B1 – Intermediate
The choice for what to wear to work is between suit or casual. Every company has a standard dress code for their office workers. As the time progressed, more professionals are seen wearing business clothes less and less. Nowadays, more companies allow their workers to dress more casually. This is to make their staff feel more relaxed and focused on their jobs.
Read the article about how business suits are worn less in offices.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1903/190322-business-suit-1.html
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “dress code” mean? “The latest international company to relax its dress code is Goldman Sachs.” Use this phrase in your own sentence.
- Define “casual“. “Some people think casual dress is not good.” Use this word in your own sentence.
- Define “sloppy“. “He added that if people dress sloppily, people will think the brand is sloppy.” Use this word in your own sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think of business clothes and dress codes at work?
- Do people in business suits look better and more professional? Explain.
- Is it good or bad to dress casually at work? Explain.
- What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
- Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work? Explain.
12 replies on “Business Suits Worn Less”
1. What do you think of business clothes and dress codes at work? I believe that the worker must decide what to wear in an exercise of good judgment, according to the situation. Staying in the office is not the same as representing your company at an important business meeting.
2. Do people in business suits look better and more professional? It is not necessary, but in some cases it is a respectful dress code.
3. Is it good or bad to dress casually at work? I think it’s good, as long as it’s not imposed.
4. What kind of clothes do you wear to work? It depends, I usually wear casual clothes, but if I have a board meeting or represent my company at a meeting, I wear a suit.
5. Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work? Yes, it is more comfortable
Appreciate your efforts in answering your lesson’s discussion questions.
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1.- What do you think of business clothes and dress codes at work?
I’m totally agree with to have codes but depends on the professional skills and workers responsibilities.
2.- Do people in business suits look better and more professional? Explain.
At first sight they look likes cool , But i think they could feel uncomfortable wearing like that.
I think no matter what kind of clothes people wear it , that will be given because the way of being. If you are a good professional , you’ll be a good one wearing jeans or in a business suit.
3.- Is it good or bad to dress casually at work? Explain.
In my opinion , It’s much better , It’s more comfortable than to dress in business suits.
Tie is complete uncomfortable and also tight shoes are .
4.- What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
If i have to go to the office , I usually wear causal. No sport shoes neither sports T-shirts.
At home , I have the opportunity to wear Sport shoes , no body is watching me.
5.- Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work? Explain.
In my position , I’m free to dress / wear casual. We have to stay seated a lot of time and fully focused , so a business suit has not sense for me as IT System Admin
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1. What do you think of business clothes?
In my opinion, this is just a way to classify the companies, in fact, an old and retrograde view of the companies. What I mean is that dress code should be dress election, if someone feels good and comfortable, or not, with suits or stylish clothes, they should be free to choose whether they want to wear those clothes or not.
2. Do people in business suits look better and more professional?
I don’t think so. What I can realise is that if you are working and you have relation with people that are wearing this very elegant clothes and you are wearing jeans and t-shirt or pull-overs, they can feel that you are not at the same level as they are. But, for me, this can be the perfect way to show them the super amazing job you do for them, and prove that wearing other clothes than they do, not means that you cannot do the job or carry them to success.
3. Is it good or bad to dress casually at work?
As I said in the previous questions, to dress casually must not have the meaning that you work less, or you are lazy. If you feel comfortable with the clothes you are wearing, it is a way to avoid distractions. You are not thinking “oh, this jacket is so uncomfortable that I cannot breathe” or examples like this one, that the only thing they are giving to you is distraction.
4. What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
Well, in my job, unfortunately, I need to wear more elegant clothes. I would love to wear jeans and nice sneakers, clothes that I think eventually are more suitable for my job situations. But in pharm industry this dress code is normally mandatory. I visit doctors, and sometimes who I think is out the situation, is us, the visitors, because you dress more elegantly and the doctor usually is wearing sneakers, jeans and some of them sweatpants… so I don’t think is the best to have this dress code.
5. Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work?
I adapt to all situations in my jobs, so this is not affecting to the quality of my work. But, I would feel more comfortable, and sometimes, when is almost the time to finish workday, the only thing I am thinking is to arrive home and change my clothes to other more comfortable for me and the ones with I can feel better.
You did a very good job writing all your responses to this lesson’s discussion questions. We can tell that you did exert a lot of efforts in doing so.
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1. What do you think of business clothes?
I don´t like wear business clothes, it’s very formal for me. But I understand that depend of the company. Because there are companies that need to proyect a imagine formal, serious, of probity, of confidence building. So, to wear formal clothes is mandatory, but in other areas, in other jobs isn´t necessary.
2. Do people in business suits look better and more professional?
I agree, but I think that is a construction social, we are society esteriotiped, proyect a false image.
I think the clothes don’t do yourself be more efficient, not meen professionality or be a person of probity. but this image helps you to build customer confidence.
3. Is it good or bad to dress casually at work?
All is asociated to imagen; so depend, if you work in customer service, is positive and very recommend to use business clothes. But there is many others that it isn’t necessary.
4. What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
As my work is homebased, I can use anything of clothes, incluide pijama, but usually the last isn’t possible because I get my dougthers to school.
And when I go to the office I wear casual clothes.
5. Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work?
I always work hard. Clothes are not a problem for me.
In the past, I worked in human resource management, in a metallurgical company, and I dressed business clothes. But is true that casual clothes is better for work, because is more comfortable for me.
You are doing a good job especially in practicing and trying to improve by following our previous advice. You can clearly see significant improvement now. Keep it up!
Here is one of your responses that you can write a bit better:
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1. What do you think of business clothes?
I believe that we should not be influenced by clothes , but it is something difficult to avoid overall if you don’t know the other person
2. Do people in business suits look better and more professional?
I feel that it could be a respect scenario
3. Is it good or bad to dress casually at work?
I would say that it is more comfortable
4. What kind of clothes do you wear to work?
I usually wear casual clothes
5. Would you be able to work harder in casual clothes at work?
yes because I need to move fast and comfortable clothes
ease my movements
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
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1. I think the clothes in the business/company are very important. You can tell a lot of things about a person by the clothes that he or she wears. In a company, you can dress more casually but if you have an important meeting I think it is important the images and the business clothes.
2. This depends on the situation and the kind of company. I think people in business suits look better and more professional. I mean, people well dresser a suit is not necessary. But without runners, sportswear etc..
3. I think is good to dress casually at work (except sportwear) but if you have an important meeting a business suit/wear is important. A dress code is important in a company. Based in the culture of the organization/company a dress code is confirmed to the employees.
4. I work for a pharmaceutical company. So everyday going with formal clothes. Dress code business casual (traditional business wear with a more relaxed style).
5. No, I disagree with this sentence. I work the same way with one clothes and another. The most important thing for me is well dressed/groomed.
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