Best Professional Outfits for Women
Business attire is a crucial aspect for a career-oriented person. For men and women alike, it is about creating the perfect balance between style and professionalism. It can be a daunting task considering that there are innumerable choices of workwear.
For women, especially, there are varied style choices making things even more tricky. To top it, you need to consider your body type and shape to find the perfect attire. To make things simpler, here’s a guide to address the various aspects of a woman’s professional business attire.
Table of Content
Understanding Professional Business Attire
Part of formal wear, professional business office wear is a dress code that is usually worn at corporate events, offices, official meetings, etc. While there are specific dress codes for men and women, the bottom line is that the dress should give a sophisticated and smart look.
These dresses are more on the traditional side and are used in conservative settings, probably like how you are expected to dress to Church. Think of dresses that are worn in government offices, by lawyers in the courtroom, in the finance or the hospitality industry, etc. Noticeably, the dresses are tailored to fit the person from head to toe.
A typical example of professional or official attire is a button-down shirt worn over formal trousers or skirts and matched with a blazer.
Formal business attire is different from business casual attire. The latter is more of a relaxed type, while formal attire is more on the sophisticated side.
Things to Remember About Your Attire
- Ensure that your dress fits you well. Either have your dress tailored, or if you buy off-the-rack, have a tailor do the seams to fit you flawlessly.
- It is not about the cost of the dress; rather, how good it looks on you. Cleanliness and ironed clothes make a difference!
- Ensure that your office dress is decent; it can accentuate your curves at the right places but should not be tantalizing and overtly suggestive.
- Shirts with buttons open or mini skirts exposing undergarments do not categorize as professional attire.
- While accessorizing, remember to keep it light. Do not overdo it. For women, professional office wear looks extremely chic with high heels. Keep the heels to a comfortable height.
Types of Professional Business Attire
Broadly, there are two types – business formal office wear and business casual office wear.
What Constitutes Business Formal Attire?
Business Suit
Business two and three pieces are the staple dresses of the formal office dress code. The elements of this code include a blazer matched with a skirt or a pair of pants. Importantly, the upper wear and the lower wear are in the same fabric and color.
in a formal setup, the best color to stick to is a neutral color tone like grey or black. Ladies should pay great attention to
- The fitting of the dress.
- The blazer shoulders. It should sit comfortably on the shoulder edges. No hanging shoulders, please.
- The blazer’s sleeve length. It is of the greatest importance. It should not go beyond the wrist.
- The length of the skirt. The skirt should typically end at the knees or the top of the knees, not any higher.
Remember, you should be able to button up the blazer comfortably in the front. When the blazer is buttoned up, it should not appear to be loose fitting with lots of space and room.
Your formal trousers should typically end at the ankle bone. If wearing heels, the trouser cuff can reach the midpoint of the heels. If wearing a skirt, ensure that there’s a slit at the skirt’s back. It will be a big help when you move around.
While there are umpteen styles and trends, the best pick is always the simple black or dark grey suit that is appropriate for all occasions.
Front-Button Shirt
it is considered to be the racehorse of your professional business outfit. Whether it is the designs, colors, or fabric, there are scores of options to pick from. When choosing a formal shirt, you need to stay focused on a few aspects. These are:
- For the hot season, the best choice is a pure cotton or cotton blend shirt.
- For the cold season, silk is a good choice. Synthetic materials like rayon are good too.
- For a formal official setting, conservative tones are ideal. Go in for colors like dark colors like black, green, burgundy, or blue. Light colors like pink, white, or blue look good too.
- Anything that is overtly bright, like neon, should be avoided.
- Plunging necklines are a big no-no.
Accessories
Dressing up for professional setups entails wearing and carrying the right accessories. For example, the ideal combination with your business formal attire is a set of pearls – earrings, and a delicate neckpiece. If budget is a constraint, go in for fake pearls.
A decent watch on the wrist completes the look. You can wear traditional analog watches or modern digital ones. Small, intricately-designed metallic wristwatches with leather straps are the best suited for the conservative look. If you are wearing your wedding or engagement ring, try to keep it simple, nothing flamboyant.
When it comes to your purse, investing in a premium-quality leather handbag is the ideal proposition. A good-sized handbag is just right because you can fit enough official documents and other stuff. Your professional purse looks good in blacks or browns, or any other neutral color.
Shoes
In the professional business dress code, footwear plays an equally significant role. The ideal match is a pair of front-closed or leather pump shoes, flat or with heels. Try and wear trendy footwear that is also comfortable and appropriate.
Whatever type you choose to wear, ensure that the pair is well-maintained. Torn, worn, dirty, and scuffed footwear is definitely going to get scorning looks from others around.
What Constitutes Business Casual Attire?
A casual dress gives your official attire an informal look. The dress code is not as strict as in the case of formal businesswear; rather, it’s quite relaxed. You can wear such dresses to the office or for a meeting if the code of conduct of your organization allows it. This kind of outfit is mostly allowed by companies on Fridays.
Dresses
Midis are your best friend if your office allows professional, casual dresses. You can pair up the dress with a blazer or a cardigan to give it a formal look. Slip dresses, A-line dresses, the sheath, or shift-cut dresses are perfect on such occasions. Avoid sleeveless dresses as they could look too casual and not really a part of business attire.
Skirts
If you wish to look like a professional and yet wear something informal, go in for skirts. Black A-line skirts almost tread the official line. Similarly, pencil skirts are a good option too. Be careful about the fabric – the best is either cotton-blend or wool-blend. Avoid denim, floral prints, and bright colors.
A Pair of Trousers
Trousers, tapering, or bootcut are a part of business casual attire, especially if it is not a part of any business suit. You need to pick pants that suit your body type. For example, flowing and wide-leg pants suit ladies with an apple shape. Smaller females can go in for tapered trousers.
- Avoid bright colors like neon, red, and orange. Patterns, loud prints, jeweled tones, etc., are a no-no.
- The best colors for an official setup are conservative colors like black, grey, navy blue, or subtle prints.
Tops and Blouses
Shirts and tops with sleeves look great with official casual skirts and pants. Avoid sleeveless tops or sheer blouses. If wearing a sleeveless blouse, try to carry a blazer on top. Fabrics that work best for the office are silk or rayon. Avoid prints and patterns; rather, stick to solid colors.
Cowl neck tops are ideal as officewear.
Accessories
There’s greater flexibility in choosing accessories with a business casual outfit. Anything that adds a pop of color to your dress and personality is good to go with; however, avoid large. pieces that are distracting or those that have bells etc., that make a sound when you move.
Chunky pieces are fine as long as they are sober and suit your outfit. Statement earrings and necklaces are hugely popular amongst women today. Not only are these affordable, but they also look stylish and add a zing to your presence. If wearing anklets, ensure that you opt for a pair of pants if it is a heavy design or wear a delicate piece that’s barely noticeable.
When wearing belts, try slender and delicate leather ones instead of funky, metallic, and big-sized ones. The purse is another area that you need to invest some time and money in. A fashionable handbag is fine, but nothing too casual, like totes. Avoid sling purses too. Organizer purses look elegant with your business casual dress.
Shoes
Colorful flats, studded closed shoes, embellished sandals, or heels are ideal footwear choices. The bottom line is that your footwear should be simple and not too flashy with frills, glitters, or ruffles. These can attract undue attention and make a not-so-nice impression about your professionalism.
Best Business Attire for Different Occasions
For the Office: The perfect outfit is the business suit. It’s comfortable, and you are not conscious when moving around, unlike a dress or a skirt and blouse.
For An Interview: You can try pants or skirts with a blazer. Keep a minimalist and conservative look with basic jewelry.
For A Cocktail: Dresses, skirts, and pants suit this occasion. Choose an outfit that adds to your personality. Avoid collared shirts with skirts or pants. Keep it a bit on the casual side.
Summer Attire: Choose lightweight fabrics. Keep a blazer handy even though you may not wear it in the office. For shoes, go with closed-toe styles for the perfect professional look.
Winter Attire: It’s cold outdoors, and you need to be dressed accordingly. Wear a sweater below your blazer. Turtleneck sweaters look flattering. Set aside your pumps and go in for boots instead. Buy a smart-looking coat. Your clothes should be made from heavier fabrics during this season.
How to Know What Type of Business Attire to Wear?
Before you go for the interview, check out the company’s website. Look at the ‘About Us’ and the ‘Gallery’ section. You can also check the social media pages of the company to get an idea about the dress code followed by existing employees. If you are not too sure, you can ask your HR recruiter for more information.
After joining the office, pay attention to what others wear and how your colleagues dress. You will also receive more information in the Employee Handbook that is usually provided by the Human Resources Department of your organization to new joiners.
During business meetings, you can take help from your colleagues. Thankfully, we live in a time when there are a plethora of choices as far as styles and designs are concerned. The dresses are available at various price points, online and offline. All of this should give you enough variations to look your stylish best and yet adhere to the strict dress code of the office.
Conclusion
Whether you are a newbie to the professional world or have been around for some time, it is crucial to invest in the right business attire to get noticed in the busy world. Dress is one of the most crucial aspects of the corporate world. The more attention you pay to what is expected, the faster you will get accustomed to the dress code.
