How to Dress up for That Important Business Meeting
You have that big meeting scheduled and you open your wardrobe and feel so lost, we women aren’t confused souls, it’s just that we always have such an array of things to choose from, western or Indian! And we want to impress! After all first impression, as they say, is the last impression!
That purse or this handbag? How to carry my hair? Western or Indian? Choices choices I tell you! So let’s try to sort things following these few basic questions you can ask yourself to get the right look.
What kind of a meeting is it?
Are you meeting a client? A business associate? Board of directors? The press? Is it an interview?
Get to know the environment you will be facing. Like if you are going for a meeting to a company in a rural place where people are conservative or from a particular religious background you will dress in a particular manner and if you are meeting the board of directors of some Tech company you shall be dressed in a completely different way.
What role do your clothes play?
The trick is to identify with the person you are meeting.
If you are meeting some high position person in a company then be seen in clothes that the person identifies with. Do some research and turn up looking perfect, this little extra effort will boost your chances of making an ever lasting impression! Like, a tailored business suit, a neat shirt and a tailored pant which isn’t hugging your body nor is a size more than yours, see to it that the pants hem isn’t touching the floor; it should be around your ankle. If you want to go for a skirt, see to it it’s up to your knee because you don’t want it to be so tight or short that you can’t walk or sit or cross and uncross your legs. If you have decided on a saree it should not be the saree you wear to marriage parties, ideally cotton and silk work the best in Indian weather, but drape it properly, you should not be tucking around while talking to your client.
Conservative or Hep?
The environment which you will be exposed to, is it hep or conservative?
You need to mirror that, if it’s conservative stick to neutral shades and business suits or muted sarees, but if it’s a modern and happening you can go in for a bit of color like light pastel shades of pinks, yellows, and blues etc but be careful about not going over board
How to Get Neat Crisp Look?
This is the basic need of any meeting with anybody under the sky. And as they say you don’t get a second chance at making the first impression. To add to that, power dressing is crucial in a high pressure environment. Go through these points to tackle every aspect of dressing…
Hair :
It should be nicely trimmed or be combed or sit nicely on you, we don’t want hair flying all over or falling on the face while talking as it would be breaking concentration.
Nails :
No chipped nail paint or chewed up nails, and no florescent nail color unless you are an artist vying for a models position
Clothes texture :
Please, synthetic material is a big no as it doesn’t get along well with the Indian weather, we don’t want sweat showing up on your blouse or shirt!
Clothes color :
Go for muted colors or pastel shades, going overboard doesn’t help, better to be conservative than be a walking rainbow.
Clothes Pattern:
No big stripes or shiny clothes, it’s a meeting not a party. Plain, small checks or pinstripes work best.
Hygiene:
Yes, body odour and bad breath needs to be taken care of.
Shoes:
Go for covered shoes with little heels that you are comfortable in. Don’t go for stilettos, glittery heels and keep them clean and smart.
Bag:
Don’t carry a duffel bag or a glittery purse you take to parties, carry a handbag or laptop bag you can flop on the floor or keep on the seat next to yours. Be practical, you haven’t come to the beach!
Accessories:
You aren’t a new bride walking into your kitchen so, no clinking sounds of bangles or anklets. Be discreet, your accessories are to accentuate your look not to take up all the attention.
Perfume:
Again discreet, it shouldn’t overpower and make your associate swoon.
Undergarments:
They should be where they belong, under your garments! And if your panty line is showing that means your trouser is bit too tight, so change it and go for a better fit.
So girls, dress well, feel powerful but don’t knock out anybody. I repeat once again – don’t go overboard. Be well dressed all the time as the general perception is that the people who dress casually are slackers and those who dress immaculately are perceived to be attentive and more productive. We always expect people in senior levels to be more dressed than the lower middle employees. Though there’s no authentic study on this but these are the notions which are there and you can’t do anything about it.
At the end we women have sharp sixth sense, we sense things far better than the other sex, so use it girls and believe in yourself and smile, the confidence in you will reflect in your body language and even on your clothes. After all, the world is yours to conquer!
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