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.

According to a recent article in the ‘Style’ section of a broad sheet newspaper, the 3-piece suit is returning to grace ladies’ fashions.  

Owning a 3-piece suit does not mean having to wear all three pieces together.  The waistcoat is versatile and can be worn with effect under a coat without the bulk of a jacket.  In the daytime, a waistcoat will look charming with an item of knitwear such as a thin jumper, or a stark white shirt. 

A high street 3-piece suit will vary in quality according to the tailoring.  For women who do not possess angular, ‘androgynous’ figures it is worth visiting fashion stores that specialize in making jackets and waistcoats for more curvy figures.  In this instance, the customer is professionally measured by a trained style adviser.  A made-to-measure jacket or waistcoat may need a few adjustments at the final fitting but the shop will then be able to keep those measurements on file to be used at a future date. 

We need only to think back to 1971 and the wedding of Mick Jagger, to agree that the white maxi skirt and jacket that Bianca wore, designed by Tommy Nuttall, was a chic outfit in which to be married.

Business clothing giant Marks & Spencer PLC has hired a new chief executive in the name of Marc Bolland, who happens to come from rival William Morrison Supermarkets PLC.

The 50-year old Dutchman will be taking over the business effective immediately. Marks & Spencer is a 125-year old department store chains that has expanded to other businesses such as high-end food stores.

The new chief executive will now have his hands full when it comes to challenging the younger shoppers to purchase the store’s products. Marks & Spencer currently has 1,010 stores and last year posted £9.1 billion in revenues.

Bolland has successfully boosted the market share and sales of William Morrisons for the past three years and that experience had caught the eye of Marks & Spencer’s officials. He’s also chosen among the many aspirants due to his marketing experiences, among others.

The Nashua Salvation Army is currently conducting its Dress for Success Program which ends on August 15. This is part of the organization’s summer initiative.

Aspiring employees can simply go to the program center located at Montgomery Avenue to get their free women’s and men’s business clothing in order for them to sport on a respectable image whenever the go on job interviews or job fairs.

Nashua Salvation Army CEO Maj. Carl Carvill said that aside from basic commodities, people these days are finding employment because they may have been those who were let go in their former companies. The global financial crisis has simply affected everyone.

The women’s and men’s business clothing provided are guaranteed clean thanks to the efforts provided by local cleaning companies such as Anton’s Cleaners, Dave’s Dry Cleaner and True Blue Cleaners.

The Salvation Army is still continuing accepting donations from kind-hearted individuals. The volunteers said that they need dress shirts, neckties, skirts, blouses, dresses and shoes.

Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman Tom Jenkins said that first impressions always matter when it comes to job interviews thus it is important for jobseekers to wear business clothing to exude professionalism and competency during the interview.

Husband-wife team Jim and Sandy Martin had decided to leave their respective great paying jobs in major companies to venture into selling eco-friendly business clothing to the public. When all was said and done, their decisions paid off thanks to the positive support of the customers to their undertaking.

Jim Martin used to work as an executive vice president for clothing manufacturer OshKosh B’Gosh while Sandy Martin was a high ranking executive for Kohl’s.

With these impressive backgrounds, one would think that the couple easily established their business clothing venture. However, it wasn’t a piece of cake at all.

In setting up the Green 3 Organic Apparel, the couple encountered resistance from the consumers at first considering that there are a lot of competitions in the market today. They decided to concentrate on small retailers and catalogs in order to entice the consumers to try on different products that aren’t usually sold in big retail stores.

Their efforts paid off. Currently on its third year, the Martins revealed that their sales have breached the $1 million mark and their workforce grew to 12 people despite the global financial crisis.

The couple is now considering the possibility of expanding their business clothing line with lingerie and accessoires in the future.

Jon Gosselin, a reality star from the top-rating show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” made media headlines after his recent trip from France with his new girlfriend. According to reports, the lovers were not simply having a vacation in Europe but rather having business transactions as well.

The father of ten and new beau Hailey Glassman were in French Riviera so that the former could finalize a lucrative deal to design his own line of children and business clothes. People Magazine reported that the deal was made with Christian Audigier, fashion designer for Ed Hardy.

Glassman will be helping with the design of the children and business clothes. The 22-year old is the daughter of the plastic surgeon who recently performed the tummy tuck surgery on Gosselin’s wife Kate. The couple has announced their separation and divorce earlier this year.

Gosselin told People that he and Hailey will be spearheading the designs.
Meanwhile, his eight kids will be modeling the said clothing line in advertisements set for release later this year.

People reported that Audigier personally approached Gosselin for this clothing deal after he noticed that the reality star had been wearing most of his products in the television series.

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.