Dress for Success

Dress for Success

Putting on the the right business attire will get you on track to success. In this lesson, learn the basics of accepted office attire.

Why All the Fuss About Dress When Companies Are Going Business Casual?
As the business world changes, many of the formal office dress codes of yesteryear are becoming more relaxed. Depending on the type of business setting you work in, you may see extremely casually dressed people all around you. But don't kid yourself -- people still judge you by your clothes. It's part of that critical first impression. And first impressions are difficult to change.

Obviously, you must follow a dress code if your company has formal guidelines. But in many offices these days, the "What do I wear?" decision is a strictly personal decision. When you're dressing for the "new" business world, keeping the following two rules in mind should help simplify your decisions:

1. Dress according to your corporate culture.
2. Dress like the people with whom you are doing business.

Dress According to Your Corporate Culture

How you dress at work depends largely upon your industry, the amount of client contact you have, and the overall culture of your company.
How do you know what your corporate culture dictates? At some companies, your employee handbook will cover the topic of appropriate office attire. If your handbook doesn't cover this or you are still unsure, you can always ask your supervisor about appropriate dress.

Dress According to the Position You Want in the Company

If your company doesn't cover dress in its employee handbook, look around at other people in your office. Here's a hint if you want to get ahead: dress like the people one level higher than your position. If you're a front-line employee and want to advance, dress like your supervisor. If you're a middle manager and want to move up, dress like upper management.
You'll Never Go Wrong with This Advice


Business Dress for Women
Here are some key points women should keep in mind when making decisions about appropriate business attire:
1 Understatement is the hallmark of the well-dressed. Generally, five minutes after a business meeting, your associates should not be able to remember what you were wearing. They should be able to remember that you were well-dressed. If people remember your clothes, then your clothes are making the statement -- not you.

2 Mirror Your Company's Image. Even if it's casual Friday, if you're expecting a client at your office, or you're going out of the office to meet clients -- keep in mind that you are a reflection of your company. Always look your best when meeting with clients and customers.

3 Be Neat. You can wear a $600 skirt suit, but if your blouse is wrinkled or there's a grease spot on your jacket, you've just blown your professional image.

4 Don't Be Revealing. Whether intentional or not, blouses that are too low cut, slacks that are too tight, and dresses or blouses that are transparent send a strong non-verbal message: that you're not authoritative, competent, or reliable.

5 Dress for Daytime. If you have an after-work engagement, bring a change of clothes to the office and go to the restroom and change after work. Wearing eveningwear to work is always a bad idea.
6 Avoid Tackiness and Trends. Colors that are too loud, fabrics that are non-traditional, and extremely trendy clothing send a message that you either don't care about proper business dress or you don't know what proper business attire is. Either way, you lose credibility.

Business Dress for Men
Believe it or not, there are more rules for office dress for men than there are for women. One of the most often-overlooked aspects of men's business attire is accessories.

1 The Tie. This traditionally has been considered the most important accessory for men. Some people maintain a tie should express your individuality; others advise being safe and conservative with your tie choices for business. (The guideline here is the same as for women's business attire: people will always forgive you for being too conservative, but few people will forgive you for not being conservative enough in most business situations.) Keep your tie width in line with the width of your lapel; wear wide ties with a wider lapel, narrower ties with narrower lapels.

2 Hats. Hats carry more connotations than any other accessory. Choose a hat style that looks good on you. The only exception: never wear a baseball cap to the office.

3 Belts and Suspenders. Coordinate belts with shoe color. The widest acceptable width for the office is one-and-a-quarter inches. Suspenders are meant as an alternative to a belt -- not an addition. Coordinate suspenders to the tie. How wild you get with patterns and colors is dictated by your corporate culture.

4 Jewelry. Less is more. A wedding ring, a watch, and perhaps one other ring (such as signet or family crest) are acceptable. Bracelets and neck chains are rarely acceptable in any business setting.

5 Eyeglasses. Don't let your frames date you. Choose updated styles that go well with your face shape.

6 Umbrellas, Wallets, and Pens. The black umbrella is still best for business; leave the bright-colored ones for casual weekends. Wallets should be thin, of high-quality leather, and dark in color. And, don't opt for a $1 plastic ballpoint pen. Choose a writing instrument of high quality.

7 How Much Hair? The clean-shaven look is still preferred in most workplaces. However, a well-trimmed beard is usually acceptable.

The Difference Between Casual, Business Casual, and Formal Business Attire

Many people are confused -- and rightly so -- about what is appropriate for "business casual" attire. Below are some general definitions and when to use each type of attire.

Casual Attire.
Casual attire usually refers to clothing worn when relaxing on weekends or your days off. This includes worn blue jeans, inappropriate shorts, sandals, sweat suits, T-shirts with slogans, tank tops, and cut-offs. Unless you're at a company picnic, casual attire is not acceptable at the office or on so-called "casual Fridays."

Business Casual.
Business casual refers to clothing that portrays a professional, yet relaxed image. Clothing that falls into this category includes: dress slacks, shirts with a collar, mock turtlenecks, khakis, and loafers for men; low-heeled dress shoes, casual blouses, and casual fabrics for women. It does not include bare feet in shoes -- even though this has become trendy on the East Coast. (Men and women should always wear socks or hosiery -- even on casual Fridays.)

And a word about grooming on business casual days -- just because the dress code is slightly relaxed doesn't mean you can relax your hygiene or grooming.

Formal Business Attire. This refers to the traditional business suit for men and the skirt or pantsuit for women. Formal business attire is appropriate when meeting with customers or clients, or if you work in an industry (such as banking, finance, or law) that dictates formal business dress.