Women's Business Attire as an Important Means of Communication

The concept of a businesswoman is broad and difficult to define. A businesswoman is, in principle, any one of us who goes to work and engages in any kind of private business. This led me to the conclusion that today they are no longer dressed so very conservatively, as I have seen them arriving in all styles of dress, except perhaps in the dramatic style, which is really only suitable for home. I also found that they do not wear tights, monochrome suits, that they favour lighter cuts and materials, and that they are increasingly dressed according to current fashion trends, yet still tasteful enough for business meetings and receptions with business partners.

Problem

The concept of a businesswoman is broad and difficult to define. A businesswoman is, in principle, any one of us who goes to work and engages in any kind of private business. However, when we speak of a businesswoman, we have in mind those representatives of the gentler sex who work in management, lawyers, members of parliament and the like.

In this world, certain rules of dress apply, both for men and for women. It is prescribed how long a skirt must be, what is an appropriate neckline, what are suitable shoes and so on. The rules of dress create and round off our image and the general impression we give of ourselves.

Clothing does not yet reveal personality and certainly does not make a person, but it can tell a great deal about them, especially in the business world. At the beginning of the diploma thesis, I will describe the historical and sociological significance of clothing. In the continuation, I will present the concepts: colour, aesthetics and style.

In the fourth, fifth and sixth chapters, I will define in detail what a businesswoman must be like at work, at receptions, at formal events, at sporting events and in her free time. The attire of a businesswoman also includes well-groomed hair, face, hands and body. None of us is perfect, of course, but we can help ourselves a great deal with fashion accessories, as we redirect attention away from our imperfections.

It is true that clothing is an expression of individuality, but in the business world there are rules that define the type of clothing for different occasions. The guiding principle is above all elegance. The general rule is "Less is more".

In the period of global economic progress, in the period of higher living and financial standards and with better competition in the domestic market, people are much more active, we feel more confident, relaxed, which is reflected, after all, also in their way of life, thinking and dressing. In the past, we could not imagine that a businesswoman would wear anything other than a suit of very strict cut and colours. Today, with thinking and socialisation, they have succeeded in being able to dress differently whilst still observing certain rules and yet still with dignity.

The culture of dress has its written and unwritten rules. When we have unwritten rules before us and must decide by instinct, we must always ask ourselves what kind of occasion we are dressing for. With such thinking, we shape our refinement, and with it also the standards of our appearance, which is also a reflection of their socialisation and attitude towards the company we represent.

The influence of their external appearance and behaviour tells us what they are like towards themselves, towards others and towards the occasion in which we find ourselves. With appropriate clothing, we present ourselves wherever we step, whilst at the same time showing respect for the musician, the artist, the business partner and, ultimately, also respect for ourselves. When we speak of appearance in the business world, despite the transition to lighter, less conservative dress, we are bound by certain rules that always apply in the business world.

We must observe and adapt to certain rules and expectations that companies have regarding their dress. When we cross the threshold of our company, we no longer represent only ourselves, but also the company for which we work. We must not forget that we also communicate with clothing.

Clothing belongs to non-verbal communication and sometimes we say more with it than we would wish. Our feelings, attitudes, sensations, visions, our perspectives, our expectations are expressed much more strongly and more frequently through non-verbal than through verbal communication. Throughout my entire working career, that is 22 years, I have spent in uniform.

This represents a very conservative way of dressing, as we have regulations that determine how to wear prescribed clothing. These are written rules that must be observed by every worker who wears a uniform. The rules are very strict and rigid, because everyone must be aware that by wearing a uniform they no longer represent only themselves, but are someone who represents the company.

In the case of wearing a uniform, when you are surrounded by people who are also customers of the company (in my case, passengers), you must constantly pay attention to the neatness of your clothing, yourself, and also to your behaviour, as all this is the first mirror and the first contact of the customer or client with the company. When you do not have the opportunity to dress for work as you yourself wish, you always yearn for it. I myself have always wanted to be able to wear a suit.

Therefore, I have always observed especially women, how they dress for work.

Results

This led me to the conclusion that today they are no longer dressed so very conservatively, as I have seen them arriving in all styles of dress, except perhaps in the dramatic style, which is really only suitable for home. I also found that they do not wear tights, monochrome suits, that they favour lighter cuts and materials, and that they are increasingly dressed according to current fashion trends, yet still tasteful enough for business meetings and receptions with business partners. I think that in such an atmosphere, that is, with a wardrobe that is lighter, it is better to work, as the person feels better in the clothing and this also affects work performance and consequently better relations amongst employees.

Whilst analysing the survey, which I gave to 100 random respondents to complete, I came to the conclusion that others also notice that there is a transition from conservative dress to a lighter manner, which is also reflected in workplaces in offices and in relations amongst employees. The people who completed the surveys are, just like me, enthusiastic about this. That lighter clothing brings better work performance is evident from table and graph 14, and that the well-being amongst employees is also better is evident from table and graph 15.

Employees like to see their superiors dressed in lighter clothing, as they then have the feeling that this is not their superior and they do not feel a kind of fear before them. The respondents stated that a businesswoman should wear either a classic style of dress (table and graph 19) or, closer to me and a lighter style, the Euro-chic style (table and graph 22). Despite the fact that we have several styles of dress available and that it is important how they are dressed, personal hygiene is also important, which the respondents proved in table and graph 5.

When I was thinking about the survey and the results, it occurred to the author that people almost do not care how you are dressed (of course you must be colour and style coordinated), as long as you observe a high level of personal hygiene. This is more important to people than make-up, wearing tights or a suit. However, I emphasise once again that in the business world certain rules prevail, which we must still observe.