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Most of us work in corporate firms from 9-5, which is quite a significant amount of time that we spend in a day outside our home, where people see, judge, and analyze our performance as well as us. Most organizations expect their employees to dress well. One needs to dress appropriately as per the work culture for a pleasing personality. It is not only your presentation that matters but also how you present yourself that will sign that promotion letter. To be brutally honest, ‘visually appealing’ won’t be the wrong term that you should search for in this world. Welcome to the world where books are judged by their covers first and then by their content. So, Kaise karoge tum is zalim duniya ka samna? Don’t worry brother we have got your back, and happily present you with the ultimate corporate dressing guide which will solve all your doubts and answer all your questions.
Evolution of Corporate Dressing
With so many people working in national and multinational companies, it's no wonder that the corporate uniform has evolved the way it has. Whenever we hear the words corporate shirt, tie, suit, and polished shoes automatically fills our mind. But most corporate offices these days have relaxed out of the suit-and-tie standard. Nowadays suits and ties are often reserved for special occasions like meetings, presentations, and other events.
Most people opt for shirts and trousers as sleeves can be rolled up and neckties removed to “dress down” quickly for social occasions, or just for comfort in the summer months. And the popularity of the look makes it inoffensive everywhere — a man in the corporate worker style can't be blamed for not being an exciting dresser, because he's just following the dress code. However, some work cultures are even picking up terms like ‘Casual Fridays’ to incorporate casual dressing styles in offices to lighten up the work atmosphere. In total now you have to master both the art of formal as well as smart casual dressing to ace the corporate look.
Why is Stylish Corporate Dressing Important?
The trouble with the most opted dress code in any office is that it makes you invisible in the crowd. No matter how sustainable and easy the shirt and trouser approach is, at the same time it is visually interchangeable with co-workers, peers, and competitors. However, with a little knowledge of fashion, you can take an edge over others.
1. First Impression
Your appearance is often the first thing others notice about you. Dressing in style can help form a positive impression on people you meet in the workplace. This is especially important for interviews and when meeting upper-level managers who make hiring and promotion decisions. The initial judgments people make about you can influence their long-term opinions.
2. Credibility
When you look professional, people respond more positively to you, often engaging more and trusting what you're saying. Dressing professionally can give you an added layer of credibility in your dealings with coworkers, managers, clients, and the public. As the saying goes, people tend to believe more in what they see.
3. Standing Out
As we have said earlier, it is very easy to be part of the crowd, but very difficult to stand out. A good outfit catches eyes easily in the crowd of business suits and basic formals. Managers aren't always great at remembering who was responsible for what achievement in the first place. Being one of half a dozen guys in the department who all look about the same does nothing to help you out. The last thing a man wants is to seem easily replaceable, but that's exactly what looks like everyone else does.
4. Confidence
When you know you have rocked your outfit, you ooze out a different kind of aura. You can do your best work when you feel your best. Dressing professionally can help you feel empowered and confident to take on new challenges, meet new people, and progress in your career. When other areas of your professional life may be out of your control, how you present yourself is something that you can control and use to your advantage.
5. Balancing the Art of Professionalism & Style
Since it is an office, we have to stick to the dress code, but that doesn’t imply it has to be business suits all the time. Breaking the monotony with creativity is important. Striking a balance between professionalism and style is what we are looking for.
A. Jackets or Blazers
The first step toward standing out among shirts and suits office is to put something different from them. A suit is right out, but a casual jacket or sports coat will usually be acceptable — and unusual. Most men will happily avoid the expense and effort of maintaining jackets if they can avoid them but having a few in-store can set you on a strong footing than your colleagues.
A good jacket fit is also extremely flattering, giving a man's body a tapered, proportional shape that appeals to basic aesthetics. You don't have to look for anything exotic or luxurious — a simple herringbone tweed or even a soft corduroy is affordable, distinguished, and flexible enough to be worn and paired at varying levels of dress.
Blazers For You
B. Shirts
Plain colours are easy to match but boring to look at. You'll want a white shirt or two for more formal occasions, but a good day-to-day office wardrobe should have some variety in it. Checks and striping are both common and flattering patterns, though both should be kept small in scale. Large, bold stripes are more suited to stylish social wear, and anything checked more aggressively than a restrained grid pattern is steering too close to plaid for corporate tastes.
Textured fabric can serve as an alternative form of patterning, such as a herringbone weave to give a shirt a two-tone sheen. Be aware that button-down collars are the least formal of styles, and often less flattering to a man's face as well — point or spread collars, neatly pressed, give your appearance the crispness that you need for that promotion.
Shirt To Add To Your Wardrobe
C. Neckties
Just like shirts, a monochrome tie is safe but boring. Add patterns and textured weaves to your wardrobe, and don't be shy of mixing and matching. Contrast with the shirt is a good thing, so long as it doesn't clash. You can help avoid clashing by keeping the pattern of the shirt and the pattern of the tie distinct and differently proportioned — a tie with a few broad diagonal stripes goes well with a narrowly-checked shirt, for example.
Take the time to learn a knot well-suited to your build as well. If you have a stocky build and a broad face, a narrow tie in a small knot is going to make your head look oversized. Get a good thick tie and go ahead and put the full corporate vibe on. For more information, you can check our previous blog on tie.
Ties To Try
D. Trousers
From childhood, we have been wearing trousers bigger than our size so that they fit for the next 2-3 years. First of all, you have stopped growing since 21, and secondly, don't be one of them — who wears dad’s clothes to the office. If you've got a lot of extra fabric hanging below the place where your legs meet, it all goes straight to the visual impression of your rear end. The thighs wind up looking a little chunkier too, so you're losing all around. Make sure the fit is fairly snug, just loose enough to allow you to move comfortably and not much more.
Larger men who genuinely need the extra flexibility in their trousers should stick to pleated fronts, but plain fronts will flatter most men so long as they fit without stretching. Khaki and navy are probably the most popular colours for office slacks, so try to find others for your wardrobe. Charcoal grey is an ideal colour for more dressy looks, and a relaxed brown or green shade works well for more casual days.
Formal Trouser For You
E. Shoes & Socks
Your shoes should be the same colour as your belt (and in office settings that's pretty much going to be either black or brown). Your socks, on the other hand, should match the colour of your trousers, which means being sure to own a few pairs for every colour of pants you wear.
Regular polishing will help keep your shoes from looking scuffed or faded. You'll end up saving yourself a lot of time and effort if you give them a quick dusting-off when you get home at night, or a wipe with a damp cloth if they're dirty or stained.
6. A Bit of Detailing
An eye for detail goes a long way in setting yourself apart from a uniform look. If you are wearing a jacket, throw a pocket square in the breast pocket. It might not be flashy, but its presence demonstrates the time and effort spent on details. A wristwatch shows attention to punctuality and is a lot classier than pulling your cell phone out of your pocket whenever you want to know the time. Cufflinks may be a bit formal for daily office culture but seal the deal on important occasions. Always pay attention to the details of grooming: clean shave, neat haircut, trimmed nails, and no personal odour beyond your soap and maybe a mild deodorant or aftershave.
There you go with the perfect corporate dressing guide to ace your corporate look this new year. Dressing professionally can create the right image but dressing professionally with style can create a whole masterpiece! Cheers to the new year and your new look. For more such interesting information subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Join our WhatsApp group to be part of one of the largest grooming communities.
