Guidelines for Business Dress

Guidelines for appropriate business attire are being blurred by the current switch to “casual Fridays” and “business casual” styles at many organizations that hire MBAs. In addition, for those in entrepreneurial and technical fields, other, more casual modes of dress prevail.

There are, however, many occasions when you will be expected to adhere to standards for traditional business attire, both at Yale SOM and in the business world. To assist you, the following guidelines have been developed for business attire here in the U.S. These standards are the protocol for on-campus company presentations, on-campus recruiter interviews, various speaker events and other occasions.

The guidelines for formal business attire are reprinted by special permission from Coleen Singer, one of the CDO’s consultants who has career experience in investment banking and recruiting for investment banks.

How Women Should Dress

• Conservative suit: formal, dark colors. Pants versus skirts? In some industries, such as advertising, a suit with pants is appropriate. A skirt is the safest choice. Avoid short hemlines and patterned hose
• Shoes: Closed-toe and lower heel
• Accessories: Minimal. No clunky jewelry. Be wary of long necklaces that may distract you.
• Make-up: natural look is best, but if you must wear make-up, apply it minimally.

How Men Should Dress

• Conservative dark suit preferably a single-breasted, two-piece suit (all wool is preferred).
• Shirt: should be starched, long-sleeved with no fraying at the collar or cuffs.
• Collar: spread collar or button-down Oxfords are suggested.
• Tie: should be small patterned.
• Cologne: if you wear cologne, use it sparingly.
• Shoes: loafers or lace-ups with a low heel.
• Socks: should cover your entire calf - never wear white socks! Your socks should harmonize with the colors of your pants and shoes, not your tie or shirt.
• Accessories: tie pins or cuff links should not have insignia of groups, religions or organizations.

If you are unable to update your business wardrobe before you come to campus, please feel free to come by the CDO for assistance and advice. We can recommend several clothing and department stores where you may purchase business attire in the local area. However, you should keep in mind that alterations can take up to several weeks to complete. We therefore strongly recommend that you update your wardrobe before arriving in New Haven. Remember, you will need it for Meet the Firms on September 7th!

Business Casual Attire at SOM

Events Standards for what is accepted as business casual vary by organization. Some large institutions have gone to the effort of trying to define what is acceptable by promulgating detailed written guidelines. You will be able to determine what are the norms once you start to interact with people in these organizations.

For Yale SOM, the guideline is defined more by what is not acceptable - no shorts, jeans or athletic attire such as tank tops, jogging suits or tee shirts.

You will find that most people at Yale SOM will be wearing tailored slacks or skirts, shirts with some kind of collar and footwear with socks or hosiery. As always, you do not want to wear anything that will be disruptive to the proceedings or call undue attention to yourself. As in any business situation, how you present yourself is the first step in defining your potential for a successful interaction.