If you look at the work attire for men in the past and this modern setting, you can see a difference. Professional attires were limited to business suits and ties last 50 years ago. However, in recent decades, business casual or business smart attires have come into the picture.
Currently, some offices even introduce dress-down days at least once a week to give their workers more liberty in dress codes. Ultimately, while workwear has become more diverse and looser, there are still rules that working men should follow to look presentable at work.
That said, it’s vital to be guided with these do’s and don’ts of corporate wardrobe for men:
1. Do Wear The Right Work Shirt
Every office comes with its respective dress code. But if you’re following business attire or business casual, the most important attention you should give to is your work shirts. It’s important to avoid shirts that come with inappropriate patterns like polka dots or that come with bright colors. Also, never wear shirts that have no sleeves in them. Go for a full-sleeved one or a long-sleeved shirt.
With the saturated clothing industry today, you can surely find a lot of great quality and comfortable work shirts suitable for your office setting. Ensure to go for those that are comfortable, elegant, and professional-looking. Determine the look you want, and choose shirts based on your workwear goals. If you wish to leave a good impression among clients and suppliers, go for a good-fitted work shirt with neutral tones, as they make you look neat. Not to mention, they also pair well with any trousers or work chinos you have.
2. Do Invest In Light Fabric
Wearing formal business clothes leaves a great impression on the people you work with. When choosing the right business attire, give more attention to the fabric. If possible, choose those that come with light fabrics.
Light fabric for your work attire allows you to move freely and make you feel more comfortable and confident. Unlike rigid cloth that restrains your movement, light fabrics won’t make you sweat and are suitable for any temperature or season. You can wear them as they are during summer and in winter, you can always layer them with a jacket or suit.
3. Do Stick To Neutral Colors
Blue, gray, white, khaki, and black are universally pleasing colors in corporate settings. Nevertheless, you won’t ever go wrong when wearing any of these neutral tones. Whether you’re buying a top or bottom, always stick to neutral colors.
These toned-down shades have a sense of neatness and elegance in them. Unlike loud colors, they make you look more defined, highly respectable, and organized. In offices, subtle colors are a good choice. Thus, it’s never out of style to wear plain shirts, but you can also wear striped, checked, or micro-checked shirts. The key is to ensure that you can mix and match the neutral colors together to get the best pairing outcome.
4. Do Get Tailored
Getting tailored is a great idea if you want to add more precision to your work attire. While your office doesn’t require you to wear a business suit all the time, some situations and occasions might call for it. In such cases, it’s best to consider bespoke tailoring services. There are different men’s suit patterns for every man out there, so choose the best one for you.
Professional tailoring services perfectly match the contours of your body. Instead of adapting to the clothes and hiding flaws, you can feel more confident when the suit is customized to your unique body form and shape.
5. Don’t Wear Mismatched Clothing
Professional business appearances require coordinated clothing. Ensure the suit jacket and pants don’t clash with the shirt or the pants. The way your socks match your outfit is also important. A mismatched look happens when you go for contrasting colors that seem heavy on the eyes. For instance, combining light blue and red is a mismatch. As mentioned, go for neutral tones to combine them more easily.
6. Don’t Wear Denim
Denim can be a bit controversial since some offices allow them as business casual. However, it’s fair and best to keep it as a don’t. Denim might pass as a work dress code in the office, but they could come off as too informal when you’re off meeting with clients and other business leaders. If you really love to wear denim, go for dark-colored ones which are not faded or acid-washed. Also, consider layering a blazer or formal jacket to balance the casual and business look.
Conclusion
Dressing professionally for work, no matter if your office has a formal dress code or a business casual dress code, is important. Hopefully, you’ve found all the pointers above useful in coming up with your workwear wardrobe. Remember to stick to neutral colors and wear that confidence so you’ll look handsome and respectable at the same time.
