Fashion changes as seasons do. Style, on the other hand, is forever. Fashion refers to the clothes you buy while style is what you choose to do with them. While it’s easy enough to know what’s currently fashionable and what’s not, finding and cultivating your personal style isn’t. Especially when it comes to your professional look. We all know the importance of dressing for success. But how can you do that if you don’t even know how to dress yourself? Fortunately, we’ve got a great guide for you. One that will help you create your very own professional look from the top of your head to your toes. In this guide, we’ll show you how to match your haircut to your business attire. Why include the hair? Because your haircut says a lot about you and can easily enhance or detract from the look you’re trying to achieve. So, let’s get started, shall we?
The Oxford Style
Oxford Shirt
The Oxford Cloth Button Down Shirt (OCBD) is the most versatile piece you’ll ever wear. It is a staple in any wardrobe because it can be used to meet almost all types of dress codes. You can wear it with a suit for formal occasions or wear it with your favorite pair of jeans on your way to your local watering hole. And because this shirt is such a staple, it’s easy to get a hold of one or more for your closet. Your local retail store or an online clothing store can easily get you what you need for this style. We recommend getting at least two in grey and white. You can easily use both with a full suit or with jeans or linen pants for a more casual look.
Oxford Shoes
Like the Oxford shirt, Oxford shoes are quite versatile. They can be used in formal events, business settings, and even during casual affairs. They come in many variations, colors, and materials including suede. These are a type of incredibly comfortable shoes because they were originally designed for walking – an alternative to boots. We recommend getting a pair or two of the classic colors – black, brown, and tan. Maybe one pair that’s navy or dark green for something more fashionable. But the classic colors are best as they’re easier to match with whatever you have going for you up top.
Pants
With the Oxford style, the pants are not as important as the shirt and the shoes. The type of pants will, of course, depend on how professional you want to look. For business casual, linen pants or cotton trousers wouldn’t go amiss. Pressed slacks would be the perfect choice if you want something dressier. As for color, go for neutrals like black, grey, brown, and blue. These colors are easiest to match.
Hairstyle: Mid Fade Undercut
Stylish and fashion-forward but still appropriate for business. The mid fade undercut is a combination of two of the best haircuts for men. This hairstyle features your back and sides closely cut with long hair on top. You can style your hair with a fringe in the front, letting some of your bangs fall forward to create a more casual look. Or slick it back to look more professional. Either way, you can easily create a balance between sharp, polished, and sexy with just one haircut.
The Executive
Clothes: Business Professional
They say clothes make the man. “They” would be right. If you want to look successful, you have to dress for it. CEOs are in a position of leadership which means they have to have a polished, professional look. One good example is Justin Trudeau and his three-piece suit. This is a great look for businesses that are more conservative with regard to their dress code such as financial institutions. When “creating” a power suit, choose a classic style suit in a solid dark color, a white dress shirt, a tie that has a deeper hue, and dress shoes that are either black or dark brown (whichever matches with the color of your suit).
Hairstyle: Ivy League
Since we’re going for conservative, the Ivy League haircut is the best option. It’s classy and elegant, contributing to the dapper appearance you want to cultivate. For those who are unfamiliar, the Ivy League haircut is a more stylish version of the crew cut. It is also called the Princeton or Harvard clip. This hairstyle features the classic crew cut except that the top hair is left long enough that you can create a side part. There are two benefits to getting this hairstyle. One, it’s very low maintenance. You don’t need to style it much. Just a bit of product and your fingers or a comb will do. Two, it helps you create a smart, sophisticated appearance which is just what you are aiming for.
The Startup Founder
Clothes: Business Casual
Unlike those in a corporate setting, founders of startups aren’t required to wear full-on suits. That being said, it also doesn’t mean you should wear jeans and a shirt. Let’s face it. Not everyone is Mark Zuckerberg and can get away with such a style. Especially if you’re planning on meeting investors and clients. The safest bet is to go for a business casual look. There are different ways to accomplish this. You can choose to wear a pair of cotton trousers in neutral colors (e.g. tan, navy), a button down shirt in a solid color, and a pair of dark brown Chelsea boots. You can add a sweater if the weather’s cool. If you’re meeting with clients, you can up your game by wearing a dark-colored blazer along with pressed slacks, a long-sleeved shirt, and leather shoes like Oxfords.
Hairstyle: The Quiff
As a startup founder, you want to look business appropriate but still stylish with a tiny bit of edge, a hint of the rebel in you. The Quiff hairstyle is a fantastic option that suits that look to a T. A quiff is part pompadour, flat top, and mohawk. It’s less showy than a pompadour. You can sweep the longer hair on top to look more slick and classy. But you can also leave it a bit messy to give it a more casual appearance. There are several quiff styles you can choose from. The beauty of this haircut is that it can be customized to the shape of your face and your personal sense of style.
One of the styles we recommend is the The side-parted quiff can help create a smarter, more polished appearance. Think Ivy League vibes which is perfect for meeting with clients and potential investors. At the same time, it can be styled to look more rugged and natural – perfect for afterwork drinks to celebrate a job well done.
Another hairstyle we recommend is the Undercut Quiff. This definitely looks more modern and edgy than the first one. With this cut, the hair on top will need to be longer to create more of an impact when contrasted with the short sides. Of course, like the side-parted quiff, you can style your hair to look more professional or more rugged, depending on who you’re meeting and where you’ll be.
The IT Professional
Clothes: Business Casual
IT professionals typically dress more casually than others who work in the office. Of course, that doesn’t mean that wearing a suit is out of the question. It’s just not the usual attire. That being said, you can’t go too casual as it isn’t appropriate in a business setting. So, business casual it is. There are different styles of business casual, depending on the culture of the company. For a regular day at work, you can wear chinos with a button-downed shirt, and a pair of bluchers. For casual Fridays, you can opt for slim, dark wash jeans along with a light-colored chambray shirt and a pair of boots: Chelsea boots or chukka boots. If you’re meeting with your boss, you can wear a navy blazer on top of a v-neck shirt, black pants, and brown lace-up shoes. Your look is still more on the relaxed side without sacrificing the fact that you’re a professional. Just make sure that you don’t take off the blazer.
Hairstyle: Faux Hawk
Your hairstyle can say a lot about you. For those who want to achieve a balance between “good guy” and “bad boy” vibes, this is the perfect choice. Faux hawks are trendy and give you an edgy look while still looking appropriate enough for a business setting. There are different styles you can choose from – low or high fade, long or short. If you don’t have an idea of what a faux hawk looks like, think David Beckham and Zac Efron. What we love about the faux hawk is that it’s easy to transform from punk to professional whenever the need arises. As an added bonus, it can be worn by most face shapes such as oval, round, square, and diamond face shapes.