Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts July 2001
July 2001
Short Cuts:
What to wear
Business dress used to mean just that, buttoday even the most fashion-conscious among us are flummoxed onoccasion. Peter Post, co-author of The Etiquette Advantage inBusiness: Personal Skills for Professional Success(HarperCollins; www.harpercollins.com), admits to carrying a tie and insome cases an alternative outfit if he’s not quite certain of theformality of an event. To keep us packing light, Post, director ofthe Burlington, Vt.-based Emily Post Institute (and great-grandsonof the etiquette maven), helped M&C defineoft-perplexing dress-code terms found on invitations and inregistration material.
Smart casual: Also called dressy casual orFriday casual, appropriate wear includes sweaters, turtlenecks,blazers, collarless or open-collar tops, and pants such as khakisor corduroys. For women, slacks and skirts also suffice.
Resort casual: Often called for in warmdestinations, attire includes mid- to knee-length shorts;collarless or golf shirts; khakis and sandals. Women can wear linensheaths, casual skirts or sundresses.
Business: For men, a collared shirt, tie andjacket or suit are always correct. For women, pants or skirt suitsor business dresses.
co*cktail: Men should wear nothing less formalthan a blazer and slacks; for women, dressy pantsuits or short,dressier dresses.
Black-tie optional: Men can wear a tuxedo ordark business suit; for women a long, formal gown or a shorter,elegant dress or suit.
Some additional words of wisdom from Post: Regardless of howinformal the outfit, clothes should always be clean and pressed,stain- and odor-free, and not ripped, torn or frayed. And don’teven think about wearing anything spandex, muscle T-shirts,sweatpants (although company-logo sweats and jackets are fine in acasual setting), running shoes, ultratight or sexually provocativeclothes
• LISA GRIMALDI
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