A large part of the success of a business meeting is the image we project: confidence, professionalism, self-assurance… Our professionalism and know how will always be above all else but there are certain aspects of non-verbal communication which we can control. One of the most powerful is our clothes , so choosing a suitable outfit for a business meeting can win us many points in the negotiation (or lose them).
At Grand Luxor Mice Business & Events we offer this guide on how to choose your look for a business meeting for men and women, depending on variables such as the formality of the meeting or the time of year. We hope this will be useful for you to attend your upcoming appointments with confidence.
What clothes should I wear to a business meeting ?
Your dress can say a lot about you at a business meeting. It says a lot to ourselves.It gives us confidence, makes us feel in control over what we want to project to the outside world… and of course it says a lot to others. Choosing a suitable outfit for a business meeting impacts in one way or another at least, on the calling card which is the impression we make in the first few seconds.
We are going to explain the aspects to bear in mind when choosing clothes for a meeting. We will not go into great detail regarding combinations of garments or colours, but rather we will give you the key points to take into account and the indispensable elements in order to project professionalism and a good image.
The informal meeting look
As is the case with the dress code, informal meeting look must be smart but comfortable. We must never sacrifice our professional appearance but we can permit certain liberties in order to be more comfortable. Regarding men´s clothes for a business meeting, a shirt is always the most formal option but we can go down a level and wear a more comfortable polo shirt without lowering the degree of formality too much. Dress trousers would be appropriate, combined with shoes and a light jacket.
A business meeting outfit for women can include long trousers or a knee-length dress or skirt. Combining this with a blouse is a good option for informal business dress. As in the case of men´s outfits for business meetings, a light jacket is also a good complement.
In both cases the thickness of the material must be appropriate for the time of year. A summer business meeting look allows much lighter garments which generally speaking shy away from the colour black.In winter, we change to thicker, warmer clothes including a good overcoat, parka or gabardine.
Clothes to avoid in an informal business meeting look: Tee-shirts, denims, sports shoes and garments that despite being of a recommended type, are brightly coloured or excessively ostentatious.
Outfits for formal meetings
An outfit for a formal meeting must be impeccable, much more formal and sophisticated. For men, a suit with shirt and tie is more or less essential especially in business spheres where formality is a requisite.
We say this because we are aware that there are certain sectors that work with different codes where the style of dress in meetings does not carry so much importance. Ultimately, you are the one who has all the information and the context to make the correct decision.
Having said that, for women we return to the combination of long trousers, knee-length dress or skirt combined with a blouse or shirt and a jacket.
In both cases, we will try to choose colours with neutral tones such as black, grey, white or discreet pale colours. No bright colours.
We will again take into account the time of year and therefore, the temperature. The outfit for a summer business meeting has to be one of light clothes which will prevent us from being hot and perspiring too much.In winter, thick material to avoid being cold.
Examples of dress styles for a business meeting
As in this case it is preferable to show rather than to explain, we would like to recommend the social network Pinterest to see some examples of looks for business meetings. In Pinterest you can search for different outfits for business meetings using the key words you prefer.There you can see hundreds or thousands of examples which serve as inspiration for you. We hope this information has been of great help to you.