How casual should business casual be? Last week some of our leading politicians were holed up in Naivasha thrashing out important issues to do with the constitution. And being in the lush surroundings of the Great Rift Valley Lodge, the dress code was business casual and we were able to see the good, the bad and the unfortunate. Kanye West put it best when he said it’s harder to dress down than dress up – dressing casual is the true test. I’m going to focus on the men where we saw everything from rugby shirts to leather jackets and hawaiian shirts. The style of dress makes an immediate impression.
The nature of the public image of politicians has changed enormously with the growth of radio and TV coverage and the change in the marketing of newspapers so that their image is even more important. Our leaders need to inspire confidence and other leadership qualities like integrity and professionalism. In order to do this they need to make the right impression and create a positive image so here are a few tips that perhaps our honorable colleagues might want to take on board so as not to sacrifice their professionalism or integrity. Indeed this is for anyone who struggles with what to wear on dress down Fridays. The obvious rule of thumb is that clothes should be clean, with no creases, tears, holes, stains or loose buttons. Dressing casual especially for executives and politicians should never stray too far from the traditional look. Some lawmakers were still wearing the full suit and tie which came across as stuffy and inappropriate given the surroundings. They could easily have taken off the tie or jacket, sans button on the shirt and still looked like they meant business but coming across a little more relaxed. Women have it easier because they have wider choice as far as what works for business casual dressing and for the most part they didn’t make as many style faux pax.
Shirts should be collared and preferably plain. Shirts with logos, slogans or other prints don’t give a very serious impression and in particular hawaiian shirts are probably the most unserious shirt any man can wear and should be reserved for when on vacation with the family to amuse young children. Rugby shirts should be saved for the pub on weekends. So too should leather jackets which might work for a chilly evening but really when playing at this level a blazer or a sports jacket is preferable in fact every man of note should have a navy blue blazer in their wardrobe.
African printed shirts might work under certain circumstances but the rule above applies in avoiding extreme patterned shirts and collared shirts are considered more professional regardless. A good pair of wool trousers which can be part of a suit or khakis or corduroys are the way to go below the belt. Jeans are a just little too casual in my book and other no-no’s are shorts and ¾ trousers.
Going sockless or wearing white socks are two of the biggest mistakes you can make. Socks should be darker than the trousers you wear and long enough so that at no point should that gap of flesh between trouser and sock be seen especially when sitting. Black shoes – black belt, brown shoes – brown belt…it’s that simple. Many people will look at your feet before your face so wearing sandals, open toed shoes or sneakers will bring your credibility as a senior person into question. Make sure that you wear leather shoes preferably in black, brown or burgundy. And finally a word on jewelry – it should be kept to the bare minimum even with business casual i.e. a conservative watch and wedding band so no chains, bracelets or earrings should be visible.
