Style Categories – Fashion Guide for Business Women

Professional women can stay polished and refined by wearing the right clothes for the right business or social events. Dressing appropriately gives off an undeniable air of confidence and sophistication that suits any woman well. Listed below are style categories for the professional business woman that explain the best ways to dress for various events and occasions.

business attracts

Business Attire is a category of formal style that relates to business functions and events. Formal business attire is usually a matching skirt (or pants) suit that includes a jacket and bottom set. Formal business attire can be worn for business trips, business presentations and meetings, business lunches, and interviews. It is strongly recommended that women choose suits in basic colors for conservative appeal, such as black, navy, or gray.

business casual

Business Casual is less formal than regular business and includes mixed pieces. Women can pair a jacket or blazer with a skirt or pants (but the pieces don’t have to be identical). Business casual attire is ideal for everyday business wear. It can also be used for less formal meetings and events or business lunches. Business casual attire is very common for social networking and social events during the afternoon and evening.

Casual

Casual attire is the least formal of the style categories and is basically relaxed clothing. A blazer/jacket is not required and usually includes a top and bottom set. Casual wear are khakis, dark denim jeans, casual pants, button down shirts, cardigans and shell ensembles, v-neck sweaters, blouses, skirts, career gauchos, capris, etc. It is important to maintain a refined appearance by wearing neat, pressed casual clothing in business settings.

Formal wear

Formal Wear are formal party and evening dresses that are long and elegant. They can be worn at black tie events, dances/soirees, or fundraisers. Dresses may include maxi dresses or blouse and skirt ensembles. Formal wear can vary in various colors, but black and white is common. Many women choose to wear shawls, scarves, or pashminas for their outerwear rather than coats for formal events.

Semi Formal / Cocktail

Semi-Formal and Cocktail Wear are party dresses. They are usually knee length or shorter and are less formal than traditional dresses. The basic colors for semi-formal and cocktail wear are usually black. The styles of these dresses are more modern and trendy as compared to formal wear. Women tend to accessorize more with semi-formal and cocktail dresses by wearing bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry to brighten up their outfits.