Dress for
Success/Business
Etiquette
Presented By:
David Smith, Jr.
Topics of Discussion
 Dressing
for success
 Business Etiquette
Failure to Dress for Success
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Letting your family choose your clothing
Letting your favorite sales clerk choose
your clothing
Letting your designer choose your
clothing
Letting an image consultant choose your
clothing
Letting your background choose your
clothing
Environment
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We are preconditioned by our
environment
The clothing we wear is an important
part of that environment
It is possible to change your dressing
style
People who look successful and well
educated receive better treatment
Dress For Success
 Not
only individuals, but
industries, professions, specific
jobs, geography and climate
dictate a natural clothing range
that is easily identified through
common and business sense
The Right Clothing will make
you look:
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Authoritative
Powerful
Rich
Responsible
Reliable
Friendly
We all wear uniforms
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Uniforms are clear and distinct signs of
class (upper middle/lower middle)
Socioeconomic level of our clothing
People react to our uniforms accordingly
– I am more important than you
– I am your equal
– I am not your equal
Corporate Dress Codes
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Most companies have dress codes
Many went casual during the 90’s
(business casual) and are starting to
return to more formal dressing codes
Clothing styles were too relaxed (Tank
Tops, Slippers, etc)
The Suit
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The suit is the single most important
garment worn by a business professional
Most expensive
Your status, character and abilities are
judge based on your suits
Central power garment
The Business Suit
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Suits are positive authority symbols,
worn by people who make important
decisions in our lives
We are much more likely to believe,
respect, and listen to the person who
wears a suit than the person who does not
In any level of society, suits are
associated with authority, with position,
and with power
Buying a Suit
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Decide on: Color, Pattern, Texture,
Weight, Material, and Style
Know your approximate size
Decide how much you are willing to
spend
Buying a suit is a serious, thoughtful
endeavor
What to look for in a suit
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Feel the material and know what it is
Read the label
Look at the stitching behind the collar to
see if it is neat, even and reinforced
Examine the lining (interior pockets)
Look at the workmanship of the
buttonholes (plastic or bone)
Look at the pattern
Twist the sleeves of the jacket - should
spring back into shape (final test)
What material to look for
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The best material is wool: does not snag;
fits well; does not lose its shape; is
resilient; lies better on the body; warmer
in winter; outlasts any other fabric
Second-best suit fabric is a polyester and
wool blend - general rule is that the more
wool the richer looking the material and
the better the suit
Avoid any suit made with less than fortyfive percent wool
What color to look for
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Blue
Gray
Beige
Brown and shades thereof
Black (limited basis)
What pattern to look for
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Solid suits (the best)
Rich and soft if they are standard
business suits
Two types of stripes are acceptable: a
very narrow vertical pinstripe (white or
blue stripes) and chalk stripes - wider
about 1/8 inch - tricky (Wall Street)
Plaid (mainly summer suits)
Psychological Association:
Suits
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Solid Navy: upper middle class
Solid Dark Gray: upper middle class,
negative with lower middle class
Dark Blue Pinstripe: upper middle class,
negative with lower middle class
Dark Gray Pinstripe: upper middle class,
negative with lower middle class
Medium Blue Solid: positive with all
classes
Psychological Association:
Suits
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Medium Gray Pinstripe: upper middle
class, negative lower middle class
Medium Blue Pinstripe: upper middle
class, negative with lower middle class
Light Blue Solid: Positive with both
classes
Light Gray Solid: Positive with both
classes
Psychological Associations:
Suits
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Dark Brown Solid: Positive with both
classes
Dark Brown Pinstripe: Positive with both
classes
Medium Brown Solid: Positive with both
classes
Medium Brown Pinstripe: The only
pinstripe suit that tests well with all
groups in our society
Shirts
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Most common and most acceptable
material is cotton
Feels good to wear
Soft and smooth
Looks very rich
Breathes
Wrinkles (should dry clean)
Second best- blend of cotton & polyester
White is the most popular color
Business Etiquette

The Corporate Culture
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The Job Interview
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Business Attire
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Complimenting dos and don’ts
Corporate Culture
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Success in getting, keeping, and advancing in a job
depends 85 percent on “people skills” and only 15
percent on technical knowledge and skills
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Critical to know the rules of business etiquette
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Relationships in the business world has always been
based primarily on rank
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The old gender rules have been discarded within the
corporate culture
The Job Interview
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The basics of corporate etiquette begin with the job
interview - your overall demeanor may have a critical
impact on your future
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Dress conservatively
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Enter the room, smile, and make eye contact with your
interviewer. Then wait until you are asked to be seated.
Don’t touch anything on their desk. Thank the
interviewer.
Business Attire
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Never, ever underestimate the critical
importance of attire within the corporate
culture
What you wear says a lot about you
You can damage or even destroy your chances
of success in business by dressing
inappropriately
If your organization has a dress code, observe
both the letter and the spirit of the code
If there is no dress code, observe the
workplace and and ask your supervisor
Business Attire
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Jewelry: shouldn’t be obtrusive, and it
shouldn’t jangle. Avoid wearing rings on
the right hand. Wear a watch (promptness
counts)
Furs: Don’t wear them in the business
world
Shoes: Shine them
Briefcases: Keep them polished and clean
Business Appointments and
Functions
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Take off your topcoat
Give it up or hang it on the back of your
chair - don’t carry it around
Keep your suit jacket on in someone
else’s office
Don’t scatter things around. Keep files on
your lap. Put your briefcase or handbag
on the floor, or keep it on your lap.
Two Types of Business
Functions
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Black tie formal: The correct term for
“tuxedo” is “dinner jacket.” Black is
always correct for men. White jackets are
not. Women don’t have to wear gloves,
and never should shake hands in them
Informal, or semi-formal: slightly less
dressy than black tie. Men should wear a
dark business suit, a white shirt, and a
dark silk tie with a quiet pattern. Woman
should wear a dressy suit in an evening
Introductions
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General Rule: People of lesser authority
are introduced to persons of greater
authority – Ms. CEO , I would like to
intro….. A client is introduced first.
Look at and speak to the greater authority
first; look at and speak to the lesser
authority second
The person who is being introduced, or
“presented,” is named last
Include background information
Introductions
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Greetings
Upstanding (everyone should stand up
when being introduced)
Shaking Hands (firm, not crushing grip)
–
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Comes with eye contact
Is firm but painless
Lasts about three seconds
Takes only two or three “pumps”
Starts and stops crisply
Doesn’t continue through the entire intro.
Introductions
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Hugs and Kisses: In general, hugs and
kisses are inappropriate in any business
environment
Touching others in the workplace is
impolite - includes patting on the back,
arm around someone, or putting your
hand on their shoulder
Don’t address someone verbally by a
corporate title
Titles
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Titles are vitally important
In the company of others, show your boss
respect by addressing him or her formally
as “Mr.” or “Ms. Smith.”
“Ms.” is the appropriate address for a
woman in business, regardless of what
she chooses to call herself in her private
life. “Mrs.” and “Miss” imply social,
marital, and sexual distinctions that have
no place in the business arena
The Workplace
 Proper
etiquette in the
workplace generates
efficiency, helps to
eliminate distractions, and
creates a pleasant
environment
Workplace
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Your Co-Workers (relationships)
Your Superiors (Respect)
Visitors (you are the host when in your
office
Visitor should be greeted out in the
reception area
Doors: If you reach a door first,
regardless of gender, you should open it,
go through it, and hold it to ensure that it
doesn’t hit the person following
Workplace
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Elevators: If you are nearest the door, you get on the
elevator first, then hold the door until everyone else has
entered
– If you are near the control panel, ask the others what floor they
need and select those buttons for them
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Smoking: Not allowed in most workplaces today
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Telephone Etiquette: Speak unto others as you would
have them speak unto you - when using the telephone,
use your mouth for speaking only. Avoid chewing,
eating, or drinking