How to dress appropriately for work

How to dress appropriately for work

A majority of people can find it challenging to know the attire to wear while going to work. This is particularly true when you are new in a certain industry or a workplace. Diverse industries have diverse requirements and expectations. For instance, while working at a law firm, you might be needed to wear more formally than when working at a tech company.  When in a circumstance that you aren’t sure of the dress code to wear, the best that you can do is to observe how workmates are dressing and adjust your wardrobe accordingly. When buying your clothes, ensure that you go for quality pieces. Buying from reputable shops is the best way to guarantee that you will get quality clothes. Use review sites such as UK.collected.reviews to look at consumer feedback about webshops before making your purchase. This way, it will be possible to select reputable shops. This article offers a guide that will help you to dress appropriately for work.

There are four major dress codes for the workplace, these are

Business formal: 

This is also referred to as the boardroom dress. It is the highest dressing level for work. It is the dress code of those who will regularly meet with executives. It is also common in the legal field. Business formal comprises of almost identical wear for both men and women. It will include tailored grey, black or navy blue suits. Men should include modest ties. For shoes, it entails neutral coloured closed-toe shoes. For women, their business formal must include conservative accessories. Men should have well-groomed hair and a conservative style.

Business professional: 

Though business professional is a step down from business formal, it still retains a neat and traditional style. It allows for more flexibility with patterns and colours. For men, it entails wearing conservatively coloured suits, but the suits are allowed to have patterns. This dress code also allows men to wear lighter coloured and neatly pressed pants and a sports blazer. Ensure to keep all accessories high-end and have collared and buttoned-up shirts. For shoes, keep them conservative. Women can wear a jacket and a skirt with neutral colours or a suit. They should have buttoned-up collared shirts and closed-toe shoes with a neutral colour. More conspicuous jewellery of high quality and one which doesn’t distract is allowed. Keep nails and hairs neat and well-groomed. 

Business casual: 

Business casual is the most common type of dress in a normal office. It does not have a single concrete definition, and in different offices, it has varied meaning. Typically it is characterized by having more accessories and colours. Men can wear a collared shirt of any colour and are free to include or not include a tie as per their wish. Ties and shirt can possess patterns. It is also acceptable to wear sweaters and pullovers overs shirts. Dress pants and khakis can be part of your attire, and you can choose to either wear them without or with a jacket. For women, they can opt to go for business separates in the place of suits. You can wear collared blouses and shirts with khakis or slacks. You can also include large jewellery and more comfortable shoes.

Casual wear: 

You must be very careful with casual wear as it is not allowed in many offices and workplaces. And when you find workplaces that allow it, always be cautious not to be too casual. For men, casual wear should entail casual pants, but they must be careful not to wear jeans unless permitted to do so. Pullovers, crewneck, and polos are permitted in multiple patterns and colours. Hair can also be casual, and sneakers and casual accessories can be worn. For women, it can include fitting tops that aren’t too tight. Skirts, slacks and probably jeans are permitted. Casual accessories and open toes shoes are also allowed.

Dressing for success in the office

Below are some tips that will help you to dress while in the business environment appropriately:

  1. Always be neat: Even when your workplace allows you to wear casually, make sure that your clothes are wrinkle-free and clean.
  2. Take a hint from those in charge: When you are in a new workplace, you can observe the company’s management and be inspired by what they wear. 
  3. Think of your schedule: If you have an important board meeting, avoid casual wear. Instead, go for formal wear.

In conclusion, wearing appropriately for work is very important. However, it can be hard, especially for new employees, to know the workplace’s appropriate attire. This article has made it easy to select the appropriate attire for the workplace.