Office Fashion - Do's and Don't

Gone are the days when office wear constituted a freshly starched white shirt and tie, under a formal grey suit, accessorised by highly polished shoes and shiny cufflinks. Jeans and a sweatshirt are the order of the day, and one might consider oneself lucky that the jeans are even clean. Management opposes dress code most carefully; tip-toeing through the minefield of labour laws sculpted around employee´s rights.

Codes of behaviour are, for some, steeped in common sense. For others the road to an acceptable degree of conduct is potholed and scarred by daily confrontation with senior managers and supervisors, whose unenviable duty it is to achieve a corporate image for their company.

When dressing for work, try to imagine how you would wish the company represented if it actually belonged to you. There is no need for working clothes to be shabby in order to be comfortable. By all means wear jeans if the company find them acceptable. However it is imperative that jeans are spotlessly clean and free of holes to avoid a scruffy and sloppy appearance.

Wear shoes that are clean, even if they are trainers. Hair should be neatly combed, even if it is overlong. Too much make-up can look revolting in an office environment and distract colleagues and clients from the business in hand, unless you are working in a trendy boutique where such fashion statements might be the norm.

Low cut tops and dresses are absolutely out of the question in an office environment. Not only are they inappropriate, the signals given out by the wearing of such items are not a good idea. A lady who persists in desplaying her bosom to all her male colleagues should hardly be surprised when they treat her like the local barmaid.

Take the time when dressing for work to consider the day´s agenda and take into account the possibility of the unexpected. A short skirt is fine on many occasions but if there is a remote possibility of having to inspect a product situated over an open gantry the results could be disastrous and humiliating.

Pay attention to the type of skirt or trousers you wear. Some fabrics 'bag' at the seat or knee and look terrible after three hours sitting at a desk. Try to select fabrics that do not bag or crease badly. Blouses that fasten with buttons should be loose enough to allow plenty of movement and long enough not to expose eight inches of flabby midriff whenever you have to stretch across a desk.

Splits in skirts should be sensible and not expose legs right up to the hip at the slightest movement. Pay particular attention to hands and nails, making sure they are clean and well manicured with chip-free nail polish.

Jewellery can make a statement without sounding like the 1812 Overture whenever you move. Jangling bracelets can sound like a trashcan symphony on the other end of the telephone. Strong perfumes and colognes should be avoided at all cost. So many people are allergic to heady perfumes and there are plenty of gentle aromas to choose from which wil not cause discomfort to anyone else.

Always remember to carry a handkerchief or tissue in your purse or pocket; there is nothing worse than having to listen to someone constantly sniffing in the desk next to you.

Above all, be comfortable at work. Wear something you know you will able to sit in all day without appearing creased and untidy.