Business professional attire is the most formal of business dress codes. This is common in conservative industries like law, finance, accounting, and some government positions. Women in these jobs must be more or less uniform with the men that they work with. This means that you will generally be wearing either a tailored suit or a dress and accompanying structured jacket. Business casual is probably the most common type of business attire in the modern day. Casual, however, is a bit of a misnomer here. You’ll typically want to be wearing either a collared shirt or sweater with dress pants or chinos. It’s also appropriate to wear a professional-looking dress or skirt and blouse, but make sure that the piece is knee-length or longer. Truly casual attire is rare in any workplace; even “casual Friday” or “no dress code” generally means that you should strive for the lower end of business casual. If, however, you work for a software company or some other progressive company, you may be able to wear casual clothing to work. This means jeans and a t-shirt or, frankly, whatever you want. [1] X Research source
Your dresses and clothes are not too tight or revealing. For business professional workplaces, be sure that your dresses or shirts cover your arms and do not have revealing necklines. In all workplaces, be sure that your clothing is not see-through or too tight. [2] X Research source Your clothes are of high quality, or at least not of obviously low quality. Think of your clothing as an investment in your career; you should want to present your best self in the workplace. You’ll want to budget about $300-$500 for medium-range clothing or about $2000 for higher end clothing. [3] X Research source Your clothes fit and are neatly ironed. This may require some tailoring and dry cleaning. You’ve bought enough outfits to not repeat one in a week. This is important as people will notice if you frequently wear the same thing.
It’s ok to have some louder statement pieces in a business casual environment, just be sure to match them with more conservative pieces. Every businesswoman needs a crisp white shirt, like a white button-down. [4] X Expert Source Candace HannaProfessional Stylist Expert Interview. 12 April 2019. You should also have a black blazer, a black or grey pencil skirt, and some black or grey slacks. [5] X Expert Source Candace HannaProfessional Stylist Expert Interview. 12 April 2019. A sophisticated, work-appropriate black dress also works great. [6] X Expert Source Candace HannaProfessional Stylist Expert Interview. 12 April 2019.
Avoid shoes that hinder walking quickly. [7] X Research source Women should also wear hosiery when wearing a skirt. This should be the same shade or lighter than your outfit. Wear skin-toned hosiery when wearing short-sleeves.
Pearls are always a safe, conservative choice for both necklaces and earrings. [10] X Research source
