Vocabulary Words to Learn

• camisole (cam-i-sol) noun “a woman’s sleeveless, waist-length undergarment”

• conservative (con-ser-va-tiv) adjective “traditional in appearance; not flashy”

• corporation (cor-po-ra-tion) noun “an association of persons recognized by law and authorized to carry out certain functions with powers independent of the individual members”

• definitely (def-i-nite-ly) adverb “without a doubt; positively”

• distraction (dis-trac-tion) noun “someone or something that distracts, confuses or diverts”

• guideline (guide-line) noun “a procedure or course to be followed”

• otherwise (oth-er wise) adverb “in a different manner or other way”

• regular (re-gu-lar) adjective “normal or customary”

• reputation (re-pu-ta-tion) noun “the estimation or respect in which a person is held by others”

• revealing (re-veal-ing) verb “to open to view; show”

• society (so-ci-e-ty) noun ” the members of a community or group considered together”

• trend (trend) noun “the latest style or fad”

• undershirt (un-der shirt) noun “a collarless and often sleeveless undergarment worn next to the skin on the upper body”

• unprofessional (un-pro-fes-sion-al) adjective “not in accord with the standards or ethics of a certain profession or activity”

Americans, like most other people, have two ways of dressing, one for play and one for work. While revealing clothing may work in a casual setting, it rarely works in the business world. Lack of attention in this area will earn a person a reputation with colleagues that says, “I am not a serious person. I am an unprofessional worker with little experience or skills.” You may be asking yourself, “then how do Americans dress for work?” First of all, forget what you see on TV and in the movies. There are no cameras at work or TV ratings to be concerned about. Women wear a tank top or a camisole under a dress or blouse with a low neck. Low-rise jeans or pants are considered very chic in Europe but not in the American workplace. You are expected to keep certain parts of your body covered up at all times. The Britney Spears or MTV look , is definitely not welcome at the work place. Skirts for women are never mini or revealing. In the minds of some managers and bosses, the street clothes look in the work place says you lack class and style. Perhaps, if you have a job that is not considered all that important to your company’s image, you may be able to get away with a more revealing style. It will vary from job to job.

Men in corporate America do not wear anything that shows chest hair. This may look good on Bay Watch but it doesn’t work at the offices of a big corporation. Men are expected to wear shirts that you cannot see through and always have an undershirt on beneath their regular shirt. This prevents the hairy look or body parts being revealed. However, dress in the American workplace, like everywhere in the society, has become much more causal today than it once was. Many offices have gone to a casual look in order to make the employees and the clients feel more at ease. This may even mean jeans and t-shirts but still employees for the most part are expected to dress in a conservative way. This casual look doesn’t include things like shorts, open backed dresses or tops, shoes that do not cover your feet or anything that fellow employees or the boss considers “skimpy.” However, the trend toward sexy in the work place is growing in some places in America. Professional women watch television and it is becoming more and more a guideline for what they wear to work and elsewhere. But the question for women dressing for work will continue to be, “how can I balance sexy and fashionable with professional?” Answering this might mean the difference between being taken seriously on the job or being considered a distraction.

Ten Tips to Perfect Yourself at the Office

USA education level required to read this post: 9th grade

Questions for Class and Pair Discussion

• Do you have a clothing style of your own? Other than the amount of money you have to spend on clothes, what influences what you wear?

• What image do you want to be known and remembered for?

• Do you believe that a company should have very specific guidelines about what men and women can wear to work?

• Do women have to constantly think about how they present themselves in every aspect of life? Is it the same for men?

• Do you think that younger women starting out in life might dress less conservatively in hopes of getting more attention and perhaps the job?

• Are there any differences in the business dress code in Bulgaria and the business dress code in America?