The Five Levels of Professional Dress Every Business Leader Should Know

Last year, I got the opportunity to work with a managing partner of one of the country's largest, most prestigious law firms. Both of us were receiving a business award and met for the first time at a group photo shoot for all of the women being recognized. Prior to the shoot, I conducted a Google search on a few of my fellow honorees. She happened to be at the top of my list and I was really humbled to meet her and even more excited to discover that she was both dow- to-earth and had a great sense of humor. As we began to talk, I discovered that she worked with an image consultant in the past and was interested in working with me. After elation wore off, we scheduled our first meeting.

I talked to her about the importance of image in her work and she shared a story with me. Early in her law career, she received a coveted internship spot at a law firm. She was confident that she had the educational background for the role and dressed professionally based on the firm's conservative environment; until casual Friday was announced. A day to where relaxed clothing to work? Fantastic. That is until she showed up to work in jeans and a sweat shirt while her female counterparts wore casual pants or skirts with sweater sets. And, the guys were khakis and collared shirts. She was embarrassed and never wore jeans to work again. She also learned a valuable lesson about the need to align your level of dress with your organization's culture.

Thankfully this image mishap occurred early in her career. But I see many executives with great potential for leadership that don't understand the importance of image on their personal brands. They consistently make image mistakes that prevent them from reaching their professional goals.

Whether, you are an executive, leader or mid-level executive, it's important to understand the levels of professional attire and dress accordingly. Here are some guidelines to help you understand the different levels of professional dress and make sure that your image doesn't undermine your message.

1. Traditional business attire. Traditional business attire is for the most premier level of dressing. Traditional dress calls for classic suiting, shirt, tie and dress shoes for men; and for women coordinated business suits in either pants or skirts with a blouse and basic pump. This attire is also identified by more traditional neutrals like black, beige and brown.
2. Top shelf casual. Top drawer casual includes a sports jacket or coat in a neutral shade and coordinating pants, khakis or dark wash jeans. The pairings are always impeccably fitted and professionally laundered.
3. Basic business casual. Basic requires the same attention to detail as top drawer casual - well-tailored and crisply pressed. The cornerstone of this look is a dressy blouse or tailored shirt. Make sure to preserve this look for times when you are not working with clients or influencing others.
4. Informal casual. Informal casual's emphasis is on comfort and is a great choice for business travel to a meeting or conference. The elements of informal casual includes selections such as capri pants, bolder prints and brighter colors.
5. Elegant evening chic. Elegant evening chic includes blazers, pants and shirts in more refined fabrics, such as silks or fine wool sweaters, and greater detailing. This is a great choice for cocktails with clients or colleagues.

Managing your image and presence are a critical part of your business success. Don't be passed over for a promotion or business opportunity because of an image faux pas. Use these tips to consistently convey a professional polished image.

About Style Strategist Inc.

Style Strategist, Inc. provides image and communications consulting, providing coaching and training in the areas of executive presence, image, presentation and communications development skills for individuals and corporations. You may use this article in its entirety with a writing and link to Style Strategist Inc. is included. For more information contact Tonya Seavers Evans, Style Strategist Inc., http://www.stylestrategist.com
We invite you to receive a FREE Special Report - "Harnessing the Power of Image for Business Success" at http://www.stylestrategist.com. This article may be reproduced in its entirety with the bio included.

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