More Questions About Business Dress

Last week’s blog on dress brought a number of questions/comments from readers, confirming my belief that people are concerned about choosing the appropriate clothing for work. Here are two of the questions that I thought you would find helpful:

Question: In our office we have been debating the definition of “dress jeans.” Do you have any input on this topic that you could suggest?

The term "dress jeans" is an oxymoron similar to "good junk.” And there are a lot of opinions. My definition of "dress jeans" is a pair of dark jeans that are in good condition, with no holes or frays. They are neither skin-tight nor big, and are worn with a belt. Dress jeans are often dry cleaned so they look new. Both men and women can wear them with a jacket and create a nice business casual look--if your company allows jeans.

Question: I just read an article in this past Sunday's job section of the paper that said one should choose either a blue suit with white shirt or grey. These colors convey trust, confidence, etc. Black is too strong of a color. What is your opinion about that?

I am biased in my answer regarding wearing black. I wear it a lot! Yes, it is a strong color, and you can project a strong image when you wear it. You can also wear any color with black.

But there's another side to my answer: Since black can create a strong image, you can look severe and/or intimating, if you don’t pay attention to your accessories, make up, jewelry, hair style and/or shirt color. You also need to work to establish rapport with others. These reasons may be why the article recommends a less strong color for an interview.

Please continue to send me your clothing comments and questions.