Dressing for Success

Knowing what is acceptable to wear in the business world can be tricky, especially for women, and first impressions are very important!  One of WiB's first large group events was an etiquette dinner in order to address dining etiquette and professional dress.  Althea Luehrsen, an entrepreneur and Assistant Vice President at The University of Buffalo, was able to provide us with guidelines for appropriate business wear.  Here are some of the main points from her presentation to keep in mind!

The Interview

Stick to suits in neutral colors
Closed toed shoes with a small heel
Minimal jewelry
Minimal or no perfume
Cover visible tattoos
Do not over do your hair, make-up or nail polish

Clean, polished shoes 

The majority of the impression you make is based on non-verbal language such as body language, tone of voice, and eye contact.

Business Casual 

Monster.com defines business casual as "dressing professionally, looking relaxed, yet neat and pulled together."  

Business casual can vary depending on the company and its culture

Casual does not mean sloppy.  Your clothes should still be neat and clean

Attire should be classic, not trendy

Avoid tight or very baggy clothes

Examples of business casual:  Khaki's, modest dresses, sweaters, blouses, cardigans, capri pants, and casual shoes such as loafers or flats.  

Basic "DONT'S" for All Business Occasions...

Wear clothes that speak louder than you

Undo too many shirt buttons

Wear wrinkled clothes 

Let hair fall into your face

Busy patterns

Large dangle earrings

Extremely high heels

Anything too bright, tight, sheer or short

Basic "DO's" 

Always look professional

Dress for the audience, the circumstance, the corporate culture and yourself

Wear clothes that fit

Err on the side of conservative

Your Appearance...

Affects how you feel about yourself

Influences how others perceive you

Can make or break your success in establishing your career path

If you are still unsure if your outfit is acceptable, check out these blogs and links:

Office Fashion Ideas

Women: What to Wear for a Job Interview

USA Today:  Business Casual Causes Confusion

WiB and the City

This past weekend 12 WiB members ventured to New York City!  We took the overnight Megabus and arrived early Friday morning.  After a quick breakfast and cup of coffee at the Cosmic Cafe we were ready to take on the city.

Our first stop was The Museum of American Finance.  For many of us, this was our first time in NYC and so grabbing a cab was an experience in itself!  At the museum we viewed exhibits on the stock market and how to buy and sell stocks.  We also learned about the Great Depression era and the current financial situation.

The Museum of American Finance also included some fun facts about pop culture and finance.  There were war bonds with Disney characters, a full Monopoly set made of gold and diamonds, and an interesting exhibit that explained how the movie The Wizard of Oz was tied to economics.

After the museum, we walked down Wall St. and toured the financial district.  Unfortunately we also got stuck in a torrential down pour and had to take cover in Starbucks.

Friday night we had dinner at Trattoria Tricolori, a wonderful italian restaurant, with Canisius alumna Kayla Boorady.  Kayla is the Vice President for Corporate Resolutions, Inc.  She conducts databases research and comprehensive analysis for the firm's global background checks as well as the corporate investigations side of the business.  Kayla talked to us about life after college and moving to NYC.  She also gave us some tips on where to go in the city.  

Saturday morning was beautiful and the sun was shining. We took a walk down Park Ave and 5th and went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  There was so much to see!  I think we could have spent days there! 

 Saturday evening we had dinner at Bubba Gump in Times Square.  Our waiters helped us celebrate Vicki's birthday with a dance off and Vicki won!  We also had fun playing trivia from the movie, Forrest Gump, with the clear winner being Arielle!

Saturday night was our last night in NYC so we were busy trying to fit everything in!  We took a ferry ride to Staten Island and had a gorgeous view of the skyline!

We ended our night with a tour of the city and Times Square...in a limo!  It was a busy weekend but well worth it.  By Sunday morning we were exhausted but we had the 8 hour bus ride home to catch up on sleep.