Page 198 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

BUSINESS ATTIRE
AND DRESS CODES
story Barbara Travis
SHOPPING
FOCUS ON FASHION:
Women in business have a common challenge: how to dress for work to show they mean business. The trick is to strike a professional balance between comfort and style. Leaning too far either way can set the
stage for not being taken seriously. Whether the workplace dress code
is business formal, business casual, work leisure, or somewhere in between, following a few simple rules can eliminate workwear mistakes and perhaps earn extra admiration, respect, and approval points from co-workers. Here’s the thing – first impressions count, but on-going, everyday impressions stick like glue. Take business fashion heed.
BUSINESS FORMAL
For women working in professional offices dealing with executives and high-level clients, separates work best. Solid color skirts, pants, dresses, and jackets in dark colors still rule as the
most professional choices. Basic pieces in black, navy, or brown never disappoint and are the backbone of a dependable business formal wardrobe. Dark separates are best paired with neutral shirts, blouses, conservative accessories, and classic, understated jewelry. Footwear, whether flats or heels, should be closed- toe versions on the job. Flats are fine for comfort, but mid-to-low heels designate authority. Save those sandals, stilettos, and embellishments for after-five wear. The formal office dress goal is to present a chic, polished look reflecting your position and the position to which you aspire. You’ve heard that before, right?
BUSINESS CASUAL CASUAL
198 | September 2022
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
In today’s world of work, the business casual category is most common and includes a wide variety of settings. Most of us fit into and embrace this category because it allows added color, flexibility, and individuality while maintaining professional appearance. The advice
here is to lean more to the business than the casual side. For example, if jeans
are allowed in your business casual environment, take the conservative dark colored, straight leg, or boot-cut route; stay away from light colors, distressed, too-tight, or too-loose styles. Take advantage of denim comfort, but rock it with a bright colored top, a blazer, and fun accessories. The other sage piece of advice is to stay covered. Avoid sleeveless, too short, too revealing, too tight anything. Note to self: that’s not business casual; that’s business distraction.
This category is most applicable to
those in creative industries and most perplexing because it attracts the most misinterpretation. Unfortunately, many creatives interpret work casual as totally relaxed and unencumbered. What?
We’re on the job, people – not at home kicking back. Many of us became so accustomed to working from home during the pandemic that we may have forgotten the power of proper dressing for leisurely work. Listen up! Proper jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts are fine and acceptable for creative work, but only if they look good enough for you to wear to meet your best client or to court a new one. And then there’s the crazy question of how to tuck your casual shirt for maximum impact.
Is full-tuck or half-tuck best? Here's a hint: Do what works for you! You’re the creative!