Understanding Mens Business Formal Attire
Despite the efforts to standardize and codify norms of dress, there are still many terms in modern men’s fashion that remain ambiguous. “Business formal”, for example, can and does leave much open to personal interpretation and one’s own style. While all of this individuality can sound like a good thing, you’re very rarely sure if your outfit will cut it. This guide will help you understand the business formal dress code.
Business formal isn’t really very formal, at least when compare to classic formal dress codes such as black, or white tie attire. While the goal of formal fashion is to uphold sartorial traditions, the business formal outfit is meant to keep you from sticking out too much at the office. Even when an occasion calls for an outfit that is ‘business formal’, you can get away with a few pieces that are more casual, so long as they’re subtle and understated.
What Business Formal Isn’t
Strict formal is one of the things that business formal definitely isn’t. Style staples on a formal outfit – cummerbunds and bow ties, to name a couple – will look awkward in a business formal situation. Stick to those pieces which have been deemed absolutely necessary; adding anything else will only make the outfit even harder to pull off for you.
Mixing a casual piece or two into your outfit isn’t so bad as long as it’s a practical choice. Once the whole outfit becomes casual, however, you’ve crossed a very crucial line. Don’t forget that business formal, despite its somewhat flexible boundaries, is still a formal dress code. Light wash whiskered jeans and a graphic print tee make for a casual outfit, no matter how much you try to add dressier fashion pieces to the mix.
Neither is business formal a license to experiment with different aesthetics and styles. In fact, any dress code with the word ‘formal’ in it shouldn’t become a venue for testing new pieces and outfits. Leave as many of your accessories home as possible. You wear business casual to make a good impression, but wearing your complete collection of organization wrist bands hardly looks very professional or impressive.
Pulling Off Business Formal
Men’s fashion relies heavily on a set of timeless classics, and those same classics would be a good place to begin building a business formal outfit. Start from the most basic of formal men’s fashion, the two-piece suit. A three-piece job will work just as well, but takes a little extra practice to work with.
A crisp shirt (preferably white) is your next step, followed by some necktie in a classic yet strong color to stand out against the shirt. Once you’ve knotted up your tie and tied up the laces on your leather shoes, you essentially have a business formal outfit that’s ready for the boardroom presentation.
Less formal pieces can also be awapped in for their classically formal equivalents to add a level of comfort and personality to your outfit. Jeans, for example, can stand in for the usual pair of slacks. The slimmer and more constructed silhouette makes for a much more modern effect. Leather sneaker styles or driving shoes are also great replacements for the old lace-ups that the previous generation favored.
Keep your casual and less-than-dressy pieces to just two or three, though. Adding in too many casual pieces can make the whole result seem awkward and disjointed. By all means do it for practicality and comfort, but never forget that good style is a priority for you as well.
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