Business Dress Code in UK 2012 Keep Calm and ...

A recent invitation to a breakfast business club I received read  (I have redacted the detail with                 )

Dear Hugh

Thank you for booking a place(s) to attend our XXXXXXXX  on                June 2012.  To help make the event as enjoyable as possible please read the full event details below. ( This included :)

TIME:  7.30am - 10.00am

VENUE  XXXXXX

          Suite,                                                 Street, London                     . 

DRESS CODE

Business Dress

The meeting agenda  did have 'on the bill of speakers' a Government Minister , a Chief executive of a   trade  department for the Foreign Office ( Senior Civil Servant), a case study practitioner and a leading social media provider and was taking place in the city of London - the financial district.

So I thought  Dress Code : Business means that I better keep be tie and suited. 

Well as you can see the "Business"  dress code was interpreted quite freely from the photo below.

Dress Code : BUSINESS as interpreted by the Audience at a breakfast meeting in Summer of 2012

 At front stage :
The chairman of the Business Club was in a suit but without a neck tie.

The Government Minister and and the Civil servant  were in suits and wore ties.

The Case study presenter was in smart casual with no tie and the social media team had a director in suit , shirt and no tie  the rest of the team in company logoed T shirts - which looked great - but they were young and  all had waists!!

Business Dress has changed considerably over the years in the UK.

The Buyers' views of Salespeople study which began in 1998 regularly asks two pertinent questions about dress code and selling. The first is how does the Buyer currently describe his office dress code and the second is the how should Salespeople dress when visiting the Buyer's premises on a 'dress down' day?

Of course it depends .

 

So therefore it is best if possible to ask ahead but if in doubt remain 'suited and booted.'

After all if you are overdressed you can aways take your jacket off - just like I did at the breakfast meeting.

Not sure I carry off a T shirt that well these days.

For information on the new Buyers' Views of salespeople 2012 contact info@tack.co.uk