What makes up a business women's outfit
If you’re a businesswoman and want to assert authority, a skirt suit is your best choice. A skirt suit for a woman is like a navy suit for a man. However, your suit doesn’t have to be navy blue or black. Although patterned fabrics for business suits and dresses don’t breach the dress code, they don’t help establish authority.
At the highest level of the business dress code, your jacket and skirt should be made from the same material. The jacket can have a stand-up collar, lapels, it can be single- or double-breasted. The length of your jacket should perfectly match your height and figure.
Jacket
If you’re rather short, I recommend a shorter jacket. The jacket can hit at the waist, covering only the skirt’s waistline. At the same time, the skirt with such a short jacket should hit just below the knee.
If you have a longer torso, you will look better in a slightly shorter jacket. Its fastening should be positioned a bit higher than your natural waist.
If you’re tall, choose a longer jacket but remember that your jacket shouldn’t cover the entire skirt. If the jacket is long enough to cover the skirt, it’s better to replace the skirt with pants.
Short women should avoid jackets with a large number of buttons. One or two is enough. They should also avoid double-breasted styles.
But if you have a boyish figure and narrow shoulders, double-breasted, military-style and safari-style jackets will be perfect for you.
Women with narrow shoulders look good in classic boxy suits.
Narrow sleeves with a high sleeve cap will visually slim you down but won’t be a good choice for women with a heavier posture.
Rounded lapels emphasize a round-shaped face. Pointed lapels are great for any body type.
Choose lapel size based on your figure. Slightly wider lapels are suitable for bigger women, narrow ones - for slim. Very wide lapels are inappropriate for both bigger and smaller women because they visually widen the silhouette.
Upwards pointed lapels make the shoulders seem broader. The epaulettes also have the same effect.
Generous feminine shapes look best in v-neckline jackets with a clasp right under the bust.
Skirt
In a business outfit, the skirt has a strictly defined length: it should hit at the knee with a standard deviation of a maximum of six centimetres up or down from the centre of the knee. The cut of the skirt can vary so as to best fit given body shape. When buying a skirt for work, it’s good to check how it behaves when you sit down. In a sitting position, the skirt can go up and reveal your thighs, especially if the skirt is narrow and made from a rigid material.
Shapes
A pencil skirt is the queen of business skirts. It creates a professional image and makes your legs seem longer. It’s a great choice for almost all body types, provided the length of the skirt is right for your height. For shorter ladies, it’s optimal when the skirt’s hem is right at the knee or slightly below. A longer skirt (¾ length) visually “cuts” the calf in half and doesn’t conform to the standards of a business outfit. A short (just above the knee) pencil skirt will look great on tall women.
A skirt that’s fitted at the hips and flared down to the bottom (A-line) is a good style for women with feminine shapes and for women with a romantic type of beauty. Pleated skirts widen the hips, so they are a good choice for slim women with a boyish figure. A skirt with a lower waist makes the torso seem longer, thus, tall women with long legs look great in this style.
A wide and clearly marked waistband looks great on slim and tall women. Any horizontal lines in the style will make you seem shorter.
Pockets, especially patch style ones, visually broaden the silhouette.
A skirt’s back slit can only have a form of a kick pleat so as not to reveal too much when walking.
References
- Kamińska-Radomska, I.; Tanter, A. (2016). Dress code dla kobiet. Warszawa: Świat Książki.