Dressing appropriately at the office can be a tricky balancing act. One the one hand, you definitely do not want to walk in there over dressed, and appearing too stuffy, or snobbish.
But, on the other hand, of course you do not want to go to work looking sloppy, this will instantly get you labeled the office slob, and that is a label that can be hard to shake. Finding just the right business attire for men is tricky, but there are some easy to remember rules that will keep you looking cool no matter the situation.
Finding that balance is not as hard as it seems. Today, we will go over what you need to know about business attire for men.
It wasn't long ago that men everywhere wore nothing but drab suits to work everyday. Luckily, today we have many more options when it comes to men's business attire.
Nowadays there are still occasions where a suit is either required or a good option, but most of the time we will not be wearing suits, as looking stuffy, uptight, and too formal are things everyone eagerly avoids.
Being modern and comfortable are the new buzzwords you will want to remember when it comes to dressing for work and fitting in with your sartorial choices. There are several ways to do this, so let's go over them top to bottom.
The men’s dress shirt is something that you should know as much as you can about, as this is the most ubiquitous piece of clothing in your business attire wardrobe.
Just about any pattern can be appropriate for your dress shirts, but keep in mind you are at work and not on your personal time, so choose a shirt that is a bit toned down from your outside the office wardrobe.
Patterned shirts are okay too, such as windowpane and houndstooth, but avoid anything too loud or flashy. Your best bet may be just a dark blue or grey button down high end dress shirt that has a nice neutral tone.
Make sure to shop at a shirt store that has the modern style of men’s business dress shirt that has moisture wicking, stretchable fabric shirts, these will be styled with a modern cut, and they look really sleek.
Next, let's look at men's business attire pants. You will want to choose a subtle color like black or dark blue. Make sure you do not get any pants with patterns or stripes of any kind, these kinds of pants are not appropriate for a work environment generally.
There are a few key styles of men’s pants that you should look for. Chinos are great for almost any occasion, and they are easy to find as well. Khakis are also a great option, and these will give you a few more options with the width around the ankles, you should get them with a close circumference to the ankles, and not bell-bottomed.
Getting these pants with non-iron, stretchable fabric is an important factor in the style you want to achieve with your dress pants. Having the modern and hip look should be something that is foremost in your mind when choosing where to get your pants, so look for something in the athleisure aisle.
Lastly, let's talk about your men's business attire shoes choice. This can be the one piece of a man's wardrobe that he is most uncertain about. There are many options, and the balancing act that is choosing the right business attire is very important when it comes to shoes.
The best piece of advice for this tricky choice would be to err on the side of being too formal. The last thing you want to do is ruin your whole outfit with a pair of sneakers that just scream too casual in a setting where that is not appropriate.
So there you have it, some very good rules of thumb when it comes to your men’s business attire choices. Things are much more casual now than they were back in the old days, but looking cool and comfortable will always be in style.
Hopefully, you learned some good tips for addressing your men’s business attire wardrobe, good luck out there!
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