Has business dress changed?

The other day I was pondering the question of whether the attraction of professional companies has really changed over the years.

Without a doubt the biggest change has been with the introduction of “business casual”. This movement began in the 1990s with the high-tech casual dress style in Silicon Valley. Today it has spread to most of the workforce. Apparently 90% of all businesses have some kind of business informality.

But has career business attraction really changed? For men it has remained practically the same. The men’s suit remains the official business dress and little has changed in the last 100 years. Changes occur in details, lapel width, cuffs or no cuffs, vest or no vest, suit cut, color selections, and tie width. Men seem to have it easy. A shirt, tie and suit are always correct.

The professional business of women attracts has also remained constant. When you think about it, the components remain the same. The 2-piece skirt suit, the trouser suit, the dress with the jacket and the dress are always correct. Women have many more fashion and fashions options to deal with that complicate matters, and this sometimes leads to inappropriate choices in the office. Like men’s clothing, the basic components are the same, with skirts that fluctuate, shoulders and lapels getting wider or narrower, silhouettes that change, and colors that come and go.

The bottom line is to stick to the basics and interpret trends to stay current, fashionable, and most of all, professional.