Diane Parente, AICI, CIP

Social Functions
By Diane Parente, AICI CIP

Every professional attends a variety of social business functions during the year, whether an office party, conference dinner dance, or cocktail reception for important clients. What you wear to these events can be challenging. You want to look special, but also have an air of professionalism.

Your professional image always needs to reflect you and your company. The mistake many women make is to have two different personalities, conservative business and daring evening. You want to avoid garments that are too outrageous or alluring, staying instead with tasteful dinner dresses, dressier suits, and pantsuits. Many businesses continue to discuss business even during a social function.

Generally, after-five refers to business attire slightly altered for evening by adding higher heeled shoes, drop earrings and freshening your makeup and hair. Occasionally you may prefer to wear dressier clothing, substituting a colorful dressier top and a distinct belt and shoes. Dinner dresses, suits or dressy pantsuits are appropriate for most formal occasions that are labeled black tie. One suggestion is a basic black dinner dress in wool crepe with a modest scoop neckline worn with a slightly fitted jacket and expensive looking jewelry. You can substitute any darker color for black. Hemlines can be longer for more formal occasions. If in doubt as to what is appropriate, contact the hostess to ask what she will be wearing and take your cue from her.