The byword for dress in the Western business world is conservative. This means nothing too flashy, too provocative, too casual, too tight or too revealing.
For the ladies, the following dress items are common:
Pant suit
Knee-length skirt or full-length dress
Dress pants
Blouse
Jacket
High-heels
Dress shoes
For men, these are the accepted norms for business attire:
Suit and tie There are many variations on the cut (or style) of the suit,of course, but the most commonly found cuts are Italian, Traditional English, and Traditional American. Many business suits are double-breasted.
A common pattern considered very professional is the pin-stripe. The recognized business colors are black and gray (dark or light), but some companies have established others as their recognized color, such as blue.
Vest
Suspenders
Cufflinks
Oxfords
The following items are usually not acceptable in most white-collar environments:
Jeans
T-shirts
Tank tops
Open-toed or low-cut shoes (low-cuts)
Sneakers
Loafers
However, many Western businesses have adopted what is commonly referred to as casual Fridays or dress-down Fridays, where they allow employees who are not dealing directly with the public to wear casual attire, including some of the usually non-acceptable items mentioned above.
