“Dressing well is a kind of good manners, if you ask me. When you’re standing in a room, your effect is the same as a chair’s effect, or a sculpture’s. You’re part of someone’s view, you’re part of that world, and so you should dress well. I find it’s a show of respect to try to put on your best face and look as good as you can.” - Tom Ford

PROPER DRESS ATTIRE

Business Attire

Traditional businessMen: Includes business suits, dress shirts, and ties. Leather shoes ( closed toed) socksWomen: Includes business orientation suit, both

skirted suits and tailored pantsuits. Leather shoes ( closed heel) Stockings/ hosiery

Business formal a subset of traditional business attire, yet, it has specific requirements just one step down from tuxedos, such as dark tailored suits for men and women. This level of dress is often requested for Award dinners, political events, and a variety of dressy evening business occasions that are not black-tie.

Men: Men should wear white shirts longs sleeves (French

cuff style) . Cufflinks – a paired of linked buttons used to

fastened cuff shirt. Silk ties and pocket squares (silk or linen) Leather shoes.

Women: Women should wear skirted suits. Hosiery/ stockings. Closed-toe/closed heel pumps.

General Business attire category is a mere mini step away from the Traditional Business classification.

Men: In this category still demands a tie. It is till worn with a dress shirt. Instead of a suit this category includes a

tailored sports coat worn with trousers.

Women: It includes tailored pantsuits, businesslike

dresses, and coordinated dressy separates. When wearing separates, tailored jackets

are required. Separates is a garments to be worn in various combination such as skirts and blouses.

Business Casual has partially supplanted business formal attire wear suits and neckties, sometimes called international standard business attire, which was previously the standard apparel for managers and professionals. When to dress business casual? Some career and jobs fair — attire should be specified in the promotional materials for each fair.  Note that some fairs suggest or require interview attire

Specifics for men Business Casual

Ties (optional) Shirts - Long-sleeved shirts are

considered dressier than short-sleeved and are appropriate even in summer. Choosing white or light blue solid, or conservative stripes is your safest bet. Polo shirts are acceptable in more casual situations.

Socks-Wear dark socks, mid-calf length so no skin is visible when you sit down.

Shoes- Leather shoes should be worn. No sandals, athletic shoes or hiking boots.

Facial hair- Facial hair, if worn, should be well-groomed. Know your industry and how conservative it is; observe men in your industry if you are unsure what's appropriate or are considering changing your look.

Jewelry- Wear a conservative watch.  If you choose to wear other jewelry, be conservative.

Specifics for women Business Casual

Pants / skirts- Women can wear casual pants or skirts. Neither should be tight. Fabrics should be crisp; colors should generally be solid; navy, black, gray, brown and khaki are always safe bets. For the most business-like appearance, pants should be creased and tailored; neither extreme of tight or flowing.

Skirt length and slits- Your skirt should come at

least to your knees while you are standing. While you are seated, your thighs should be covered. If your skirt comes to just below the knee, a slit to just above the knee might be acceptable. A very long skirt should not be slit to above the knee. Generally slits in the center back of a skirt — to facilitate walking a stair climbing — are acceptable.

Shirt / sweaters- In addition to tailored shirts or blouses, tailored knit sweaters and sweater sets are appropriate business casual choices for women. Cotton, silk, and blends are appropriate.

Jewelry / accessories- Wear a conservative watch.  Jewelry and scarf styles come and go. Keep your choices simple and leaning toward conservative.

Cosmetics- Keep makeup conservative and natural looking. A little is usually better than none for a polished look. Nails should be clean and well groomed.

Shoes- Should be leather or fabric / microfiber. Appropriate colors are black, navy and brown (to coordinate with your other attire and accessories); white and pastels are not appropriate. For the most conservative look, toes should be covered. Thin straps and high heels are not appropriate.

Purse / bag- If you carry a purse, keep it small and simple, or carry a small briefcase or business-like tote bag in place of a purse. A structured bag tends to look more professional that something soft or floppy. Purse/bag color should coordinate with your shoes. Leather, microfiber and fine woven's are appropriate.

Casual Attire is the dress code which emphasizes comfort and personal expression over presentation and uniformity.

Active Casual- The appropriate clothing for these activities clearly indicates that you have been physically active. This type of casual wear is called Active Casual.  Jogging suits, warm-ups, wind suits, running shorts, tennis skirts, biking shorts, leggings, leotards, snow-ski garb, etc. exemplify this classification.

Rugged Casual- You have chosen to wear your heavy socks and a hiking-type boot, a flannel shirt with jeans or heavy khakis, a camouflage shirt, or a sweater  topped with an insulated parka. You are dressed in Rugged Casual attire.  The Rugged Casual category draws garments from the typical apparel of the more outdoorsy sports, like hunting, fishing, backpacking, rock climbing, etc.

6 Categories of Casual

Sporty Casual-wearing cotton pants, shorts, or jeans, a heavyweight T- or sweat shirt, a button-down or polo-style shirt, a belt, and tennis shoes. This category is not about playing a sport, but more about the relaxed look of a spectator.

Smart Casual- This category demands a pulled-together, harmonious, complete look with colors, fabrics, shoes, and accessories, for both men and women.

Dressy Casual- Dressy Casual (Casual Elegance), which is similar to Smart Casual, with no jeans. Dressy Casual demands that the outfit be well-coordinated and accessorized.  

Business Casual

Formal Attire

Formal dress and formal wear are the general terms for clothing suitable for formal social events, such as a wedding, formal garden party or dinner, débutante cotillion, dance. The Western style of formal evening dress, characterized by black and white garments, has spread through many countries; it is almost always the standard formal social dress in countries without a formal national costume.

The dress codes considered formal in the evening are white tie and black tie. In the UK, morning dress is standard formal day time clothing but in the US/Canada morning dress is rare, having been replaced with the stroller and then the lounge, or business, suit