Business look – but make it CyberShield
How nice it is to work from home! You can cuddle the dog, make yourself a sandwich or walk around in a baggy look ;-) Nevertheless, there will be situations when some of you will not be working from home but e.g. at the customer’s site.
In such cases, you should be aware that …
- your inner values and your content performance are important to CyberShield,
- you represent CyberShield,
- your clothing also makes a statement about how much you value yourself and how much you value the other person,
- outsiders have already formed an opinion of you before they even speak to you. Your clothes are a big part of forming this opinion.
The look: You only get one chance for a first impression!
Humans are creatures who like to pigeonhole everything and our brains make decisions within nanoseconds. Whether we like it or not is irrelevant. However, this means that a “first impression” only happens once. You should take advantage of this.
However, I would like to skip this aspect at this point. I would like to make the assertion that we all want to be successful (in the sense of being valued as a person and having our work recognized) and that we also want CyberShield to be successful. A first step in this direction is choosing the right clothing.
But what is the right clothing? This question is not so easy to answer. Various factors play a role in the answer: Age, personal style, cultural background, etc.
Different occasions call for different clothing.
Dress codes relevant to us
Casual
Although “casual” means leisure wear, don’t let this mislead you. It doesn’t mean jogging bottoms or hoodies. The casual look refers to a relaxed outfit that is nevertheless presentable. Examples: (pressed) cotton trousers, polo shirt and jacket. A neat pair of jeans in combination with a shirt/blouse is also a casual outfit. Ties are too much. Ladies can also wear knee-length dresses and skirts (maximum one hand’s width above the knee) in combination with tights.
Neat, clean sneakers or loafers are fine. Ladies also have a wider choice here: everything from sandals to boots is permitted.
Business casual
This look is a little more formal than the casual look. Although you don’t have to wear a tie, it’s better to wear a plain-colored shirt or one with a subtle pattern than a polo shirt. If it’s cooler, you can put on a sweater or cardigan. Suitable pants are either suit pants or other cotton pants, but not jeans. Neat low shoes go well here, such as lace-up shoes or loafers. Ladies also have a wider choice. The basic rule is: more elegant than a casual look, but not as formal as a trouser suit. Don’t show off too much cleavage and don’t forget to wear tights with dresses/skirts.
Business Attire
Even if there is a tendency to interpret office clothing more and more freely, the business attire dress code still exists! It is the classic dark suit with a white or at least plain, light-colored shirt and elegant low shoes with laces or loafers.
CyberShield Look
As you can see, it’s very easy to recreate the CyberShield look ;-) No problem at all!
Elegant and serious? Yes! But also crazy, innovative and individual! We asked ourselves how we could implement this in our look. We’re currently experimenting with a classic dark suit and white CyberShield shirt and fun socks and/or clean sneakers at trade fairs, for example. Let us know what you think! We have two trade fairs coming up in April – we will try it out and keep you up to date on our experiences :-)
We have created an overview that you should use as a guide:
| Location | YES!  |
NO!  |
|---|---|---|
| Internal video call | Feel comfortable in your clothes. But also show respect for your colleagues through your choice of clothing. | Bathrobe |
| Video call with customers or similar | Smart casual look | T-Shirt/Spagetti-Top/Hoodie |
| Video call with potential customers | Business Casual Look: Shirt/blouse |
|
| In the office | Casual Look
Feel comfortable in your clothes. But also show respect for your colleagues through your choice of clothing. |
|
| At the customer’s office | Depending on the customer (business) casual look: Jeans/cotton trousers/suit trousers/skirt/shirt/blouse/dress Shoes: lace-up shoes, loafers, neat and elegant sneakers, ladies: also sandals, boots |
Shorts/jogging pants
T-shirt/spaghetti top/hoodie |
| At the customer’s site | Depending on the customer, protective work clothing or (business) casual look: Jeans/cotton trousers Polo shirt/sweater Shoes: Work shoes, neat and elegant sneakers, closed shoes, if necessary, bring additional protective work clothing |
Shorts/jogging pants Short-sleeved clothing/hoodie sneakers, open shoes |
| As a CyberShield representative at trade fairs or an event related to the trade fair | Unless otherwise stated in the invitation: Dark suit with white (CyberShield) shirt/blouse Dark skirt/dress/pantsuit Belt Shoes: Lace-up shoes, loafers – preferably overdressed! |
Mini skirt/dress Neckline cut too low, spaghetti straps |
| With (potential) customers at dinner or another event | Unless otherwise stated in the invitation, depending on the occasion: (business) casual to business attire to elegant Dark suit with white (CyberShield) shirt/blouse Dark skirt/dress/pantsuit Belt Shoes: lace-up shoes, loafers, sneakers – preferably overdressed! |
Mini skirt/dress Neckline cut too low, spaghetti straps |
Here are a few more tips:
- Wear an appropriately colored undershirt under a shirt.
- Do not wear tennis socks with a suit.
- In most cases, trousers need a belt that matches the color of the shoes or outfit.
- Clothes should be clean and, if the fabric requires it, ironed.
- Wear tights with dresses/skirts.
- Some jewelry is welcome, but don’t overdo it.
- Sneakers are not sneakers and are therefore taboo.
- For very formal events, such as a gala reception, it is advisable to have a tie on hand.
- Last but not least: a well-groomed person should be in the outfit ;-)
The material
Now that the dress code has been clarified, we would like to talk about the materials used.
Unfortunately, we have noticed that most suits are made of wool, cashmere, silk and so on. Shoes are often made of leather. We emphasize great importance to treating each other and all fellow creatures with respect. That is why the circumstances in the clothing industry, which uses animal products, make us unspeakably sad. Especially because there are high-quality alternatives that are free from animal suffering, most of which require less care and have more practical properties (e.g. down jacket vs. Primaloft). In addition to the ethical reasons, there are also practical reasons to quit using animal ingredients.
Do your clothes harm the environment?
The production of clothing usually involves the use of pesticides (e.g. for cotton), the destruction of soils (through conventional cultivation), the waste and pollution of water and the use of chemicals.
Sure: conserving resources is always the best way! But please don’t come to the office or trade fair stand naked because of this… ;-) A better way is to wear clothes for a long time or, if possible, to buy second-hand items. If you do need something new, then please look for sustainable materials, such as recycled material or natural fabrics in organic quality.
These eco-seals can help you decide on sustainable clothing:
You can find more background information on the seals or chemicals in your clothing here: https://www.greenpeace.de/publikationen/e01211-greenpeace-chemie-einkaufsratgeber-textil-siegel-2018.pdf
We would be delighted if you would take our recommendations into account when making your choice. You are not doing this for us -> your body (chemicals) and the planet will thank you!
Here are some shopping examples:
Thank you for your attention and your contribution to a more peaceful world with well-dressed people ;-)
Christian and Adela
