No matter of the fact if dress code of a given company is formal or casual, many employees have a problem with choosing their garments in summer. How to dress during hot days? If there are no rules about clothing in a company, do we have some limits in that period?
We have already mentioned this issue on our blog. The business clothes for women are composed of a classical suit, woman's suit, or dress with a jacket. While choosing a dress, we should pay attention to its length, neckline and shoulder straps. Dress without shoulder straps should reach at least knees. It is necessary to choose a jacket or bolero jacket to hide your arms. Dress with short slaves can be fitted with length above knee (not more than 5 cm). The best neckline is scoop neck or diamond; deep neckline should be avoided. We should also choose bright colors in summer, which reflect the light as well as products from natural materials – it will be less warmer to wear them than garments with artificial accessories. In case of men, whose occupation allows for less formal style and standard suit is too official, they can choose creased pants in bright color, for instance, white with an elegant jacket. Bright suit should be worn with a bright shirt. It is worth choosing pants and jackets from linen, which are the best choice during hot days.
What about long pants for men? If there is a loose approach to clothing at work, can they be shorter, or rather not?
Short shirts are one of unacceptable elements of wardrobe in corporations. However, it should not be a surprise. Such companies have air-conditioning and thus the temperature is always adjusted to weather conditions. If it is a kind of casual work outside the office, pants can be shorter provided that employers do not mind it. In offices, however, it is unacceptable.
Let’s move on to more formal dress codes. Women are obliged to wear high heels in many companies and the media sometimes criticizes this rule. What do you think about this requirement?
High heels should not be obligatory because low-heeled shoes or mid heels are the classic of business elegance. Business shoes are always covered, most often made from leather, and they are simply the must-have. In my opinion, women should decide on their own whether they want to go to work wearing low-heeled shoes or high heels. If women have a medical problem, or legs are tired, they should have an option to wear low-heeled shoes. Of course, other principles of dress code are still obligatory.
Is it possible to learn "good style"? What exactly is "good style"?
It is difficult to define good style since it cannot be clearly assessed what looks good and what does not. However, style is something more than wardrobe from the newest collection, designable accessories or fashionable haircut. It is related to our behavior; beliefs, values, interests and passions. Style is something very personal and intangible. We are born with a sense of style just as we are both with the awareness of femininity. There is no concrete pattern which helps us to learn it. That process takes years.
You have noticed the need for stylistic transformations of males in Poland and thus you established Szkoła Męskiego Stylu, where consultancy and personal consultancy as well as training courses are organized. How important is it for men to care about their image?
It is extremely important not only in case of men but also in case of women. Our image constitutes our business card, thus we should work on it all the time, refine it and gain knowledge in that area. Work on image allows to reveal many layers to the inner self. Thus we overcome all barriers and start to look at ourselves with our own eyes. I help clients to overcome barriers, I help them to find their own "self". Creation of image is definitely helpful in opening yourself and finding the inner self.
Agnieszka Świst-Kamińska is a founder of Szkoła Męskiego Stylu
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