Outfit Ideas by J. Kleinbauer
On March 17th, the Bucknell Consumer Products Network (BCPN) hosted a Campus Connection’s day and sponsored a fashion show in conjunction with fine apparel store J. Kleinbauer.
 Female Business Formal
This business formal ensemble consists of a matching classic skirt-jacket combo in black. Purchasing pants or a vest in the same fabric will extend the range of business formal outfits you can wear from day to day. Be sure that neither the suit or the skirt are tight-fitting and that the skirt reaches the bottom of your knees. The most conservative look calls for a white button-up shirt and matching closed toed pumps like the model wears here. She also follows suit with business protocol by keeping her hair and make-up simple, worn without dangly or bulky jewelry (if you must, simple studs or pearls are appropriate conservative pieces). Add color to the ensemble by wearing a silk scarf.
Shirt by Craig Taylor, $188.00, navy blazer by Theory, $375.00, navy skirt also by Theory, $190.00 and a Cole Haan handbag, $295.00.
 Female Business Casual
There are a lot of business casual variations for women. Like it is for men, the business casual doesn’t require matching top and bottom sets. Here the model wears cropped khaki pants with a red ¾ sleeve button-up jacket and a high-neck black knit top. Although there is more color here, the palette is still simple and without pattern. Her black high heel pumps are a little more adventurous than those you might wear with a business formal outfit. The trench coat she wears is also a must-have classic for all seasons.
Trench coat by Burberry, $895.00, black top by Anue Ligne, $78.00, red jacket by Lafayette 148, $1,498.00, and Granny Oxford shoes by Stuart Weitzman, $130.00.
 Male Business Formal
Here is the standard matching formal business suit in a grey pinstripe variation worn with a crisp white button-up shirt. The classic first suit is usually grey or black—pinstripes are often purchased later. Standard decorum for a three button suit jacket leaves just the bottom button undone. The pale gold tie adds color, but still keeps the ensemble clean-cut. Ties worn with business formal should not have offbeat patterns or prints. Keeping a selection of simple colored ties will enable you mix up the formal suit from day to day. The dress shoes should be polished and match the belt—here, the ensemble opts for a black belt and shoes. In following with business formal custom, the tie should reach the belt. Pant lengths should be tailored to reach the shoe’s outer sole—anything higher than that and you’ll be bearing your socks to the world. To be on the safe side, pair your shoes with matching socks (i.e., black socks with black shoes).
Medium grey tropical-weight wool suit, $670.00, white dress shirt by Gitman Brothers, $115.00 and a silk Necktie by Florence Style. $110.
 Male Business Casual
Notice the differences between business formal and business casual. First off, the jacket and pants aren’t required to match. Here, the model dons a versatile navy sport coat with grey pants. Purchasing a couple of different colored sport coats and complementary pants will allow you the versatility to mix and match the outfits with corresponding ties. No need to keep the jacket buttoned here, unless it is preferred. Secondly, the tie here is stripped and whimsical. The model chose a white button-up shirt, but business casual allows for a plain colored shirt every now and again. The dress shoes here are brown— so is the belt.
Navy blazer by Jack Victor, $355.00, grey Gabardine wool dress pants, $165.00, white dress shirt by Gitman Brothers, $87.50, and a silk necktie by Robert Talbott, $135.00.
Business formal and casual photos taken by Ally St. Claire.
All of the items listed here are available at J. Kleinbauer’s store in Selinsgrove. You’ll also find many of these items on their website at http://www.jkleinbauer.com/store/pc/home.asp
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Refining the Details of Presentation
A nice pant-suit combo can lose its valor if the entire ensemble doesn’t look sharp. Here are some extra details to keep in mind:
Every layer counts! Remember to wear that oxford with a cami or muscle tee/plain white Hanes T-shirt underneath. Gentlemen note: this doesn’t mean a leftover white frat tee with logos or designs on it—you can usually see all that through the oxford.
A sharp suit outfit needs equally sharp outerwear.
Don’t make the mistake of wearing a nice suit set and throwing your old snowboarding jacket or Northface fleece on top of it. You’ll be well advised to purchase a good quality trench coat, ideally one with a removable liner so it can be worn year round.
Common Women’s Faux Pas:
Peeking bra straps or underwear, low cut tops, skirts or dresses higher than the knee, and anything too tight. Avoiding these blunders usually just means opting for more conservative pieces, but it might also be time to invest in a few—gulp— nude colored slips and smoothers or shapers (Spanx is a great brand) to conceal those undergarments.
Common Men’s Faux Pas:
Wrinkled shirts, scuffed shoes, belt loops without belts, and shoes without socks. Most of this can be avoided with proper maintenance, so send those suits to the dry cleaners often, iron those shirts every time you wash them, and polish those shoes regularly. |
Bucknell alum Wil Fang (2005) also came from NYC for the Campus Connections day and at the fashion show, he offered his work wardrobe savvy advice
Wil is a Project Manager in Global Business Process at Ralph Lauren. In the photos here, he wore green accents with his in honor of St. Patrick’s day— he even wore green patterned socks! Will is known for his preppy, but sophisticated style, which he says is a reflection of his work with Ralph Lauren. See Wil’s interview on page 19 of our April 2009 issue (a PDF version can be found in our “Our Publications” tab) for more of his insights.