Being less than perfectly well--dressed in a business setting can result in a feeling of profound discomfort that may well require therapy to dispel1. And the sad truth is that “clothing mismatches2” on the job can ruin the day of the person who’s wearing the inappropriate attire3 and the people with whom he or she comes in contact.

在生意場合著裝稍有不慎就會使人有非常不舒服的感覺，需要有對應的良策。糟糕的事實是：辦公時“著裝不協調”不僅會使這個穿著不得體的人過不好這一天，也會使同他（她）接觸的人難受。

When should you dress up or dress down?
你該何時盛裝，何時便裝?

Offices vary when it comes to dress codes. Some businesses have very high standards for their employees and set strict guidelines for office attire, while others maintain a more relaxed attitude. However, it is always important to remember that no matter what your company’s attitude is regarding what you wear, you are working in a business environment and you should dress accordingly. Certain items may be more appropriate for evening wear than for a business meeting, just as shorts and a T--shirt are better suited for the beach than for an office environment. Your attire should reflect both your environment and your position. A senior vice president has a different image to maintain than that of a secretary or sales assistant. Like it or not, you will be judged by your personal appearance.

不同的單位對著裝有不同的要求。有些公司對其雇員高標準要求，對辦公室的著裝有嚴格的規定，而有些公司則對此采取較寬容的態度。但無論你所在的公司對你的穿著采取何種態度，你是在一個商務環境中工作，你的著裝應與之相配，記住這一點非常重要。有些衣服更適于做晚禮服而不宜出現在商務會議上，正如短褲和T恤衫更適合在海濱穿著而不適于在辦公室一樣。你的衣著既應反映你的環境又應反映你的職位。高級副總裁應保持的形象不應等同于秘書或銷售助理。無論你是否認同，別人將通過你的個人形象來判斷你的一切。

This is never more apparent than on “dress--down days”, when what you wear can say more about you than any business suit ever could. In fact, people will pay more attention to what you wear on dress--down days than on “business professional” days. Thus, when dressing in “business casual” clothes, try to put some flair4 into your wardrobe choices, recognize that the “real” definition of business casual is to dress just one notch5 down from what you would normally wear on business--professional attire days. Avoid jeans, worn, wrinkled polo shirts6, sneakers, scuffed7 shoes, halter8 tops, and revealing blouses. For men, try wearing a neat pair of pants and a buttoned shirt with long or short sleeves that has more color or texture in the fabric. For women, wear skirts or tailored pants with blouses, blazers, and accessories that mean business yet convey a more casual look than your standard business attire.

這種“以衣度人”的態度在“便裝日”表現得更為明顯，這時你的穿著比任何商務套裝都更能說明你的一切。事實上，人們更注重你的便裝，而不是你的職業裝。因此，在著“商務便裝”時，選衣要加些品味。要知道商務便裝的“真正”含義是指你的裝束應比正規職業著裝僅僅隨意一點。不要穿牛仔服、破舊而皺巴的馬球襯衫、運動鞋、磨損的鞋子、三角背心和暴露的襯衫。男士應穿干凈整潔的便裝褲，帶扣子的長袖或短袖襯衫，顏色和質地多樣化一些。女士應穿裙子或裁剪得體的便裝褲、襯衫、外套和飾物，整體裝束既正式又比標準的職業裝隨意。

Remember, there are boundaries between your career and your social life. You should dress one way for play and another way when you mean business. Always ask yourself where you’re going and how other people will be dressed when you get there. Is the final destination the opera, the beach, or the office? Dress accordingly and you will discover the truth in the axiom9 that clothes make the man--and the woman. When in doubt, always err on the side of dressing slightly more conservatively than the situation demands. Remember, you can always remove a jacket, but you can’t put one on if you didn’t think to take it with you.

切記：你的職業和你的社交生活應界限分明。去娛樂場所穿一身衣服，去談生意就要換另一身裝扮。你總要問一下自己是去哪兒，那兒的人們會怎樣穿著。你最終的目的地是歌劇院、海濱還是辦公室？相應著裝，你就會發現“人靠衣裝馬靠鞍”這個格言是很有道理的。如果你沒有把握，就比實際要求稍微穿得保守一些。記住：你總是可以脫掉外衣，但如果你沒想到要帶，那你可就沒有穿的了。