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Business Dress

A few decades ago, the rules of business dress were simple: business suits for men and women. In recent years, the dress codes in many industries and companies have relaxed, giving employees greater freedom to choose what to wear to work. Most employees welcome this freedom, but it does require you to be more attuned to dressing right for every situation, both inside and out of the office.

Business Dress Basics

Though there’s no longer one single standard of business dress, there are still general guidelines you should follow:

Follow the dress code: Many workplaces have abandoned written dress codes (though if yours has one you should follow it closely). Instead, observe the people around you and try to dress in a similar fashion.
Subtlety is the best policy: Creativity and individuality are great, but if your dress makes you stand out at work, your coworkers might take that as a sign that you don’t respect the company or its culture. Unless you work in a very progressive field, visible tattoos and multiple piercings could also be a problem.
Remember who you work for: When you meet with clients or associates from outside your company, they see you as a representative of your company. For these kinds of meetings, you may want to dress more formally than you would for an ordinary day at the office.
Dress for promotion: Dress as if you already have the job you want to get. Looking the part will help others imagine you in the part.
Practice good hygiene: Bathe daily, wear deodorant, and keep your clothes clean.
Look tidy: Style and trim your hair (including facial hair), keep your nails clean, and don’t wear clothes with wrinkles or holes.
Limit makeup and fragrance: Too much makeup can make you look fake, while too much perfume or cologne can be overpowering and unpleasant.
Cover up: Avoid overly tight, short, low-cut, or revealing clothes.

Traditional Business Attire

If you work in an office where the dress code is traditional, or if you’re meeting with clients or associates who tend to dress traditionally, you should dress accordingly. In general, the fields of finance, healthcare, insurance, and law are more traditional, while entertainment, media, fashion, publicity, and technology are less so. Even if your particular job will never require you to dress in a traditional business suit, it still helps to know the rules of traditional business dress for comparison purposes.

Clothes	Men	Women
Suit	Wool or cotton in dark colors, tan, beige, or gray. Subtle pinstripes are okay, but shiny and pastel aren’t.	Tailored, classic suits in wool, cotton, or linen. Dark colors are the most formal. Skirts should be hemmed around the knee.
Shirt	Long-sleeved white or light-blue shirts. Choose spread or point collars.	White, cream, or any understated color that coordinates with your suit.
Tie or scarf	Should be silk, understated, coordinate with your suit and shirt, and stop at the top of your belt.	Cashmere, wool, or silk. Should be understated in color and tied neatly.
Socks or hosiery	Should be dark, match your pants, and cover your calves when you sit.	Should be subtle. Avoid patterns.
Shoes	Oxfords, wingtips, or loafers coordinated with your suit (black with black, gray, and navy; brown with tan or brown).	Low-heeled pumps (about 1–2").
Jewelry	A wedding and/or class ring and a simple watch. Other jewelry should be subtle, if worn at all.	Small, classic pieces such as pearl studs or a delicate gold chain.
Belt	Should coordinate with your shoes, be made of leather, and be no wider than 1 1/4". Use a simple buckle only.	Belts should be subtle. Metallic buckles should coordinate with your jewelry.
Outerwear	Full-length overcoat or knee-length peacoat or parka.	A simple, dark-colored wool or twill overcoat.
Bag	Laptop case or leather briefcase.	Simple, subtle, and well made.

Business Casual and Casual Fridays

Many businesses have adopted a less formal dress code called business casual. Some businesses follow business casual guidelines year round, while others institute them only in the summer or on casual Fridays.

Clothes	Men	Women
Tops	Blazers or sport coats Button-down shirts Polo shirts Sweaters	Blazers with knit tops Twin sets Simple sweaters Blouses
Bottoms	Khaki or flannel pants Nice jeans (if allowed)	Wool or cotton pants in muted colors Simple skirts in dark colors or subtle prints Nice jeans (if allowed)
Shoes	Brown leather shoes Nice sneakers (if allowed)	Open-toed heels Slingbacks Loafers Flats Nice sneakers (if allowed)