Business Attire / Public Behavior (Part 2)

The shoes of a person are very important. It is said that in USA a lady judges a man by what type of shoes that man is wearing. Care should be taken that we wear the correct type of shoes. If it is a business meeting formal black or brown shoes should be worn. Slip-ons even though popular are frowned by the business community. The shoe should have laces and when a person sits the trouser should ride up to reveal the socks. The socks should be clean, smell fresh and should not hang limb. There is nothing more annoying than seeing limp socks when the person sits down.

Casual dressing is best left for informal occasions. Jeans and "T" shirts can be worn to the offices but is the accepted code of dress only in the software or computer companies. Anyhow it is better to check with the company before wearing informal dresses. Floral shirts with patterns and funny drawings should be kept side for parties at home. Ethnic dresses can be worn on special occasions. They look very nice and should be worn on national days and on festivals.

The hair style of a person is very important. It is better for a man to keep his hair clean, tidy and short. Shave very day and that will give a person that cutting edge and there is nothing like clean shave to give you more confidence. If you have beards trim it regularly and make it look as if you are having a beard out of choice. Otherwise it will look as if you have got out of the bed and walked into the office.

For the women in most countries the dress code is not specified. They can dress in any dress that is comfortable. They can wear western suits. But the colors should be sober and the rules for the shoes and traditional dresses that apply for the men apply for the women.

Now let us discuss lunch/dinner manners. It is supposed to be good manners for a man to help a lady sit in a restaurant before he sits down himself. Preferably the man should order the meal but only after consulting the lady. One should not place his/her elbows on the table. One should eat preferably with spoons and forks and not make clanking noises. Once we had enough cross the spoon with the fork. This is the universal indication of "I had enough". During the meal if you have to use a softy or Handkerchief use it discreetly and with less noise. It is very difficult to ignore a person who is sneezing powerfully into a totally open handkerchief or a roll of softy. And during the meal no blenching sounds should be made. Blenching during a meal is supposed to be uncouth or very bad manners.

After the meal it is good manners to compliment the banquet manager on the good meal. It is also good manners to leave a small tip as an appreciation of a good meal.

It is hoped that these small tips be memorized and practiced so that we are not ridiculed and made fun as country people.

Business Attire / Public Behavior (Part 1)

Business Attire is the art of correct dressing. One of the most memorable signboard of a tailor said, “God made man, we will make him a gentleman”.

Business is all about communication. How we can communicate with our words, thoughts and with our dress. The Americans talk of power dressing – dressing that gives an unfair advantage.

What comes even before attire is personal hygiene. A bath everyday is a must and an investment in a good deodorant is essential. People don’t expect the employees to be bathed in scents but a pleasant smell and a good after shave would enhance a person’s likeability. Remember good smell is a hygiene factor. If one is smelling nice it is hardly noticed but people with bad body odour are targeted or in many cases even ostracized.

The typical dress in the corporate world has remained British. That is shirt, trousers and shoes. Many a Britisher is amused when they see the shirt tucked into the trousers while the person is wearing casual footwear. The dress code makes it mandatory that if the shirt is tucked then shoes are mandatory.

The trouser should be of a dark colour. The number of pleats is also specified. No more than three plaits. The cut should be sober. Bell-bottoms and crotch huggers are best left to the film stars. Moreover, six pocket trousers should not even be considered.

The shirt should be of a very light colour. The styling should be easy fit and comfortable. The tie should preferably be of a contrasting colour. Broad ties are in vogue. The tie should smugly sit at the center of the collar. No slack should be visible. Whether single or double knot is a personal choice but when the tie is worn care should be taken to see that the collar is not crumbled. If the collar is crumpled it means that the collar is over sized and if the skin at the collar is pinched, it means that the collar is too tight.

The length of the tie is also very important. The end of the tie should be touching the top part of the belt. By nature ties are very visual and care should be taken to see that one does not wear funny designs, or psychedelic figures. Ties should not be crumpled. A Tie pin will keep the tie in place and will ensure that the tie does not become a portable broomstick.

What ever is the quality or the type of clothes ensures that they are always clean and well pressed. Remember that in tropical countries people perspire a lot and unwashed clothes result in obnoxious odors especially in air-conditioned offices.

The belt of-course should always be worn. The belt should not be very wide or too thin. The loose end of the belt should not be left hanging out. The length of the belt is also of very vital importance. The belt should be worn that matches the waist size with a maximum of three or four holes.