Dress for Success BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL Business professional attire is a staple of the interview room and more traditional workplace settings. You should assume, unless otherwise stated, that business professional is the go to attire for your interview. With that being said, you will want to begin your investment in appropriate clothes early. Simply stated, business professional is expensive and you will want to invest in quality clothes to get the maximum wear and use. Guidelines: • You will want to invest in a conservative dark colored suit (i.e. matching tops and bottoms). Look for colors like charcoal, dark grey, and black. • Dress shirt/blouse should appropriately compliment your selected suite (solid and muted colors being ideal) • Shoes should be closed, and coordinated appropriately with your outfit. A good polishing is a good idea to add that extra touch to your outfit • Socks/stocking/hosiery, contrary to prevailing fashion trends, should match your outfit for the day
BUSINESS CASUAL Business casual is the go to clothing standard for many offices and professional events. However, unlike business professional, with its very clear guidelines for dress, business casual is a varying and highly particular to the specific culture present. You can look for more opportunity to express personal style and preferences, within reason. Remember it is, after all, dressing for professional engagement not leisure. Business casual can fluctuate from situation to situation and office to office, when in doubt ask someone familiar with the office or event, but below will find some general assistance and advice. Guidelines: • Embrace color and pattern with shirts/blouses within reason. In some instances golf shirts could also be appropriate for every day wear • More casual khaki pants, and similar fabrics, are often allowed. However, blue jeans/denim may only be allowed on special events or occasions. • Shoes no longer need to shined to a mirror finish. Loafers, flats, boots, and even tennis shoes may be appropriate for your office setting. Take your cue from your peers
• Hair should be styled conservatively and cleanly
IN GENERAL • Be miserly with your application of cologne/perfume. Antiperspirant is often sufficient for odor control. Do not assume everyone finds your signature scent as delightful as you do. • Accessories should be kept to a minimum. Jingling as you move about should be reserved for Santa’s reindeer, not a professional in the workplace. • As a rule, the later in the evening an event takes place, the more formal the occasion. The more formal the event the darker and longer the outfit should be (e.g. tuxedo black and evening gowns respectively) • For day to day clothing expectations, be sure to read your employee handbook, and always use sound judgement when making selections
40