The mark of any sophisticated man is always his attire. Think about it: from across any room, before he can even say a word, a man’s selection of clothes and accessories always aims to paint a picture of how the man is towards the people he spends time with.
Naturally, the right business professional attire leaves little room for a bad first impression.
So, when you enter a boardroom or meet with a client, how will you dress? While some clothing choices depend on the occasion, overdressing is always a better idea than underdressing.
Having said that, a business professional attire is always a safe and fashionable choice for such situations. But how do you go about it?
How do you nail a business professional look regularly? In my blog, I’ve covered in detail the do’s and don’ts of a business professional fit, touching upon what isn’t business professional.
Stay tuned!
What Is A Business Professional Attire?
For most of the 20th and 21st centuries, business professional attire was limited to an office dress code. The focus? On keeping things simple and formal. Also, conveniently, there were only a few rules to remember.
Moreover, the modern approach to business professional attire leaves little room for interpretation but maintains a certain level of consistency across the board.
This includes:
- Any solid-colored suit, preferably in dark.
- Light or white-blue dress shirt with French or barrel cuffs.
- Coordinating ties, but with little or no pattern.
- Brown or black leather shoes, preferably loafers, derbys, or Oxfords.
- Matching belt.
- Subtle accessories.
On that note, the simplest iteration is a classic black or navy-blue suit and tie, paired with a white dress shirt. It’s a look that carries sophistication – and not just today, but always. Also, there’s no way you can go wrong with this look.
But navy or dark grey suits are acceptable options as well. Moreover, you can also try out subtle pinstripes if you want to experiment. Just remember that the primary purpose is to be simple, sleek, and understated.
What Isn’t A Business Professional Attire?
Our fashion-forward culture has several options. But only a few can meet the primary tenet of the entire business professional attire. Moreover, in most situations, a business professional avoids highly personalized items, bold choices, and any accessory that steals attention.
Apart from that, dressing informally at work has become very common – so much so that you should entirely avoid doing so at any workplace that needs professional or business formal dress codes.
On that note, this is not exactly business professional attire:
- Long-sleeve or short-sleeve tees.
- Denim.
- Casual jackets.
- Polos.
- Boots or sneakers.
While a smart casual work environment can use all these elements, including pairing them with relatively more formal clothes, a workplace with a business professional dress code only allows suits, dress shoes, and ties.
Business Professional Attire Dos:
Now that you have a big-picture view of the exact business professional attire, let’s discuss some intricacies. Although the purpose is to keep things straightforward and simple, getting the overall look right is all about checking the specifics.
Moreover, you need to remember these concepts, especially when you are starting to build a business professional’s wardrobe for investing in all the right places.
1. Get Your Fit Right:
A good suit is neither too tight nor too baggy. It has to be just the right amount of tight and loose – the perfect balance between the two.
So, the shoulder seams will sit properly, and there will be no fit-related wrinkling, especially on your waist and arms. Also, the length of your sleeves and pants must be appropriate.
Moreover, your shirt should not get puffy anywhere. This includes both your waistline and your shoulders. Also, you can hem your pants at a half (medium) break so that they’re not very short when you manage to sit down.
Additionally, remember that the purpose is to look clean, stylish, and sleek.
2. Keep Things Simple:
We have said this before, but it is worth repeating: a business professional’s attire can maintain simplicity. And that too at its core.
So, avoid wearing overstated or flashy cuts, patterns, and lapels. Remember, the cleaner you look, the simpler and more professional you will appear.
Also, understand that you can obviously experiment with subtle patterns and even a pinstripe suit. But in this context, don’t forget that if you want to play it safe, it’s best to leave out any bold textures or patterns. And it is best to stick to dark color options like dark grey, navy, or black.
3. Match Metals And Colors:
While choosing belts, ties, and shoes for your business professional suits, match patterns and colors.
For instance, if you are wearing a black suit with a white shirt, then you can opt for black leather shoes and a black belt. Plus, a watch band would be perfect to complete your look. Likewise, metals will also match.
4. Get Hold Of A Tailor:
Perhaps the most crucial and valuable investment while building your professional wardrobe is a tailor with great stitching skills.
Why? Because the correct length of your trousers and shirt sleeves doesn’t come directly from shops. Yep! For a clean and confident appearance, a properly tailored suit is your only option.
But obviously, these tailoring services usually go beyond the perfect cuff. Next to a completely custom suit, a properly tailored suit is your best shot at looking professional – and that too in any work setting.
5. Accessorize Conservatively:
You should have a similar focus on simplicity while planning your accessories. In more casual or celebratory settings, highly customized cufflinks, neckwear, jewellery, and watches are the best way of expressing your interests.
However, for business and professional requirements, leaving those personalized accessories at home and opting for a classic look is the best option.
Moreover, watches should usually be analogue, and mostly something simple – a dial on a leather band. But ensure it matches the shoes you are going to wear. Any high-quality diving watch accompanied by a silver-link band also looks great, though somewhat understated.
Also, it is best to avoid wearing any digital watch. For men’s accessories and jewellery, leave out rhinestones or jewels on cufflinks. Instead, focus on wearing monochrome pieces that have some embellishments.
Additionally, having silver knots on your cufflinks isn’t that flashy – rather, it’s eye-catching. Also, you can experiment with a tie bar or lapel, but it’s best to stick to a conservative sense of style.
Business Professional Attire Don’ts:
In contrast, there are some things that you almost shouldn’t do when it comes to building a professional wardrobe. Of course, there’s only some space for personalization, a business professional attire isn’t meant for breaking rules.
1. Neglect Your Overall Attire:
Always ensure that your shoes, shirts, and suits are clean. Moreover, for your suits, it’s best to opt for dry cleaning, especially if they are from lucrative labels. There’s no point trying to save some money by washing your expensive clothes at home.
At the very best, you can break down the different structural elements of what you are wearing. And at the worst, you can also ruin the dress fabric entirely.
Moreover, you should always press, iron, and steam your shirts to ensure they look tidy and clean. This is because stains mostly look immature, much like worn and scuffed shoes. Plus, your physical appearance is a reflection of all that you do, even if you aren’t aware of it.
Similarly, keeping your whole wardrobe tidy in good condition ensures that you care about the different details in all areas of your life.
2. Choose Bold Patterns And Colors:
There are certain occasions when a striking pattern or bold color seems appropriate. In fact, most professional situations aren’t those occasions. When you match your tie to the suit you are wearing, it looks good. But you can also opt for a complementary choice of color.
Also, you should opt for muted shirts, not vibrant ones. And while you can wear, add a pocket square to your look, go for something muted or white- it appears to be stylish, but it should never be more than something subtle.
3. Wearing Off The Rack:
It doesn’t matter if you do not have enough time – you should always visit a tailor with your suit. Moreover, it might be tempting to wear something off the rack, but it’s best to avoid the same.
This is because anything off the rack should come with sleeves and pant legs – and mostly it is by design. The best part? Your suit should definitely fit you properly, and any suit bought directly from a shop will fail to do you justice.
So, spend that money, take your time, and find an excellent tailor.
4. Including Flashy Accessories:
The purpose of wearing business professional attire isn’t show off your style or wealth. Rather, it is about showing your colleagues and clients that you are confident and serious.
For insurance, an expensive tie bar, cufflinks, or watch might pull off attention from the work at hand – this ends up defeating the whole purpose of having the meeting in the first place.
And It’s A Wrap!
Once you start building your wardrobe, start approaching your appearance with discernment and wisdom. Don’t forget to focus on your professional goals, instead of yout wardrobe. Moreover, it’s about looking sophisticated and clean, not just fashion-forward and garish.
Additionally, choose style items that speak a lot to your character. Remember that confidence is not just about looking good, but it does make a difference, certainly.
