Suitable Man
Nothing
suits corporate
dressing
like suits,
say designers
who give a
complete
thumbs down
to denims
“It’s a truth you can’t refute. Nothing
suits me like a suit.” Barney Stinson in
How I Met Your Mother
There certainly is no written rule that
a man working in an MNC, IT Industry,
Media, PR or in the rarefied Financial
Sector should dress up in a particular
way. But it goes without saying that
dressing appropriately is the foundation
on which to build one’s business image,
which also helps in providing a respectful
and productive work environment.
Most workplaces have an unwritten
rule that even on Fridays when casual
dressing like T-shirts and denims are
allowed, Ts shouldn’t be round-necked and denims should not be torn or faded.
A collared T-shirt with a good pair of denims can be worn, provided there isn’t
an important client meet on that day.
“Suits are the best option for corporate
dressing even today,’’ admits Sumit Diwan, a Delhi-based designer and the
man behind House of Diwan Saheb, which specialises in men’s dressing. Not
the three-piece suit with a chained pocket
watch and a cigar as one saw till the
middle of the last century, but a twopiece
suit with a good tie, a full-sleeved
shirt and neat well-polished leather shoe
is the best option in the contemporary
fast-paced life, where every man from
the age of 25 onwards is trying to climb the corporate ladder at a furious pace.
Sunil Mehra, another designer
from Delhi, says, “The younger generation
can go for a slight sporty look
and experiment with their suits. On a
good pair of trousers they can opt for
a neat-looking jacket instead of a
matching suit. Unless of course they
have an all-important meeting with
the big man himself, they needn’t
dress in a very formal suit.’’
What Mehra means is that if the
client is a person who prefers to wear
a three-piece suit, and then see that
you are dressed accordingly. Not necessarily
in a three-piece, but something
that will show that you respect your client’s sensibilities.
Checks and stripes are very much
in demand for both jackets and trousers. They form a nice blend of
formal and informal wear. Designer
Manish Malhotra too recently advised
young corporate guns, “For slightly
semi-formal office wear, a blazer in
cotton or linen works wonder.’’
Mehra says, “For summer, opt for
beige, khaki pants and if you are
preparing for winter, go for black,
navy, grey or dark brown.’’
There are two different opinions
when it comes to wearing denims to
office. Some offices do allow employees
to wear a good pair of denims but
many designers feel denims or jeans
should be avoided. Designers give a
complete thumbs down to denims.
Instead they suggest: Go for good
thick trousers that are becoming very
popular in the corporate world.
And in case you are bored of wearing
jackets and blazers, on days when you don’t have any meetings and are
going to be cooped up in the office itself you can try wearing good fullsleeved
shirts. One thing every
designer agrees is that colour blue has
been done to death. ‘Don’t wear blue’
is the golden mantra. Charcoal grey,
blue black or mélange colours are the
most in things of the season.
Diwan says, “For semi formals opt
more for light coloured shirts – grey,
mauve, softer tones of lemon, nice
soft peach etc. Team the shirt with
different tones of tie.’’
The corporate world is no place
for shirts with embellishments! A
slight detailing like a double cuffs,
cuff slings, slight different strip of
cloth on collar, darker shade buttons
etc. will add just that much of difference
to an otherwise plain shirt.
“If one wants to go for a working
dinner or semi-formal evening party
directly from the office, one can go with bundgala jackets. They add a
touch of class to the attire,’’ adds
Mehra. Diwan insists that the accessories
have to be really classy. “No
strong perfume, showy bracelets, earrings
or bulging pockets for our guy
in the corporate world. The bestdressed
honcho is a guy who sports a good branded watch – nowadays we get
them in the range of Rs three to four
lakhs – a classy pen, and that is it. And
if you wear glasses, use clean, neat
framed glasses. But one has to take care
of correct footwear that adds a touch of class to one’s walk and also increases the
style quotient. Go for good leather
shoes. Even a slip-on will do,’’ advises
the designer.
In short, corporate dressing means
having a neat haircut supported by sleek
dressing and a good suit. And looking
great!
CORPORATE DO’S
- A two-piece business suit in
solid dark blue or grey. No blacks
for daywear. Sober shirt and a tie are must.
- Clean well-polished shoes – Black,
dark brown, navy blue or mélange
grey. Lace ups are better with matching black or dark socks.
- Well-cut hairstyle, short not necessarily
crew cut looks neat and good.
- Clean, trimmed fingers. Don’t have
any finger with long nails.
- No beard, and if you have a moustache,
make sure it is neat and
trimmed.
- No earrings and finger rings except
wedding bands.
- Empty pockets, no bulge at all,
and never carry any candy, gums
or cigarettes.
- Carry a neat good quality brief
or portfolio case.
