Most women in the business and SME space who lead units, departments and organisations have heard the words ‘’dress as you want to be addressed’’! The need to dress in a business-like manner, brought about the increase in what is called formal dressing or corporate dressing in the business arena for a lot of women.
Corporate dressing includes, professional looking skirts and trousers that are tidy. Tops should include neat button-down or zip-down shirts or blouses with a blazer. Some companies are specific about colour codes whilst other are open. Business professional shoes include classic heels (no higher than 3 inches), tidy flats and loafers. Slippers are a ‘’no - no’’ for the corporate look.
Women can also accessorize with scarfs, minimal Jewellery and belts. A lot of local fabrics have been designed into jackets and formal dresses, descent enough to wear to the office once well cut and fitted.
With the new trend of remote working, (a.k.a. Working – from – Home: WFH), the need to ensure comfort and functionality has challenged the need for corporate dressing whilst working remotely. Even with remote working on-line 24/7, a lot of jobs like customer service may require only voice communication over the telephone.
Some teleconferences, require only seeing the top part of the body, mostly from shoulders up, and a bit of the background décor! Hence you may find yourself wearing the same pair of trousers for 1 week!
The big challenge has been making the switch from dressing for the office every day, to working from home in casual wears, but looking put-together enough for a teleconference call!
Tips for getting dressed quickly and simply with nowhere to go, but with the need to ‘’look great on camera’’ include”:
Focus on ‘’above-the–desk look’’, by pairing work-friendly tops with comfier bottoms.
The inevitable need to send some mails in your night gown, first thing in the morning will occur, but try to be showered and ready for the day, with a set routine daily, in a smart office shirt.
Some ladies opt for a smart t-shirt but throw on a casual non-button waist coat to put some ‘personality’ into the looks!
Wearing a formal dress made of Ankara or any nice & comfortable fabric, can also do the trick of getting a polished look for the ‘screens’ and yet being comfy enough to curl up on the couch!
Three quarter length linen pants are also very handy for comfort and the smart look. Worn with smart cotton blouses, may be the look you need!
For the ‘’power dresser”, a blazer with the camisole/ shirt / blouse under. Your blazer is easy to take off and on as the days job demands, with the right ‘’look & feel’’!
Most women do not worry too much about the ‘’from-home’’ footwear, as most tend to go through the day in comfy slippers, and mules!
Share your tips of corporate dressing and your ‘WFH’ outfit philosophy for all to learn a new tip or two!
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