Business Attire

What are the factors that contribute to a successful career for a woman, apart from qualifications, skills and expertise?   A well-thought through clothing style is indisputably of great value.

Women in  accountancy, banking, insurance and law require suits:  jacket, skirt or trousers with a blended tone or bright shirt or top to enliven the sober suit. It is a good idea to match your bras with the same colour as your  shirts wherever possible, otherwise  nude underwear will always blend.

On the other hand if a woman is employed in the non-uniformed caring sector, perhaps as social worker or counsellor, then non-threatening colours such as navy co-ordinated with white are appropriate.  However, a colourful top will not go amiss and will serve to cheer everyone up and win the confidence of clients.

Those women in marketing, management consultancy and public relations who regularly meet clients will impress with mid-tone neutral colours for their suit but when undertaking a presentation, a power red jacket is perfect.

If selling direct to the public then the client group must be considered.  If the product is serious such as IT software or medical supplies, a ‘user friendly’ look is required.  Therefore, tops or shirts in soft pastel colours along with blended neutral colours for jackets, trousers and skirts should suffice.

Teachers should wear tops of interesting colours and textures to hold their pupils’ attention.  A flashy orange top will distract.  Those working in advertising, media, retail or travel must look fashionable, therefore a chic jacket and stylish top or shirt are ideal.

A global poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos revealed that Europeans are more into casual clothing when coming to work while Indians tend to be stricter, going for business clothing.

A survey has been made to more than 12,500 people in about 24 countries. Based on the results, about 27 percent of Europeans wear business clothing when going for work. Hungary placed last with only 12 percent of the workers saying they wore business attire. In this country, about 46 percent said that it seems appropriate to wear shorts while 56 percent would like to wear flip-flops while doing their daily tasks.

Topping the list are Indians when it comes to smart dressing. About 58 percent wear business clothing while going to work. Only 21 percent of the respondents said that it was okay to wear shorts.

Four out of ten respondents said that casual clothing-wearing workers would never make it to senior management in their company.

A court has fined a business clothes company over the injury incurred by its two employees from chemical burns.

According to reports, clothing company Flame Safe Fabric Specialists was fined $135,000 by the Worksafe Victoria court after the latter determined that the company failed to give adequate protective gears and equipment to its staff. That also includes the lack of appropriate training to handle these situations.

One of the employees suffered burns after chemicals splashed into his eye while another one suffered more burns to his face.

Acting Executive Director Stan Krpan said that this case should serve as a reminder for employers to give a safer workplace to its employees in order to avoid these dangerous incidents.

He added that it is easy to comply with the law since the standards set in place are very clear and commonsense.

There has been an ongoing debate as to what exactly describes casual business attire. On your end, you would not want to be caught wearing something that is inappropriate in the workplace. However, it would be great sometimes to wear something comfortable to work rather than the usual coat and tie.

For men, they could wear a collared shirt. However, a jacket is necessary when wearing a regular t-shirt. Women, on the other hand, can wear clothes that are deemed conservative. All they need to do is avoid inappropriate casual attires such as spaghetti-strapped dresses, short skirts and even flip-flops as footwear.

Casual business attires are usually encouraged at least once a week where there’s a dress down day or the so-called “casual Friday.” This usually occurs during summertime.

Always keep in mind that the policy on casual business attire varies from company to company. You should be responsible enough to ask the human resource department on proper dress guidelines.

If there’s an important company meeting that will take place during a dress down day, then it would be best to forgo the casual business attire and go with formal attire because this could affect your career in the long run.

These days, keeping your job is essential now that the global financial crisis is as clear as day and simple things you do for work could be costly and risky, especially when it comes to wearing work clothes. Corporate-image experts say that despite the nearing summer season, it does not mean that employees should now start casual business attire when going to work.

Casual business attire could mean wearing formal upper attire but with an informal lower half. Some could go as far as wearing flip flops when going to work for reasons that “it is summertime.”

Experts said that it is a common fact that the weather gets hotter during this time of the year but employees should never forget that they are still inside a business environment. Resorting to casual business attire is not that answer in combating weather. In fact, it could lead to negative evaluation reports about your conduct.

However, it always pays to ask a personnel or officer from the human resources department to determine what types of casual business attire is acceptable in the company. They could come up with standards in order for employees to be guided.

A number of companies these days are now letting go of the usual perception of “office attire” – that is to wear formal business attire. Thus, starting with the job interview, this kind of dress code is no longer a requisite.

The global financial crisis has challenged unemployed or those who were recently laid off from their jobs to find other opportunities. Purchasing an expensive business attire is pretty much not a priority among these people. However, experts say that this is not a good excuse to be more presentable during an interview.

The basic advice they could give among jobseekers is to ask for the dress code. If you are called for an interview, ask the person (usually a personnel from the Human Resources) what’s the appropriate dress to wear. It would be disadvantageous to wear flashy or very expensive clothes during the interview, as it gives an impression that you don’t need the job that much.

Having a proper dress code doesn’t guarantee the job but neatness and manners do. It shows that you are respectful to the interviewer, which could be your future boss, and that you are serious about getting the job.

Business casual clothing is neat, crisp and should look appropriate and suitable even when you meet your CEO by chance. It shouldn’t be something that looks like a party, a picnic or cocktail dress.

You should avoid baggy or tight clothing because business casual clothing is more of a classic than trendy. So here are the guidelines for you to follow:

The Basics of Business Casual Clothing

Buttoned solid shirt, pressed long sleeves, neatly pressed khaki trousers are safe and appropriate for men and women. Unwrinkled polo shirts are also an appropriate and perfect choice especially when you know that you are going to an outdoor location that is quite casual. This may not seem exciting attire but remember that you are trying to get a good judgment from the people in the business environment and not to stand out because of your cutting-edge look.

Belt/shoes:

It would be appropriate to wear leather belt and shoes. Do not ever wear athletic shoes.

Quality/cost:

It can be costly to buy the same clothes your CEO wears but it would be best if you could invest in quality casual clothing that you can wear in the first few years of your career.

Details:

Remember, everything should be well-pressed, clean and not a show-wear.

The fashion world is a continually changing entity that affects everything around it. When fashion ‘Da Vincis’ declare that Navy is the new Black – you can bet that everything from mobile phones to TV sets will be sporting the dark blue shade. The same goes for the business world. Gone are the boxy shapes and the enormous shoulder pads. Today’s business clothing is sleek, stylish, with understated elegance, Panache and more importantly – Today’s Business Clothing screams: I AM POWERFUL.

The world once fell in love with pink and black power suits with barely there hemlines from Chanel. Today, however, women are wearing more body conscious business clothing. Black is still a staple, but pops of color can be seen everywhere. Bright yellows and verdant greens accentuate the basic black suit. Women’s business clothing today no longer just say: “Look at me, I look beautiful!” Today’s clothes declare: “I’m your boss, I still look feminine and I’m here to stay!”

Men’s business clothing has also evolved. Gone are the boxy shapes and the fat sleeves. Today, men are wearing fitted one button jackets over sleek, neatly pressed trousers. The skinny tie is back too, but the half and full Windsor knots are still tie standards. A lot of men have also said goodbye to the three piece suits. Today’s businessman is not afraid to wear his suit jacket over jeans and loafers for a business lunch or a night on the town.

Along with the magazines and papers, the other source of information is the internet. Now, one can browse through such websites which can guide him or her to proper business clothes. These websites can tell a person when to dress in a business casual. There are business casual guidelines for both men and women on the site.

Certain specifications for women and men are also found on such website. For instance, women are recommended not to confuse the club attire with the business clothes. There are some interesting tips on business clothes which a woman should wear. This includes the pants or the skirts, the length of the skirt and the slits, shirt, sweaters and the accessories which are to be worn on the business clothes. Even, the cosmetics with the business clothes are focused point on the website. The shoes and the way one has to walk are also provided on the website. Moreover, the purse which complements with the business clothes is also highlighted. Thus, the websites provide a good source of information to both men and women. There are also grooming tips along with guidelines on the website for the business people. A person can surely go through the website for further tips too.

The world of business has undergone rapid changes and it has made huge strides in almost every department. Business has gone global in every sense of the world and the business world has diversified into many different sectors. The participation of women in the business world is at an all time high and women are breaking all records and successfully working at almost every position from the bottom to the top of the business establishment. Business clothing has also undergone a lot of changes and especially so the business apparel of women. The traditional business attire of women has been a skirt or trousers and a formal shirt.

Business clothes for woman have come a long way since their inception. The conventional skirt and shirt have undergone a lot of modifications. There are new variants of skirts and trousers which are more trendy and stylish. The drab and the dull colours are being gradually phased out and in their place vibrant and eye catching colours are coming in. The business suit or the power suit is also in vogue. Pinstriped or dark colours are in and are proving to be a hit. The jacket has also assumed a lot of importance in women’s business clothing. A jacket can be paired with a skirt or a pair of formal trousers and a shirt to match and can create a very stylish and sharp outfit.