Whether you just got a promotion or you are entering the job market for the first time, you could end up running into the phrase “business formal.” What is the business formal dress code? What does it mean when they throw that vague phrase at you in a job offer? We can answer that question for you relatively simply: it means to wear a suit. That may sound a little simplistic, and maybe in some ways, but that is the most common definition. On the hierarchy of menswear formality, it is just above cocktail attire and just below black tie. That means that you will be wearing a suit every day, and there are some guidelines for adhering to this dress code in the most attractive way.
Here, we have broken it down in a simple guide.
The suit
The workhorse of the business formal dress code is the suit. Think Harvey Specter in Suits, wearing the power suit to assert his authority over others in every room he enters. Think Don Draper in Mad Men, wearing basic but stylish suits to elegantly gain the respect and trust of his clients on a daily basis. One of the main things that these two characters have in common is that they nail the most crucial guideline for business formal: Everything they wear is subtle and subdued colors. Blues, grays, and browns dominate their wardrobe. Here are a few more ideas:
- Like the building blocks of a suit wardrobe, when you start with business formal, focus on the four-legged stool. Rotate a charcoal, navy, and light gray suit as your most used suits.
- Invest in a high-quality navy blazer to wear with dress pants to keep the business formal dress code intact while giving yourself some versatility.
- To continue achieving greater versatility, pick up some dress pants in the seven basic colors: black, charcoal, light gray, navy, brown, taupe, and olive.
The shirt
When it comes to the dress shirt, there are plenty of guidelines and rules that can keep you overwhelmed. First, you need to determine the right dress shirt collar for your face shape. That may feel like we’re overthinking this, but trust us, this actually makes a huge difference. Once you have that down, here are the shirts you need to pick up:
- The white dress shirt is going to be your workhorse. It is the number one choice because it goes with everything. That also means it will get the dirtiest, so you need as many as possible. Start with three to five and pick up a new one every time you shop.
- Light blue, also called robin’s egg, is the next one you need to pick up because it will work well with almost all the same looks as the white dress shirt. However many white shirts you have, you need at least half as many of these.
- Ecru, or tan, is another option to give your solid dress shirts a little depth. It is an excellent replacement for white, especially in the fall.
- Finally, you can start picking up some patterns. Don’t go too crazy with these; stripes, checks, and gingham are the ones you should go with. Paisley, plaid, and other wild patterns are best suited for the cocktail attire dress code.
The tie
Ties are similar to dress shirts in that you want to stick to your basic colors and simple patterns; wild patterns and (dare we say it) novelty ties should be reserved for the cocktail attire dress code. Here are the colors and patterns to invest in to keep yourself firmly in the business professional dress code.
- Start with the three basic colors that are considered the “power ties.” Red, blue, and yellow are the ones you will likely see in presidential debates and other speaking engagements.
- Invest in different hues of these colors, like burgundy, navy, and gold, if you want to stay within the power tie category but branch out and give yourself some depth.
- Rep ties are going to be your best friend. Basic stripes may feel boring when you first get them, but they give you a subtle depth with a classic, elegant look that never goes out of style.
The shoes
Dress shoes are the unsung hero of the business professional dress code. The right shoe will, of course, complete your outfit with style, elegance, and function. What many people don’t give enough recognition to is the fact that the wrong shoe will kill any look you put together before you even get out the door. Here are some tips to make sure you have the proper dress shoe collection:
- You should have four main colors, and you should pick them up in this order: tan, dark brown, black, and burgundy (cordovan).
- You should grab a few types of shoes in this order: oxfords, wingtips, derbies, and Chelsea boots.
- Finally, to keep your dress shoe collection as elevated as possible, add some depth with double monk strap shoes in place of the derby shoes.
Now that you know what you should have when you land a job with a business professional dress code, have fun with it and make sure you wear what is best for you. Just remember, use Harvey Specter and Don Draper as inspiration. Emulate, don’t imitate.
