If you spend the majority of your days in an establishment that adheres to a certain dress code, your sense of creative fashion flair may have to be a bit toned down. Unless you wear an actual issued uniform, even if you’re expected to dress business appropriate, you can still add your own signature style to your business attire and weave some much revered glamour into your mode of dress.
Business meets glam! There is an in between!
If you either work for an employer that expects you to present a more businesslike image, or you are attending an event that calls for you to wear a more serious suit, there are ways to apply your makeup, accessorize your clothes and slip your feet into shoes that mix business with fashion bite and fashion bang.
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, usually consisting of a jacket and skirt and/or pants. Business suits originated in Britain as country wear, and these are the most common style of Western suits sold today.
Being the fashion buff that I am, business suits are not high on my list of clothing items that I prefer to wear. However, suits don’t have to be stuffy. If I am attending an event where a business suit is the appropriate article of clothing to wear, I will glamorize my makeup, offset the conservative garment with at least a 4 inch high heel (or 5 inch or 6 inch) and tend to wear my hair up, creating a more glam look.
Many business suits, whether your jacket or blazer is worn with a skirt or with pants, can take on a more feminine vibe merely by the shirt that you select to wear under the jacket. A ruffled blouse will create a more lighthearted look, whereas if you need to appear more serious, a button-up collared blouse will pull your business suit together.
Women’s suits come in a large variety of colors such as darks, pastels and gem colors. Your color selection and your choice of jewelry accessories can add a sparkle to your clothes that takes your appearance from the professional office look to a more unique, yet still businesslike, image.
The Majority of Suits are Sold in Three Main Ways:
- Bespoke: The garment is custom-made from a pattern created entirely from the customer’s measurements, giving a precise fit.
- Made to Measure: A pre-made pattern is modified to fit the customer, and a limited selection of options and fabrics are available.
- Ready-to-Wear: The customer can buy this suit straight off of the rack. This type of suit is generally the least expensive and the most common way to buy a suit.
Although women do wear neck ties and bow ties with their business suits, a more popular neck decoration for females when wearing a suit is to wrap a fancy silk scarf or colorful scarf around your neck, or draped over your shoulders. This is another way to glamorize your business apparel while still radiating that you are almost all business, with a sprinkle of pleasure tossed in for good measure!
Studious with a spark of sass! Smart with a signature art!
In the wardrobe world today, business skirt suits are just as popular as business pants suits.
In addition to business suits, if you find that you need to dress modestly and sensibly, yet you don’t want to feel closed in by wearing a full suit, merely dressing in a nice skirt and a blouse, or a businesslike dress, will still give you the appearance of less flash, yet permit your femininity and originality to burst through.
There are times when you may have to abide by someone else’s dress code, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add your own personal style and pizzazz to your business attire. This is fashion…and your unique style should always seep through. For those of you who can meet business and glamour somewhere in the middle, here is an outfit that allows you to remain playful and sensual, while still resonating a more business type look. This outfit reminds me of something that I would wear.
The collared blouse says “take me seriously”, the peek-a-boo slit in the back of the skirt shouts “I know I look great” and the sassy high heels say “I’m high-spirited!” Business, glam and confidence in one complete package!
You can mix business with pleasure!
So even if you’re dressing for business in a stuffy or dressed down business suit, you can still suit yourself into high fashion forward style by glamorizing your blouse, or your makeup, or your shoes, or your accessories, or your hairstyle! Or all of the above.
Who says boardroom business attire needs to be boring?
Nancy Mangano is an American beauty/fashion/style influencer, fashion journalist, screenwriter and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series. Visit Nancy on her global online fashion/style/beauty magazine Nancy Marie Mangano Style at https://nancymariemangano.com, her Facebook page Nancy Mangano at https://www.facebook.com/nancymmangano/ Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano and her author website http://nancymangano.com
