe is an investment in your
professional future. For
those who think it's not what 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.
2005, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media
reserved.
About the author:
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert,
professional speaker, corporate
trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL -
ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS.
She has been quoted or featured in The New York
Times, Investors' Business
Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and
Woman's Day. For more information
about her programs, products and services, e-mail
her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com
or visit her web site
http://www.mannersthatsell.com
