Contemporary work-wear is defined by function. Is your job front-line or back office? Academic, technical or practical? Traditional or creative ? Do you deal globally? There is a range of business-appropriate attire, categorized simply by formality.

• Traditional professions demanding a high level of client trust, such as banking and law require more formal dress codes.  Classic suits, shirts and closed mid-height shoes convey reliability, conservativeness and seriousness.

• Medicine, teaching and engineering need clothes that say: “professional and capable but practical”.   A conservative long-sleeved shirt worn with smart trousers or a mid-length skirt (not for some engineers), low to mid-height covered shoes and a smart casual jacket (if the climate allows) are conventional but not necessarily boring. For medical specialists, particularly those performing operations, formal business wear inspires patients’ confidence.

• Sales and marketing needs clothes that spell customer-oriented and trustworthy.  The level of formality should be in sync with the clientele.

• Jobs that require flair such as design, architecture, fashion, advertising, branding and product development need garb that reinforce an image of creativity – these are likely to be smart casual, fashion-forward and individualized.

• Practical trades that provide products and services like gardening, catering and building need sensible casual (not sloppy) work wear that says “I’m ready and able to do the job”.

The shift towards more casual business dressing over the past decade has made trousers a fixture of women’s work wear. Even strict company dress codes will generally allow trousers these days.  However, a skirt suit is still perceived to be more formal than a trouser suit. Don’t forget, more substantial heels work well with with wider-legged trousers, slim heels are better with slim pants and skirts.

So what of high heels? Well, the sensible medium-heeled court shoes of the 1970’s to early 90’s are still around but business casual work-wear has opened up the options to all types of footwear.  Just ensure shoes are job and dress code appropriate. Match them to the style and formality of your dress.  And don’t let sexuality be your defining quality!  Other than that, why not climb the corporate ladder in high heels?

The writer, Denise Ng, is a certified image consultant in Singapore. Her consultancy Imago Image specializes in personal image, offering advice on style, the art of dressing, wardrobe, color, grooming, etiquette and protocol and communication skills. She is President of the South Asia-Singapore Chapter of AICI , a global professional association of image consultants.

Develop Professional Skills
IMAGO IMAGE offers a comprehensive professional skills development workshop: Communicate and Dress for Success. This Executive Package provides corporate groups and individuals with vital skills and information to develop a positive business image and a strong personal brand.

The Communicate and Dress for Success workshops develop professional conduct and appearance. Professional image consultants teach how to create an optimal, positive impact with effective communication, protocol adherence, personality construction and professional dress, to enable the achievement of personal and corporate goals. Communicate and Dress for Success assists professionals and executives to build strong personal presentation skills and a professional persona.

Prepare for Job Interviews and Promotion
If you are intent on career advancement, IMAGO IMAGE Communicate and Dress for Success will help you to climb the corporate ladder. Conduct and appearance are subtle but real factors in successful job promotion. Understand what your body language and words are communicating. Know what your dress conveys about you. IMAGO IMAGE will educate you and teach you how to appear confident in speech and action, how to look sophisticated and act appropriately- so that your appearance will convey that you are able and willing to take on more challenging roles. Communicate and Dress for Success will guide you on how to prepare for a job interview, helping you to make a good first impression with job interview tips including how to dress for interview success and how to look suitable for a more senior position.

Tailored Executive Workshops
The Communicate and Dress for Success: Executive Package contains key information from the IMAGO IMAGE Business Color, Business Style, The Art of Professional Dressing, Business Wardrobe Management, Grooming and Business Etiquette modules. There are two main components to the Communicate and Dress for Success workshops: business communication skills training and dress for success coaching. A series of workshops will be formulated to your requirements. Choose from the topics listed below:

1. Business Communication Skills:
The business communication training develops verbal and non-verbal communication skills to enhance business relationships. It teaches and sensitizes participants in social etiquette, cultural protocol, body-language and conversation skills. It includes global business etiquette training with an emphasis on multi-cultural sensitivity.

• Interpersonal relationship building
• Multi-cultural awareness
• Social etiquette:
  - Social protocol
  - Business dining
  - Introductions and greetings
  - Hosting
• Global business etiquette and protocol
  - Business meeting form
  - Business-social manners
  - Appropriate business dress
  - Electronic communication courtesy
  - Cultural courtesy
  - Business gifts
• Verbal communication skills- including small talk, topics, taboos, manner of speech
• Non-verbal communication skills- including body language, appearance

2. Dress For Success
Dress for Success offers advice on optimizing the effect of dress to present a confident, able, professional image that is both appropriate and impressive.

• Optimizing personal and corporate image with dress
• How to dress for career success
• Business style:
  - Professional attire
  - Grooming a business look
  - Wardrobe and apparel management
  - Matching and coordinating clothing and accessories
• Business color psychology
• Job interview attire
• Dress codes:
  - Business casual and formal dress
  - Socially and Culturally appropriate business dress
  - Dressing for your industry
• Dressing for travel

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