It is difficult to decide if people don’t know what to wear to work or if they have lost sight of the importance of appearance to a proficient success- their profession.
Let’s take a trip right now to a busy restaurant at lunchtime, take a seat and then look around. What kind of people do you see around you? What are they wearing? Do you or do you not try to make a judgement about who they are, their line of business, their personalities and their competencies? Now think about how you feel when you are dressed in your usual business attire as opposed to casual dress.
Always remember that your choice of business apparel speaks about your professional behavior and credibility. With this in mind, 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 alliterate ominously 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 determining what to wear to work.
- Choose a conventional suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe (very stripe) or solid. The eminence of the material expresses as loud as the color hereby making the difference between sleaze and suave.
- The more design and color you add to your shirt, the more the attention is on your attire, rather than your professionalism. A compact white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look.
- When choosing your ties, avoid the caricature characters and go for simple and subtle ties if you want to enhance your credibility. Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric.
- Choosing a sock, always go for the calf-length socks or one that rises a little above your calf-length. Ensure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. A nippy glimpse of yourself in good light before heading out the door can save embarrassment later in the day. Always check for holes as well if you’ll be removing your shoes.
- Your shoes should be conservative, spotless and well polished without question. 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- especially that lady you will meet at the mall or the man who has the deal in his hands.
- Ensure your belts match or closely harmonize with your shoes. Once again, quality counts.
- 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. The rule is to keep jewelry to a minimum.
- Personal hygiene is part of the success equation. Don’t cover yourself up in fragrances, always make sure you scrub and get rid of any body odor that you know, or didn’t know existed because freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced any day of the week.
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 a pen which totally is in no accordance with your professionalism.
Quality matters – any time any day.
Photo-Credit: www.trendvogue.net