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When venturing into the workforce for the first time, it is important to know what is expected of you and your clothing. There are three levels of business attire, according to Sherry Maysonave, who is a motivational speaker and expert in regard to business attire, as well as the author of the book “Casual Power.” Business formal is a type of business attire and it is just a little less formal than black tie.
Start Have suits tailored to fit properly.
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Business formal means that both men and women should wear tailored, dark-colored suits. Women should wear hosiery, closed-toed and closed-heeled shoes are mandated, and skirted suits are appropriate. Men should wear white shirts, preferably with French cuff styles, silk ties, cuff links and silk or linen pocket squares. An awards ceremony is an example of an event that you would wear business formal to.
You can add color to your business attire, but try to avoid being too flashy.
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Formal business attire, for men and women, should reflect the needs of the business circumstance and not be flashy or suggestive, according to Ecglink.com. Your grooming (hair and makeup) should not be a distraction. An example of appropriate formal business attire is a light blouse worn under a closed dark jacket. A brighter scarf, worn near the face, is acceptable and will draw attention to your face. If you are wearing something flashy, such as a colorful belt, the audience may end up looking at your belt instead of at your face. Same goes for flamboyant jewelry or anything that is overly conspicuous and can draw the eye away from your face, which is not your goal.
If you choose to wear heels, make sure they are not too high.
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Shoes are very important. Formal business attire requires that women wear heels that are 1½ or 2 inches tall. Do not go for 6-inch spikes and ditch the bows and buckles on your shoes because they’re distracting and not businesslike. Your shoes should be polished and not scuffed; same goes for men. Avoid bright colors. The basics—black, brown, navy or gray—are the best. The appropriate business formal shoe for a woman has a vamp—which is the part of the shoe that covers the top of the foot--that covers toe cleavage and makes walking easier.
Make sure your business jackets have proper sleeve length.
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Men should wear shirts that have the right sleeve length. The jacket sleeve should end at the middle of the man’s wrist bone with the shirt sleeve extended approximately 3/8th of an inch beyond the jacket. If you are wearing a short-sleeved shirt under your jacket, the jacket length should reach the end of your wrist bone. Your hands will be visible, but the longer jacket sleeve length will conceal that your forearms are bare. If you are wearing double cuffs or French cuffs, your jacket sleeve can be shorter to show off the links and cuffs.
Make sure the length of your pants works with your height.
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Men should never wear pants that are too short. Your pants should reach the top of your shoes, forming a slight break just a bit above the point of contact with your shoes. Socks should be long and cover your calves. This prevents your bare legs from showing every time you cross your legs at a business function.
