Dressing for Business Meetings
The corporate culture has gone under major transformations since the last decade. Globalization has affected workplace environment, work-schedules, compensation packages, hiring practices; basically the overall corporate structure. The appearance of the office-goer has also undergone drastic transformations. Today it’s a thing of past when almost everybody had the same understanding of business attire.
Young professionals and entrepreneurs of California's Silicon Valley refused to wear business suits and often showed up at work in denim jeans and cotton T-shirts. The trend spread across the world to various types of businesses throughout the 1990s, and finally struck the most buttoned-down, old school firms.
Over the years, people across the world have come to a common consensus that’s when it comes to dressing for business meetings; no matter what you wear the apparel must project the right professional attitude and aptitude. Basically, dress for success - nothing less.
It may be hard to know exactly what to wear to a business meeting. Is it casual? Is it black tie? Is it somewhere in between? Most likely, one won't know for sure until they have arrived. This is why dressing well has becomes important.
For most business meetings, the clean look is preferred over the casual unkempt one. Clothes should be dry cleaned and pressed; shoes should be shined and last but not least ensure that the fingernails are trimmed. Power dressing is very important for such meetings because those attending are actually representing the organizations they belong to. Image is one of the most important characteristics of any business, so it’s imperative that one dresses well so as to project a positive and impressive image of the company. If dressed well even one’s demeanor undergoes a change for the positive which is also very important.
So how do you dress for a business meeting?
Here are a few easy rules to live and dress by:
Shirts – Opt for an elegant crisp white shirt, if color is your thing then pick sublime pastels that look refreshing and sophisticated. There is a wide range of casual and formal shirts available in fine stripes, multi-stripes, bold stripes, graded or graduated stripes to choose from. One could even choose to sport a plain shirt with short sleeves, oxford style or herringbone or even the classic plain shirt that suits a man of any age perfectly. One of the best places to find quality shirts online for corporate dressing is www.raelbrookshirts.co.uk. Rael Brook Shirts are world leaders in Corporate Shirts for Men, established since the 1960’s; they offer a wide range of formal, plain and casual shirts for corporate dressing.
Suits – Unless you’re interviewing in a field where a suit would look out of place, wear one. At most places wear dark colors: blue, black, brown or gray.
Pants – make sure they rest at the waist and are long enough to ensure a slight break before the bottom rests on the top of the shoe. If they bunch up at the bottom, they are too long. Pants with pleats are no longer in fashion so wear your pants with flat fronts.
Ties –Choose a traditional silk tie, no loud colors or patterns. Your tie should coordinate with your attire. Avoid ties with images and designer logos.
Socks – Choose a color that coordinates with your suit (usually black, dark gray, dark brown, or dark blue). Socks should be long enough not to expose your skin.
Shoes – Make sure the shoes are polished and shined and that the heels are in tack. Avoid wearing boots instead wear dress shoes that coordinates with your attire. The colour of your shoes should always match or at least compliment the colour of your belt.
Jewelry and Cologne – Less is better. Do not wear more than a ring.
Last but not least always remember to aim for a classic and understated look while selecting corporate wear. Pick clothing that is comfortable yet which communicates a professional attitude. Caution is always advisable so go for a trusted brand, if all the clothes and accessories can be brought at one place without burdening the pocket - go for it. Once of best places to pick up Corporate Shirts online is http://www.raelrbookshirts.co.uk, a band exclusively dedicated to Mens Dress Shirts for Corporate Dressing.
