Get yourself tailor-made for the business life
They’re alien to that amorphous thing called Indian culture, and a decidedly unwise choice for the weather in most parts of the country. But in the climate-controlled corridors of the business world, you’d have to be extremely successful — and brave — to get away with a suitless wardrobe. It must be said: Women in India have more choices. Many of our top female executives favour the traditional elegance of a sari. Men in the boardroom almost exclusively wear suits.
Our more seasoned readers are, we know, well-versed in matters sartorial. But, for the benefit of the ones starting out on their journeys to high places, Forbes India, with some expert help, put together a quick, but comprehensive guide to the business suit.
The Experts
Men: Tom Ford, creator/designer of the TOM FORD line. James Bond wears TOM FORD suits
Anna Zegna, Image Director of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Italian fashion house
Gautam Singhania, Chairman and MD, the Raymond Group
Zulfi Shahpurwala, Managing Partner, Kachin’s, a Mumbai-based tailor for bespoke suits.
Women: Charu Sachdev, CEO, TGS International, a franchisee of the Stella McCartney brand
Sathyajit R., COO, Allen Solly, Madura Garments
Helena, Bangalore fashion designer.
Styles
When it comes to styles, says Tom Ford, “A man should always choose a style that he feels comfortable in — that is the key to dressing appropriately.”
Accessories
Watches
Gold goes well with dark skin, silver with lighter skin. (Image: Omega)
Cufflinks
Should match your shirt, suit and skin.
Money Clips
Wallets are too bulky for suits; a money clip can hold your money, credit cards, keys and mobile all in a flat, lightweight place.
Tie-clips
Beware, tie-clips can appear flashy if the design or metal is too bold.
Pocket Squares
As subtle as possible.
Shahpurwala says, “There are two kinds of people in this world — a blue person, and a black person.” And he insists solid colours are best: “Nothing too obvious or jarring; the colour should be subtle.” Singhania thinks a man can pull off any colour, as long as it’s in a darker shade. That is, if it’s burgundy, it had better be dark burgundy.
The Rules
Zegna says if you can remember one thing, it’s this: “It’s important that a man wears the suit, rather than the suit wears the man.”
TIE
Singhania says the knot is the most important part of the tie. The most easy and popular is the four-in-hand or Windsor. Keep the pattern simple. Don’t wear the same colour tie and shirt.
SHIRT
¼ inch of the shirt should show at the collar while standing, and ¼ inch at the cuff.
SOCKS
Unless you’re a Michael Jackson-standard dancer, no white. Socks should be one shade lighter or darker than your pants and reach mid-calf.
Jacket
Shahpurwala warns that if the jacket isn’t perfect, it will ride back, and if it’s too tight, the shirt will pull down and hurt your neck.
Buttoning
Tom Ford says, “Men should always have their jackets buttoned. It is the easiest way to sharpen the silhouette and lose 10 pounds.” Shahpurwala differs — he suggests keeping one button unbuttoned while standing and unbuttoning all buttons when you sit.
PANT
Should flow smoothly down the legs, with no bulges. Not too tight at the crotch. Must rest gently at the top of the shoe.
Shoes
Black goes well with black and grey suits; brown is good for navy suits.
In style THIS YEAR
Side vents give an accent to your waist
Peaked lapels for single breasted suits
Three-piece suits, wait for winter!
Wider ties are replacing skinny ones
Jackets wider, with stronger shoulders
Double-breasted and classic two-button suits
Body types
Women’s figures can be broken down into three main categories, within which there exist many more.
Top-heavy
A three-button jacket tones down the heaviness on top; high-waist pants balance out the bottom half.
The Rules
Women’s business wear has more variations in styles and colours than men’s suits, and far fewer conventions. There are, though, a few sensible guidelines.
SHIRT
You must have that gorgeous white shirt. Choose frills in front if you are small-busted, or a simple fitted white T-shirt with a V-neck if you’re big in the bust. Fabrics can range from cotton to silk to even crepe. Stock up on the kind that fits you best, hiding the figure flaws.
NAIL POLISH
Nail polish in blacks or blues come across as very loud. Keep it simple and elegant with pearly whites or beiges.
Skirt
Even when seated, the skirt should fall below the knee to be office appropriate.
MAKE - UP
Don’t overdo the make up.
Jacket
Women’s jackets are usually stitched with the lapels right-over-left, the opposite of men’s suits.
Shoes
The second must-have: A pair of tried-out heels that give you all-day comfort. This helps you avoid blisters on those trying days when you need to walk across different kinds of surfaces (gravel, concrete, marble, carpetted hallways, stairs).
Accessories
Jewellery Pearls — white, pink, or grey — are the safest way to dress up a classic business suit. To notch up to the contemporary look, a simple long chain with stud earrings, or, conversely, long earrings and a short chain coupled with a chunky bracelet.
Shoes For the classic look, stick with regular pump heels. A bit wilder: Wedge heels with a gladiator look — but they may be a bit too much for a formal meeting.
Bags
We recommend keeping it simple and functional. If you tote a laptop and files, choose one that holds the lot plus essential purse contents. It projects a crisp, clear-cut image; better than staggering into conference rooms festooned with several bags.
Illustration: Vidyanand Kamat
(This story appears in the 17 July, 2009 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)