When you are a high ranking reputed man you must look worthy of praise and it calls for an absolutely elegant, simple and powerful dress code. A business formal dress code that inspires awe. Sometimes decoration and variety should be better left out for the fashion forwards and be distinguished by only specific details.
Formal business environment demands a dress code that is impeccable and clashes with none. The fit, cut, the colour of the outfit. The design, colour of shoes and even accessories must coordinate perfectly make you look sput-together.
Business is a serious game and therefore you should dress up sincerely to come off dead confident, polished, and truly accomplished gentleman to all the professionals you encounter.
Whether you are holding daily business meetings with the clients or concluding deals with other rivals you must outclass your opponents.
For a successful businessman business literally means meetings with foreign clients, making business trips, organizing business conference and finalizing the deals. For a CEO holding on stage advertising events, organizing meetings with other board of directors.
Likewise for a country’s president or any top notch official coordinating day-to-day affairs, in-person encounters with other domestic or foreign ministers and leading business magnets of the world can be called business.
All these official or commercial congregations have different people from various cultures and positions. Therefore complying with a dress protocol becomes a priority.
Who Can Wear Business Formal Dress Code?
- The CEO of an organization.
- Top brass of a country.
- A Businessman with daily client interaction.
- Hold an executive position in a corporate world.
Elements Of Business Formal Dress Code
Suit
A suit includes a suit jacket and matching trousers. Double breasted 6 buttons standard configuration, single breasted 2 button standard configuration.
Dress Trousers
No odd trousers here! Always matching formal pants with suit jacket. Pleated are more passable than flat fronted trousers.
Shirts
Formal dress shirts in white and blue, beige and slightest pink shades are also competent colours.
Watch
A minimalist watch with white, blue, silver dial and dark colour leather strap, primarily, brown, black, dark grey and olive is also ok.
Tie
Solid, striped, patterned ties.
Squares
Plain pocket squares in white or navy.
Belt
Dark brown or black.
Shoes
Black/Dark brown Oxfords, Derby, Wholecut oxfords. Chelsea boots, leather chukka boots are too all right.
Socks
Dark colour socks with no visible details- Black, dark brown, navy, dark grey. White in no case.
Parts of a Business Formal Dress Code
For Business dress you should choose more standard colours such as navy, dark blue, dark grey, charcoal, and black. Some neutral colours like tan, grey or beige are also acceptable.
- All pieces of Business formals should be well-cut and tailored to fit your body gracefully.
- Dress trousers should decently fit in your seat, thighs and legs; not too tight or loose.
- Crease of the trousers should fall neatly. Break of the trousers should be selected carefully.
- Shirts should be light colours- white or light blue. Standard collar size and spread between collar points is must.
- Accessories must coordinate with the business attire, since you are going to wear predominantly dark colour suits with no textures and patterns (accept pinstripes), garish accessories should be avoided, such as paisley ties or too busy patterns (plaid).
- Pocket square- a white silk square with square fold should be enough to add a business character to your outfit.
Business Formal Dress Code In Detail
Suit Fabric
Primary fabric for suits was wool but seeing the versatility of suits in all seasons, especially in summer, cotton suits also became popular.
A business suit is powerful attire. It was the first outfit worn by all men in all situations before business casual or smart casual found their place in corporate environment.
Business formal suit may have a double breasted or single breasted jacket, double being more formal than the latter. Since a double breasted jacket features peak lapel it makes a standard business suit jacket. Single breasted jacket with peak lapel ranks second in formality .
Lapel
You need to keep in mind that single breasted suit jacket comes with three lapel options- Notch, peak, and shawl. Shawl being the most formal should be saved for tuxedo or dinner suit. Out of remaining two peak lapel is more formal than notch lapel so if possible have one or two suit jackets with peak lapel for displaying authority and outclass others.
Double Breasted Suit Jacket
If your profession calls for an ultimate formal business dress code, get a double breasted suit in navy or grey. It always comes with a peak lapel and heavier front which gives your attire high formality. Pinstripes suit is also an alternative if you want to try a new professional look.
Most common six button configuration of jacket will look more appropriate in almost all situations. A double breasted jacket imparts you fully mature and sophisticated expression, the most sought-after feature in the business place.
Single Breasted Suit Jacket
Single breasted two buttoned suit jacket is an ideal choice for business formal dress code.
Formal Dress Shirts
White is perfect; blue is almost right colour to wear in shirts. Men don’t have a wide range of colours to select. However, you can bring pinstripes to inject some visual interest in the outfit but nothing more than that is a safe deal.
If you want to make your look remarkable, shirts with no pouch pockets will lend you more intense appearance. Barrel cuffs or French cuffs with cuff links are smart details to add, but not in every shirt.
Dress Trousers
Business formal dress code does not accept casual trousers, let alone denim or chinos. So your only choice is plain pleated dress trousers. Although trousers may have cuffs if someone wishes. Colour of the trousers must match the suit jacket in all cases.
Trousers should not visibly taper but have a straighter fall. Crease should meet the middle of the vamp.
Trouser Break
If you are unsure of which break is appropriate for professional businessman’s look, wear yours in half-break and taller man can opt for a full break.
Pinstripe Suit
A substitute design to wear in place of solid colour is pinstripe suit. Thin strips are almost invisible from a distance and give you a traditional businessman’s manner of dressing. Let the base colour of your suit be charcoal, navy or black with white pinstripes.
For a universal look wear a navy striped suit. White stripes on navy blossom and strike a contrast. Put on a white shirt for an imposing look. White shirt is a quintessential element of business suit.
Wear black suit with pinstripes for an executive expression. Black is the most formal colour in fashion industry. White stripes on black suit make it chic and more la mode.
Business Formal Shoes
Dress shoes are compulsory with a business formal dress code. Oxfords shoes are suitable article to wear in business environment. Their closed lacing feature makes them most formal of all shoes in all contexts. Oxfords are best worn in black and dark brown.
Black will go with black and light grey suit. Moreover, brown can be teamed with navy, dark grey, beige or khaki suits. Suede shoes are not acceptable in business formals, therefore choose leather shoes only.
Toe-cap oxfords are more formal than without a toe-cap, so if you prefer caps go for black toe-cap oxfords.
Wholecut shoes are best to wear at black tie even or weddings. Their one-leather-piece construction lends them an imposing surface. It is just a masterpiece for formal events.
Your primary colour should be black since black will match most basic dark colour business suits- black, charcoal, and navy.
Derby shoes are second to oxfords, thanks to their open lacing fastening. Derby’s for the most part are nearly equally popular amongst men as oxfords but are more comfortable to wear and remove due to open lacing. Their quarters are sewn over the vamp.
