Article - The Latest Branded Corporate Clothing Trends
11 Jan 2018
Do you work in the corporate world? If so, you are usually required to dress accordingly. This means that you’re always appropriately dressed when you go to work and never over- or underdressed in garments that your employer or the company’s customers would find in poor taste or offensive.
In the Office
Moreover, if the nature of your work and workplace means that you’re spending your days in corporate offices or a similar white-collar environment, it’s imperative that you are smart at all times. This implies wearing branded clothing that identifies you to colleagues and customers alike as being a staff member of the concern whose brand you display.
Formal Attire for Formal Environments
Typical women’s corporate clothing consists of a tailored skirt or slacks, a blouse or shirt, and a jacket that matches or compliments the skirt/slacks, much like a ladies’ suit. Accessories such as a branded scarf and a nametag bearing the company logo may be included. The latter may additionally indicate your position within the organisation. Ladies may have a choice of blouse colours, allowing for some variety. In thoroughly formal environments, ladies’ blouses and shirts feature elbow-length or long sleeves, if the organisation follows the tradition of covering female corporate employees’ arms. Formal corporate ladies’ footwear still consists of closed court shoes.
In very formal workplace environments in South Africa, gents still wear suits, lounge shirts, and ties. Subtle branding may appear on the shirt pocket or tie, also on name tags, if included. Jackets may be removed while working, but are usually put on again when called into a meeting in the boardroom or a superior’s office, meeting clients at the workplace or at the clients’ premises.
These days, most corporate premises in this country are air-conditioned. Temperature control allows formally attired personnel to perform their tasks in comfort, irrespective of their clothing and the weather conditions and temperature prevailing outdoors. In these circumstances, formal attire is fine and perfectly comfortable, unless you’re out of the office.
Less Formal Fashions
As from approximately the latter quarter of the 20th century, many a South African corporate employee, especially from amongst the male ranks, quite openly envied their counterparts in hot countries such as Israel, where gents dressed far less formally when going to work, whether in corporate companies and even in the Israeli government’s cabinet. India’s workforce long since adopted less formal corporate fashions; generally only senior executives are required to conform to the dress code of the "suit, collar and tie” brigade.
The climate and heat were the primary reasons for such relative informality while at work. In South Africa and many other countries, attitudes, dress codes, and forms of address have relaxed a great deal. Now, there is much less formality than previously. However, the importance of and emphasis on branding has never been more prevalent. Brand building, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and a strong company culture are vital components of brand and company success.
Seize a Branding Opportunity
Every corporate employee’s clothing represents an excellent branding opportunity. Let the XCO Group’s corporate specialists assist you to select a range of garments for your personnel and XCO’s in-house branding division will execute your branding requirements – a winning solution for your company, your brand and your employees.