Successful dressing for Men

The Queen of England once told Prince Charles, "Dress gives one the outward sign from which people can judge the inward state of mind. One they can see, the other they cannot." Clearly, she was saying what many people are reluctant to accept; that people judge us by the way we dress. The way you dress speaks volumes of who you are as a person and as a business communicator. Your clothes and body language speak first and then your words follow.
Try visiting a busy restaurant at lunchtime. Look around at what people are wearing and see if you don't make judgments about who they are, their line of business, their personalities and their competencies. Your choice of business apparel speaks of your professional behavior and credibility. It is important to understand how to dress for business if you wish to promote yourself in a positive manner,
Perceptions that people can form of you on the basis of your dressing are:
1. Your professionalism
2. Your level of sophistication
3. Your credibility
4. Your intelligence

Proper business attire is about being professional and not about being fashionable. It's about presenting yourself in a way that makes your clients feel comfortable and confident with you. Following are few tips that men should consider while dressing up for business:
• Dress for the audience, the circumstance, the corporate culture, and yourself
• Hair, usually parted to one side, not reaching the top of your shirt collar
• Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the color and can make the difference between sleaze and suave. Wool and wool blend are the way to go for suit fabrics. Even in summers a lightweight wool fabric is good.
• A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look.
• Ties should be made of silk or a silk-like fabric. Try simple and subtle ties to enhance your credibility.
• The “all-important” DIMPLE: Even if you have tied the most perfect knot in the history of the world, if it doesn’t have a perfect dimple just under the knot it ain’t perfect! Sophisticated men and women notice a tie knot’s dimple.
• Ties should end within the area of the belt buckle (not above and not below).
• Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other.
• Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the best choice. Many people will look at your feet before your face. The great American dancer, Fred Astaire, who wrote the book on popular dance, said this about footwear: “If you want to know if a fellow is well dressed, look down.”
• Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes.
• The business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch and a wedding band.
• The finishing touch for the business man is his choice of accessories: briefcase, portfolio and pen. When it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes can lose their affect when you pull out the ball point pen you picked up in the hotel meeting room the day before.