Can you identify the difference between business and social clothes? Both are more formal than our everyday clothes, both are usually worn with dress shoes. But they are not interchangeable. Underlying many what to wear blunders is misunderstanding the distinctions between these two wardrobe lifestyle segments.
After first reminding us all that categories are somewhat fluid based on personal style idiom, perhaps it would be fun to play with some examples. All pictures are clickable.
Which of these cardigans would you wear for business and which for social? Which skirt?
And should you win any shoes in the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Shoe Auction benefiting Ovarian Cancer (ht: Wendy), I suggest you reserve them for social.
What frustrates me is this: there would be no need for employers to write detailed dress code manuals if people would just take it upon themselves to care what they ought to wear. The benefits are proven. (Look at Beth’s story back here.)
Which of these two ladies would you hire for a professional office job? And where do you think the other is going?
GREAT point!!
For the cardigans, it’s hard to tell. I may actually wear both (depending on what the belt style is), since my client right now is business casual. If I wore any of those 2 cardigans, with tailored crisp pants, and heels, it’d work. But if I had to truly pick, I’d say the left cardigans are more business-like (look more like blazers I think)
As for the skirt, I’d wear the plaid to work, floral as casual – too girly in my opinion and fun for work.
For the dresses, the black wrap (?) is DEFINITELY business appropriate. The other black dress is also appropriate in the sense that it’s to the knee, but the detailing and ruffling makes me think she’s going out shopping, with friends, to a fun dinner or a cocktail party. Not very business-y. I’d peg her at being an assistant, maybe a secretary?
A lot of people think that appearance shouldn’t matter, but they’re so, SO wrong. If you dress better, not as casual or as informal, people take you more seriously.. this is so true especially if you’re younger. I get pegged at about my late twenties (29 is the average guess) or my early 30s, when I’m really 24… I think it’s just the way I dress, act and present myself.
I should note that only dressing the part doesn’t get you all the way there either. You also have to sound and act the part – a woman in a 3 piece suit may look great with her mouth shut, but if she starts talking like a 15 year old teenager, people’s impressions of her are going to change considerably.
The dresses are easy: wrap dress for work, the other for fun. Although the social one is lined, and made of wool, which makes it less of a “clubbing” outfit and more like a dinner date.
The cardigans and skirts are a little tougher. The floral skirt is social, because of the pattern and fabric. I thought the wrap sweater is also social, because of the low cut neckline and general “fussiness.” But it is such a clean fit on the model, I’m not totally sure.
The plaid skirt at first glance looks more business like, but the pale color and linen fabric make it social. Look at the “on model” shot — not business at all.
The belted cardigans are tricky too. I think they work for business, if paired with a dark pencil skirt and serious pumps. I would worry about it losing its shape; I prefer structured jackets for work. And the gathered cuffs seem somehow casual.
Good questions!